{"id":1362,"date":"2013-08-05T17:51:02","date_gmt":"2013-08-05T21:51:02","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/thevirtualinstructor.com\/blog\/?p=1362"},"modified":"2019-07-16T09:06:20","modified_gmt":"2019-07-16T13:06:20","slug":"understanding-abstract-art","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thevirtualinstructor.com\/blog\/understanding-abstract-art","title":{"rendered":"Understanding Abstract Art"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\"Understanding<\/div>\n
As an art educator, it\u2019s easy for me to become frustrated when aspects of visual art are misunderstood. \u00a0 It seems that misconceptions abound and are fairly common when it comes to art especially.\u00a0 Of course, we all have a different definition of what quality art is and what it should look like.\u00a0 But this doesn\u2019t mean that we can\u2019t learn to appreciate or at least, understand art from different genres other than our own favorites.<\/p>\n

Before I go on, I must confess that I am a representational artist.\u00a0 In my own works, I attempt to represent some respectable level of realism and I often judge the result against this measure.\u00a0 However, just because my works are representational doesn\u2019t mean that I should turn a blind eye to the aesthetics of other forms of expression including abstract art and non-objective art.<\/p>\n

Most people tend to shun what they don\u2019t understand.\u00a0 Often, this ignorance turns into outright mockery.\u00a0 Unfortunately, this happens sometimes with abstract art.\u00a0 People don\u2019t understand what they are seeing.\u00a0 They don\u2019t understand the intent of the artist, or the thought behind the work.\u00a0 Instead, they measure the merit of the work against what they consider to be success, and often that criteria includes realism.<\/p><\/div>\n

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What is Abstract Art?<\/h2>\n

Abstraction is a deviation from representation.\u00a0 It\u2019s goal is to change the perception of reality.\u00a0 The change or abstraction takes place in the mind of the artist and is communicated through the work of art.\u00a0 The goal is to give us a new perspective, the artist\u2019s perspective, on a particular subject – not demonstrate how technically skilled the artist is in reproducing what is seen.\u00a0 The goal of abstract art is clearly different from representational art, so the way that it is evaluated should be too.<\/p>\n

\"Paul<\/a>
Paul C\u00e9zanne, Quarry Bib\u00e9mus, 1898-1900, Museum Folkwang, Essen, Germany<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

An artist may decide to interpret a subject differently than how it is seen.\u00a0 Any way that an artist presents this view that deviates from reality is considered abstraction.\u00a0 If an artist decides to paint a portrait that is representational in every way with the exception of the skin tones being blue, then this is abstraction.\u00a0 If an artist chooses to break down every object in a painting into its simplest shapes, then this is abstraction (Minimalism).<\/p>\n

It requires a different way of \u201cseeing\u201d the artwork in order to appreciate the artwork.\u00a0 Aesthetics should play a role in the evaluation of abstract art, but the intent and communication by the artist are also factors to be considered.<\/p>\n

How Subjects are Abstracted in Artworks<\/h3>\n

The way abstraction is presented is up to the artist.\u00a0 Some artists approach abstraction with a predetermined methodology.\u00a0 For example, Minimalism seeks to simplify forms into basic shapes, while Cubism seeks to present subjects from multiple viewpoints.\u00a0 Other artists abstract subjects without methodology, instead producing artwork that \u201cborrows\u201d from reality but is arranged in a way determined by the artist\u2019s \u201cwhims\u201d.\u00a0 Others seek enlightenment through abstraction, with Abstract Expressionists exploring subjects such as the sub-conscious and emotion.<\/p>\n

No matter the path to abstraction, the end goal is the same.\u00a0 And that is to create an aesthetic work that provokes thought.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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