ABSTRACT ART: A Guide to Appreciating Non-Objective Art

-- Of all the arts, abstract painting is the most difficult. It demands that you know how to draw well, that you have a heightened sensitivity for composition and for colors, and that you be a true poet. This last is essential. -- Wassily Kandinsky.

What Kandinsky states about the difficulty of abstract painting also seems to apply to those looking to understand and appreciate abstract art as a whole. Being a “true poet” is essential in the sense that the artist must be intuitive, inventive, and not bound by the regiments of established art forms. Having an understanding of the history that led to the development of abstract art can greatly enhance our appreciation of it and make viewing this kind of artwork a highly rewarding experience.

THE FOUNDATIONS OF ABSTRACT ART

In Western art history, the advent of photography steered portrait and landscape painting away from the rigid academic traditions of realism; giving rise to radical new approaches. First by taking painting out of the studio and into the natural world; then by using bold arbitrary color and the use of free expressive brushwork.

This break from the academic style of painting occurred first in France during the late 19th century, and later spread across Europe and Russia. At the beginning of the 20th century artists such as Wassily Kandinsky, Piet Mondrian, and Pablo Picasso began paving the way towards non-objective painting.

The term non-objective generally refers to art that does not depict objects in the natural world, but instead uses shapes and colors in a non-representational or subjective way. The color and form (and often the materials and support) are the subject of the abstract painting. It's completely non-objective or non-representational. This approach to painting is also used to represent things that aren't visual, such an emotion, sound, or spiritual experience.

Two famous non-objective painters were Wassily Kandinsky and Piet Mondrian. Kandinsky, born in Russia, is referred to as the father of abstract art. His style developed over the years starting with semi-abstract and then into pure non-objective images. Piet Mondrian, a Dutch painter, followed a similar path and further developed abstract painting, creating art that reflected a world of pure form and color.

Another form of non-representational art was “Abstract Expressionism”, which emerged in the 1940s. The action painting of Jackson Pollock, in which paint was dripped, spattered, or thrown on the canvas, set the tone for abstract art in the later half of the 20th century. Abstract expressionist’s paintings had certain characteristics in common, including the use of large canvases, an emphasis on the canvas's inherent flatness, and the whole canvas being treated with equal importance instead of a central focus

As the first truly original school of painting in America, abstract expressionism demonstrated the vivacity and vision of the country in the post-war years, as well as its ability to develop an aesthetic sense that was not constrained by the European standards of beauty.

Abstraction in art comes in many forms and much of it relies on a method called “figurative abstraction” which is a method of seeking the fundamental nature of a subject. The detail is eliminated from recognizable objects leaving only the essence or some degree of familiarity.

In Pablo Picasso’s cubism, geometrical forms and fragmentations dominate and everything is reduced to cubes and other geometrical forms. Often several aspects of one subject are shown demonstrating different facets of time and space simultaneously.

HOW YOU CAN EXPLORE AN ABSTRACT WORK

The next time you view an abstract work of art, consider the following to help you gain greater insight and enjoyment from the piece…

1. Start by asking if you are trying to figure out what the work looks like or represents? If you are, then refocus your attention and try to allow something to emerge purely from what you see in front of you.

2. Study the elements: the colors, the textures, the lines of the painting. Discover how they interact with each other.

3. Ask yourself what emotions the painting evokes. There may be a range of emotions so it’s helpful to pay attention to this aspect from the first time you see the work. You can then see if your emotional response changes as you spend more time looking.

4. Finally, find out what the title of the painting is. Ask yourself how knowing this now influences what you see. Try not to let the title override your own original response, rather let it add another layer of understanding and appreciation.

When you use your own creative spirit to find the poetry of the work, you’ll have found a deeper level of enjoyment and furthered your appreciation for truly modern art.