Understanding Abstract Art and Its Essence

Abstract painting on canvas is a multifaceted genre available in a wide range of forms; the lack of objective representation inherent in the heart has made it challenging for many people to understand. Here we will discuss the fundamental characteristics and ideas behind the start, its rise in the various abstract movements since the late 19th century, and why it is such a popular art genre. Keep reading to find out why you should incorporate abstract art into your art collection and how to narrow down your selection while buying. Let us first understand what defines abstract art?

What Defines Abstract Art?

Abstract art is a varied and wide artistic approach responsible for influencing different movements throughout history. One can define modern art painting as sculpture, painting, design, photography, or any form of art that does not objectively or precisely represent visual reality.

Since the beginning of the 20th century, abstraction has become a crucial pillar in contemporary and modern art. Today, various artists continue to explore it in various ways as they expand and develop this ever-changing genre.

Now that we know what abstract art is let us understand the ideas behind this artform.

What are the Ideas Behind Abstract Art?

Instead of focusing on an object’s rightful depiction or realistic counterfeiting, abstract art looks at other non-objective artistic components of form, colour, shape, and line. Furthermore, artists use abstract techniques to explore ideas that are not limited to canvas and the physical reality; thus, many abstractions carry a moral dimension which is a notion that was particularly relevant in the late 19th century where ideas of purity, spiritualism, and order informed many artists and their artwork. In short, abstract art can be said as an idea that is an escape from reality and is quite open to individual interpretation of people.

Now, let us understand what the characteristics of abstract art are.

What are the Characteristics of Abstract Art?

The fundamental or the basic aspect of abstract art is that imagery is non-representational. Having said that, one should know that non-representation can be partial, slight, or complete. It is a spectrum, so you have to look at the different forms so they can be represented stylistically. Some of the basic characteristics of this art form are:

• Opposition to the Renaissance Model and Figurative Art;
• Non-Representational Art;
• Subjective art;
• Absence of Recognizable Objects;
• Valuation of Shapes, Colors, Lines and Textures

Now, let us learn about the various types of abstract art.

What are the Different Types of Abstract Art?

There are various types of abstract art. Let us talk about some of them to know them in-depth:

• Expressionism

One of the first abstract art movements that came into prominence in the twentieth century was expressionism. During this period, some notable expressionist artists who used gestural markings, non-naturalistic brushwork, and intense colour palette to create bold and mystical abstract landscape places were Paul Klee, Wassily Kandinsky and Marc Chagall. They made abstract paintings on Canvas that emphasized their inner feelings rather than just replicating reality.

• Cubism and fauvism

The two 20th century art movements that significantly impacted pop culture are cubism and fauvism. These artistic styles highlight the world in a fragmented or distorted technique, which was an approach of revolution in representing the reality of life during that period of time.

Cubism aims to represent the world through fragmented and geometric shapes rendered across a two-dimensional picture plane. On the other hand, fauvist art features strong brushwork different applications of non-naturalistic colours, with forms delineated in a simplified and abstract way. Many also associate fauvists with scientific colour theories that existed in the 19th century, which is why bright and bold complementary work executes many works.

• Neoplasticism

Also known as De Stijl, Neoplasticism is a Dutch art movement that came into existence shortly after the outbreak of WWI. It can be defined as a style of abstract painting that Mondrian pioneered to produce reality in its purest form. This art type is not limited to aesthetic considerations; it addresses the political and social anxieties that the war brings and is filled with religious and philosophical ideas of theosophy. This style proposes that abstraction can explicitly illustrate the human mind via purely primary colours and geometric forms.

Now that we know About the different types of abstract art, let us look at the qualities of a good abstract modern painting.

Qualities of Good Abstract Art

There are essential factors that one needs to consider when they are searching for the perfect abstract art. This will ensure that the art of work that they are selecting is of impeccable quality. It is not only important to gather visually appealing work, but there are other technical components to look out for before making a decisive purchase. Some of the qualities you should look out for is:

• The subjectivity of the art

Art is quite subjective, but there is a thing such as bad and good art. When looking through abstract artworks, you must remember that the ‘representational’ elements and subject matter of the piece lies in the application of materials and the formal qualities of the work.

• Skill and technique used

Skill and technique are quite crucial when you are examining good abstract art. The artist tends to highlight their work in the textures, both visually and physically in the piece.

• The culmination of visual elements

The culmination of all visual components is the essential quality of good abstract art as it evokes a certain emotion from the viewer. So while buying, think about how it makes you feel and if the work has the same meaning behind it.

These are some of the important qualities of good abstract art.

Conclusion

A work is worth investing in when you witness the artist’s personality in the art piece and evokes certain feelings in you. Regardless of whether it is positive or negative, abstract art should effectively affect the viewer.

Are you looking to buy an abstract painting on canvas? Art Minakhi is your answer. Here we celebrate the connection of the Divine power and reinforce it via different art forms. We sell a wide range of handmade art made with watercolours, oil colours, acrylic colours and fabric colours on canvas and cloth. We also sell handmade crafts made from dried cow dung cakes that are polished and carved into various shapes. We try to bridge the tropical world with thought leaders through our work, thus bringing ecological sustainability to the forefront. Our skilled artisans are equipped with years of experience, and thus we produce abstract paintings, clay paintings, and many more. You can check all our items by our talented artisans and artists at https://www.etsy.com/shop/ArtMinakshi. For any query, you can call us at 8984374826 or email at artminakshi49@gmail.com.