Abstract painting explained – Part 2

Abstract art is a twentieth-century movement that uses colors and shapes in a non-representative way in order to depict intrinsic qualities of an artistic subject. Essentially, abstract work is intended to capture the essence of its subject without necessarily depicting the subject as it appears in reality.

Types of Abstract Art:

Particular subsets of abstract art often include Cubism, Futurist Art, Op Art, Minimalism, and sometimes Calligraphy, although some subsets are arguably substantial enough to comprise their own artistic movement separate from that of abstract art. Abstract art differs, however, from decorative art or pattern-making, because the use of designs, shapes, and colors are not simply intended to appeal to the human eye. Fine art, as opposed to industrial or decorative patterns, includes a contemplation of a theme or an ideas within its creative process. For example, a randomly generated series of shapes in different colors printed and mass produced would not be considered abstract art, although it makes use of apparently non-representative colors and shapes. Another collection of seemingly random shapes, lines, and colors, however, may indeed be abstract art, although they are also non-representative. This second example would seek to explore a concept or idea, the basic nature of an object, or a simplistic representation of the “idea” behind a particular subject. These ideas typically include inspiration in the form of Nature, Myth, Figures, and Construction.

Extensions of Abstract Art:

Constructivism and De Stijl are art movements that extended the theories and practices behind abstract art and applied them to architecture and sculpture. Constructivism advocates art as an expression of aspiration, by means of mechanical, graphic, and photographic mediums.

Famous Abstract Artists:

Famous abstract artists include Barnett Newman, Mark Rothko, Willem de Kooning, Jackson Pollock, Franz Kline, and Hans Hofmann (all of whom are American Expressionists) as well as Kandinsky, Forster, Gigon, and Afonso. However, Modernists and artists of other preceding movements are considered key influences on all of Modern and Abstract art, including Cezanne, Picasso, Matisse, and Van Gogh.