Attempting to Explain the Unexplainable: Understanding Abstract Art Paintings By: Marissa Moore
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source: marissa moore, _noctunelle_
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Abstract paintings are often bold displays of distinct colors and seemingly unsolvable patterns.
If you have ever stood in front of an abstract painting, you may have been puzzled and left wondering, 'What on earth is this? My five-year-old could definitely do that.'
The visual strangeness of abstract art can lead many to believe it is as simple as throwing paint onto a canvas. The forms are fluid and shift meaning from person to person, with little to no information to be gained from ambiguous title cards.
Yet, there is a way for anyone to enjoy the strange world of abstract art.
The basics to understanding the seemingly
impossible:
Anyone can understand abstract art– the art is essentially a conversation between the viewer and their own imaginations.
But first, let go of
your need to absolutely understand it.
Now, this may sound a bit more counter intuitive than you may have been expecting from this post, however it truly embodies the spirit of this art form.
Abstract art represents the distinctive freedom of art escaping from reality. The artist has created a painting that expresses an intuitive feeling they wish to impart to their viewers. Without representing the figure or a landscape in any visible way, the artist instead reveals to the viewer an insight into the world, beyond simply describing it as it appears to be.
There may not be any one connected story.
As humans, we all naturally look for common themes and signals detailing how we should react to the stimuli around us. We expect these visual art pieces to represent a story in clear terms we can understand and dictate to us how we should react to them.
It is important that viewers understand this key fact about abstract art:
Abstract art does not need to have any story or singular meaning attached to it.
The art represents itself. The foundation of the art’s ‘meaning’ can be broken down into the distinct use of color, textures, shapes, brushstrokes, canvas size, and in some cases, the process itself is the art as we see produced in the action painting of well-known abstract painter, Jackson Pollock.
The technical
skills of these artists in particular are often discounted by the viewers.
We
often casually comment that a child could have produced the same piece.
However
as Russian abstract artist Vasily Kandinsky (1866–1944) so aptly put it:"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 tre poet. This last is essential."
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Wassily Kandinsky, Composition VII, 1913, oil on canvas
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So what do we do then, when looking at
abstract art?
There is often no one way to interpret the piece in front of you, but that’s just what makes abstract art so compelling. Let the colors and distinct patterns speak to you by unpacking the visual clues the artist may have given you, using questions such as:
Why would the artist have chosen this color over another? What does this color make me feel when I look at it? Are the shapes, if any, sharp or round? What are the proportions of the colors used, is this significant?
In the end, the feelings you receive from the art are the most important tools to begin understanding abstract art. While working to find meaning from within the art can bring a sense of peace, it is also important to let the mystery of abstract art ignite in you the curiosity and courage to embrace the unfamiliar.
Jackson Pollock, Untitled, 1982
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Sources used for this article can be found below:
Gersh-Nesic, Beth. (2019, December 10). Origins and Schools of Abstract Art. Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/what-is-abstract-art-183186
Johnson, William. (2011, May 11) Comparing and Contrasting Expressionism, Abstract, and Pop Art. Retrieved from https://scholarcommons.usf.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?referer=&httpsredir=1&article=1085&context=honors_et
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