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