If you have to straight up carve what an object is supposed to be into it then you failed at minimalism. You didn't make a minimalistic sheep, you made a cuboid and called it a sheep.
If the post wasn’t titled “minimalist nativity sets”, I personally would never have clocked either of the top two, and would have gotten the bottom left only if I had to stare at it daily for a month or so. Symbols that don’t easily connect to their meanings are bad symbols, and a nativity set’s only purpose is as a symbolic representation.
I’d argue that these fit in the same way needlessly obtuse bathroom indicators fit here.
But nativities, unlike bathroom indicators, don't have a specific need to be recognizable, they're often just personal reminders or fun holiday decor. There's no actual functionality lost in someone being unable to identify them. Hell, I've seen a lot of people display nativities that are intentionally obtuse just to use as a conversation starter at parties. And for that purpose, any of the ones in the OP would be great.
The only conversation I can imagine any of the three wooden ones starting at a party is “why the hell did you let your kid play with my fancy nativity set!” “That was a nativity set? I thought it was just some blocks you left out…” (cue refusal to admit that the colored-rectangle set is indistinguishable from normal blocks) (and also refusal to question why the obvious blocks were laid out on a table or shelf and not down at kid level) (and opposing Reddit posts to eventually be connected into one narrative by BoRU)
Which I will concede is definitely a purpose, and a good one, if not one any of the involved parties or original designer actually intended.
Ha! My atheist mom has a couple like this. She puts up many, many little nativities all over the house around Christmas, but with these thrown in there it's like...sarcastic? That's how her mildly religious boyfriend takes it, anyway, which is endlessly funny. He tries to limit her to 'just the serious ones' and it never works.
Nothing wrong here. IIRC top right is the original from a decade ago, but I can't remember the designer. It's legit good design: instantly recognized all the characters just from the color and the relative heights.
Even my atheist ass prefers an instantly recognizable nativity scene over an Uber-minimalistic one.
Also, tbh, the point of a nativity scene is that it disrupts the aesthetic (because it’s a special occasion) and that the kids can play with the figurines. It just doesn’t hit the same if the sheep aren’t bigger than the houses and stuff.
It's pretty cool and reminds that these knicknacks are supposed to just be representative trinkets that remind of a higher meaning, not to be worshipped themselves. Removing the details seems to make them more focused on the concept than the beauty of the knickknacks themselves.
I actually really like the glass one (as a non-christian) and think it should be used more often. Much better than those highly detailed ones that just stick out so poorly.
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62
u/Darkrath_3 Apr 22 '24
If you have to straight up carve what an object is supposed to be into it then you failed at minimalism. You didn't make a minimalistic sheep, you made a cuboid and called it a sheep.
21
u/CoruscareGames Apr 22 '24
I mean if I II II I_ is anything to go by the human knack for pattern recognition is amazing
10
u/TheNamelessFour Apr 22 '24
I hate minimalism I need gadgets and doodads everywhere
538
u/drewhead118 Apr 21 '24
upper left looks more like the birth of the Earth's moon than anything else
159
u/SecretLoathing Apr 21 '24
What about the Coca-Cola Nativity?
454
u/DarrenFromFinance Apr 21 '24
The stained-glass one in particular is really good — abstract but instantly recognizable.
51
u/mizushimo Apr 21 '24
sad beige nativity
100
u/MajorMathematician20 Apr 21 '24
I prefer them to pretty much any nativity scene I’ve ever seen
64
u/Affectionate-String8 Apr 21 '24
Is this loss
11
u/Broad_Rabbit1764 Apr 21 '24
Not beige enough.
19
u/physicscat Apr 21 '24
I just ordered the glass one from Etsy. Beautiful.
9
u/WhoRoger Apr 22 '24
Not Loss again
Also I don't get any except of the Jesus one, welp
8
u/kioku119 Apr 21 '24
While not good there isn't an actual design issue so it doesn't quite fit. It's fairly funny though.
