| -- Of all the arts, abstract painting is the most | | | | the whole canvas being treated with equal |
| difficult. It demands that you know how to draw | | | | importance instead of a central focus |
| well, that you have a heightened sensitivity for | | | | As the first truly original school of painting in |
| composition and for colors, and that you be a | | | | America, abstract expressionism demonstrated |
| true poet. This last is essential. -- Wassily | | | | the vivacity and vision of the country in the |
| Kandinsky. | | | | post-war years, as well as its ability to develop an |
| What Kandinsky states about the difficulty of | | | | aesthetic sense that was not constrained by the |
| abstract painting also seems to apply to those | | | | European standards of beauty. |
| looking to understand and appreciate abstract art | | | | Abstraction in art comes in many forms and |
| as a whole. Being a "true poet" is essential in the | | | | much of it relies on a method called "figurative |
| sense that the artist must be intuitive, inventive, | | | | abstraction" which is a method of seeking the |
| and not bound by the regiments of established art | | | | fundamental nature of a subject. The detail is |
| forms. Having an understanding of the history that | | | | eliminated from recognizable objects leaving only |
| led to the development of abstract art can | | | | the essence or some degree of familiarity. |
| greatly enhance our appreciation of it and make | | | | In Pablo Picasso's cubism, geometrical forms and |
| viewing this kind of artwork a highly rewarding | | | | fragmentations dominate and everything is |
| experience. | | | | reduced to cubes and other geometrical forms. |
| THE FOUNDATIONS OF ABSTRACT ART | | | | Often several aspects of one subject are shown |
| In Western art history, the advent of | | | | demonstrating different facets of time and space |
| photography steered portrait and landscape | | | | simultaneously. |
| painting away from the rigid academic traditions | | | | HOW YOU CAN EXPLORE AN ABSTRACT |
| of realism; giving rise to radical new approaches. | | | | WORK |
| First by taking painting out of the studio and into | | | | The next time you view an abstract work of art, |
| the natural world; then by using bold arbitrary | | | | consider the following to help you gain greater |
| color and the use of free expressive brushwork. | | | | insight and enjoyment from the piece... |
| This break from the academic style of painting | | | | 1. Start by asking if you are trying to figure out |
| occurred first in France during the late 19th | | | | what the work looks like or represents? If you |
| century, and later spread across Europe and | | | | are, then refocus your attention and try to allow |
| Russia. At the beginning of the 20th century | | | | something to emerge purely from what you see |
| artists such as Wassily Kandinsky, Piet Mondrian, | | | | in front of you. |
| and Pablo Picasso began paving the way towards | | | | 2. Study the elements: the colors, the textures, |
| non-objective painting. | | | | the lines of the painting. Discover how they |
| The term non-objective generally refers to art | | | | interact with each other. |
| that does not depict objects in the natural world, | | | | 3. Ask yourself what emotions the painting |
| but instead uses shapes and colors in a | | | | evokes. There may be a range of emotions so |
| non-representational or subjective way. The color | | | | it's helpful to pay attention to this aspect from |
| and form (and often the materials and support) | | | | the first time you see the work. You can then |
| are the subject of the abstract painting. It's | | | | see if your emotional response changes as you |
| completely non-objective or non-representational. | | | | spend more time looking. |
| This approach to painting is also used to represent | | | | 4. Finally, find out what the title of the painting is. |
| things that aren't visual, such an emotion, sound, | | | | Ask yourself how knowing this now influences |
| or spiritual experience. | | | | what you see. Try not to let the title override |
| Two famous non-objective painters were Wassily | | | | your own original response, rather let it add |
| Kandinsky and Piet Mondrian. Kandinsky, born in | | | | another layer of understanding and appreciation. |
| Russia, is referred to as the father of abstract | | | | When you use your own creative spirit to find the |
| art. His style developed over the years starting | | | | poetry of the work, you'll have found a deeper |
| with semi-abstract and then into pure | | | | level of enjoyment and furthered your |
| non-objective images. Piet Mondrian, a Dutch | | | | appreciation for truly modern art. |
| painter, followed a similar path and further | | | | Christopher Murphy is an abstract artist who lives |
| developed abstract painting, creating art that | | | | and works in Savannah, Georgia. Murphy has been |
| reflected a world of pure form and color. | | | | showing his work in exhibitions across the |
| Another form of non-representational art was | | | | southeast and stays active in his community also |
| "Abstract Expressionism", which emerged in the | | | | by teaching art, and volunteering his time to art |
| 1940s. The action painting of Jackson Pollock, in | | | | organizations. You can see his current work and |
| which paint was dripped, spattered, or thrown on | | | | get information about it at his website, |
| the canvas, set the tone for abstract art in the | | | | This article is Copyright 2006 Christopher Murphy. |
| later half of the 20th century. Abstract | | | | Permission to reproduce this article is given but |
| expressionist's paintings had certain characteristics | | | | only if the entire article is printed or published |
| in common, including the use of large canvases, an | | | | electronically as is, including this resource box. |
| emphasis on the canvas's inherent flatness, and | | | | |