Abstract art
Abstract art is an artistic movement that emerged in the early twentieth century, characterized by a departure from representational forms and traditional realism. Instead of depicting concrete objects or scenes, abstract art explores colors, shapes, and lines to evoke emotions and ideas unrelated to the material world. This genre emphasizes aesthetics over meaning, allowing for a highly interpretative experience that can be spiritual or purely artistic. Key figures in the development of abstract art include Wassily Kandinsky, often regarded as its pioneer, along with notable artists like Piet Mondrian, Kazimir Malevich, and Robert Delaunay. This movement also led to the rise of various styles including Suprematism and geometric abstraction, rooted in earlier artistic trends like Cubism. In the post-World War I era, abstract art paved the way for movements such as Dada and Surrealism, shifting the focus of artistic expression even further. Abstract Expressionism later emerged, with artists like Mark Rothko and Jackson Pollock exploring improvisation and emotional depth in their works. Overall, abstract art invites viewers to engage with art in a manner that transcends the ordinary, fostering an appreciation for form and color as ends in themselves.
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Subject Terms
Abstract art
Abstract art developed from that which is abstract—not having definition or being restricted by reality. The art form derivea its inspiration from something real or something that has no connection to reality. Abstract art is not representational, and it does not strive to present a concrete version of the world or of worldly objects. If the artist uses an object as a source of reference, the object is changed in shape and design and may not resemble the original source at all. Shapes may be utilized to play with the art form, and colors may be splashed, stroked, or utilized in ways that create another sense of reality or expression. Wassily Kandinsky is considered to be the father of abstract art. Piet Mondrian as well as Kazimir Malevich and Robert Delaunay also made their marks as abstract artists. Mark Rothko and Jackson Pollock becoming well-known Abstract Expressionist painters of their time.
Brief History
Abstract art began in the early twentieth century. Starting on the edge of mainstream art, and it moved into a central form of modern art as the century progressed. Modern art and abstract art are often thought of as being within the same category because of the propensity of twentieth-century artists to experiment with the abstract.
The abstract art era was in many ways a reaction to the art forms that had preceded it, such as Impressionism and Expressionism. Impressionist artists had begun to divert from Classical Realism techniques, which held sway in the academies. This set the stage for artists to experiment with new ways to work with color and shapes. Abstract artists took this experimentation further, and the aesthetics of the painting or art form became more important than what the perceived meaning or reality of the painting signified.
Abstract art also gave rise to various categories or movements such as Suprematism, which is art in the non-representational context. Kasimir Malevich is credited with introducing the movement and crated representative works that were complex and puzzling and confounding to viewers. Another movement, geometric abstraction, probably had its beginnings in the earlier Cubism movement that transpired between 1901 and 1912 and was popularized by artists like Pablo Picasso and Georges Braque. Orphism was a term coined by Guillaume Apollinaire to describe art related to music and associated with some of Robert Delaunay’s works.
As the twentieth century moved forward after the First World War, new styles of art emerged following the primary abstract art styles. Dada and Surrealism began to dominate as the abstract or avant-garde art forms of the time. Max Ernst and Marcel Duchamp created Dadaist works of art, as political protest or mechanistic machine-like paintings. Salvador Dali became the prototype Surrealist artist, creating dream inspired works of art, deeply interpretative and evocative.
Overview
Abstract art, within the context of cultural happenings of the modern period, focused on art for art’s sake. There need be no plot or reason for the art work other than the creation of art for aesthetic purposes. Colors to create effect as well as the beauty of line and artistic form constitute the artist’s palette. Abstraction neither represents nor is it intended to have a basis in material existence. Instead it is highly interpretative; it may be purely artistic or aesthetic, spiritual, or other-worldly. The notion of abstract art as a moral compass for virtues such as "order, purity, simplicity and spirituality" has been suggested (tate.org.uk).
Wassily Kandinsky (1866–1944) developed an artistic style and theory propounding the emotional content of colors, shapes, and lines in art. Kandinsky’s paintings presented a style of abstract art that offered the viewer a way of perceiving an alternative spiritual path. In addition, he held the belief that art and music were connected, allowing the interpretative aspects of the brain to flow between painting and musical sounds.
Kasimir Malevich (1879–1935) used abstract art as an opposite pole to the real world. Malevich’s abstractions provided a springboard for emerging artists of later times to experiment with using art in an abstract dimension. Black Square (1913) was Malevich’s first abstract piece. White on White (1918) appeared simple yet complex, revealing a deep sense of expressiveness beyond the clear paint. Malevich’s works may fall into a movement of abstract art called Suprematism.
Piet Mondrian (1872-1944) focused on geometric forms in his art works. His style of abstract art and the designs of geometry he developed were categorized as Neo-Plasticism, taking the concept of everyday reality to other realms. Mondrian’s art consists of straight lines and right angles signifying aspects of life. For instance, the tension at the meeting point of right angles crossing each other may suggest the intersection of positive and negative forces.
Robert Delaunay (1885–1941), a French abstract artist, utilized spirals, shapes, and vivid colors to create art of a highly imaginative nature. Abstract in form and removed from reality, at the same time his paintings may sometimes contain a hint in the shape or color of something tangible. The Eiffel Tower, for example, when pointed out, may appear, as can a ladder or the wings of a plane.
Mark Rothko (1903–70) and Jackson Pollock (1912–56) were the chief artists within Abstract Expressionism. Pollock made his mark through Abstract Expressionist art prior to the 1960s, at which stage this style of art met its demise. Pollock’s paintings gave a sense of improvisation, dripping with paint poured onto a canvas in a free and uninhibited way. Pollock’s splashes and improvisatory feel gave rise to an interplay between art and dance, influencing and working with artists from other mediums alongside him.
Rothko favored rectangles, softened and enriched by color and luminosity. His works appear more personalized or individualized, being inspired from an internal place of depth and sensitivity.
Bibliography
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The American Art Book. London: Phaidon, 2001. Print.
Drutt, Matthew. "Abstraction in the Twentieth Century: Total Risk, Freedom, Discipline." New York Art World. New York Art World, 2014. Web. 14 May 2016.
"Kazimir Malevich 1879–1935." Tate. Tate, n.d. Web. 14 May 2016.
"Piet Mondrian." The Art Story. The Art Story Foundation, 2016. Web. 14 May 2016.
Sporre, Dennis J. A History of the Arts. London: Prentice-Hall, 1990. Print.
"Wassily Kandinsky." The Art Story. The Art Story Foundation, 2016. Web. 14 May 2016.