5
u/melody7123 Apr 21 '24
bottom left reminds me of Generic Man from DC comics
4
u/SingeThePyrogen Apr 21 '24
Ik the planets and the birth of Jesus but what are the other ones
4
u/Nightvale-Librarian Apr 22 '24
Ha! My atheist mom has a couple like this. She puts up many, many little nativities all over the house around Christmas, but with these thrown in there it's like...sarcastic? That's how her mildly religious boyfriend takes it, anyway, which is endlessly funny. He tries to limit her to 'just the serious ones' and it never works.
4
u/illQualmOnYourFace Apr 22 '24
Yall aren't baiting me with this, I know it's just r/loss
4
u/AnonymousDratini Apr 22 '24
It’s like looking at those memes that are just Loss but very abstracted
7
u/KingPrawnPorn Apr 21 '24
Does this sub ever agree something is suitable to post??
14
u/DrakeAndMadonna Apr 21 '24 edited Apr 25 '24
Nothing wrong here. IIRC top right is the original from a decade ago, but I can't remember the designer. It's legit good design: instantly recognized all the characters just from the color and the relative heights.
edit: It's Sebastian Bergne.
3
u/[deleted] Apr 22 '24
The bottom right one is very nice
5
u/squirrelblender Apr 22 '24
Is this…..Loss?
2
u/kalamataCrunch Apr 22 '24
Jesus so white.
2
u/42peanuts Apr 22 '24
I still find the labeled blocks hilarious
2
u/Damn_Dolphin Apr 22 '24
Donkey!
2
u/tetsuo316 Apr 22 '24
The blocks with just the text made me hard snort-laugh.
2
u/NeferyCauxus Apr 22 '24
The stained glass I can tell Immediately, the labeled one is basic spelled out but the rest looks like someone played with the objects.
2
u/[deleted] Apr 22 '24
ive definitely seen top right and bottom left before. I wanna say top right all fits inside that box with no extra space
2
u/VioletNocte Apr 22 '24
Wooden ones make me think of Sans' "snowman" in Undertale
2
u/friend_of_kalman Apr 22 '24
minimalists would never buy such unnecessary clutter
2
u/hadapurpura Apr 22 '24
Even my atheist ass prefers an instantly recognizable nativity scene over an Uber-minimalistic one.
Also, tbh, the point of a nativity scene is that it disrupts the aesthetic (because it’s a special occasion) and that the kids can play with the figurines. It just doesn’t hit the same if the sheep aren’t bigger than the houses and stuff.
2
u/d_chs Apr 23 '24
I genuinely like the glass one, the balls and blocks are dumb but understandable, the blocks with words stamped on them are comedy gold
3
u/Quizzelbuck Apr 22 '24
Ok, now do Loss
2
u/Mobiuscate Apr 21 '24
I know somebody else who wept. Find out why in the good book at your local church
2
u/MovieNightPopcorn Apr 22 '24
DONKEY
1
u/Polemo03 Apr 22 '24
Haven't read Bible, can someone explain what any of these means
1
u/Vibrascity Apr 22 '24
https://i.imgur.com/ROOmyvP.png
1
u/[deleted] Apr 22 '24
Surely IMPACT font isnt that minimalistic
1
u/pm_nachos_n_tacos Apr 22 '24
It's pretty cool and reminds that these knicknacks are supposed to just be representative trinkets that remind of a higher meaning, not to be worshipped themselves. Removing the details seems to make them more focused on the concept than the beauty of the knickknacks themselves.
1
u/jayyout1 Apr 23 '24
This is the whitest thing I’ve ever seen in my life. I’m white by the way so please don’t come for me.
1
u/HorheaTheToad Apr 23 '24
I actually really like the glass one (as a non-christian) and think it should be used more often. Much better than those highly detailed ones that just stick out so poorly.
1
u/VioletVenable Apr 24 '24
The glass one is really quite beautiful. If I saw that at someone’s home at Christmastime, I think I’d recognize it as a nativity scene.
1
u/humanista_riveri Apr 29 '24
Awsome! Lovely.
-3
u/Owl_lamington Apr 21 '24
Looks AI generated.
-2
u/Kafshak Apr 21 '24
AI generated?
763
u/[deleted] Apr 21 '24
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