Abstract Art and Modern Abstract Art

Want to know a little more before you buy your first piece of abstract art? Here is a brief history and a few examples of the art form through the times…

Abstract art is art which is not an accurate depiction of reality. Instead, abstract art uses elements like shape, texture and colour to communicate ideas; for example, this abstract painting by Kubik Tomasz featuring a stylised human form amid flowing abstract shapes. This lack of realism does not indicate a lack of meaning; abstract art has been described by critics as ‘the purest form of expression’.

In part due to the fame of artists like Jackson Pollock, Georgia O’Keeffe and Vincent Van Gogh, we often see abstract art as a modern art phenomenon but much of the artwork of early civilisations features geometric shapes, using form to convey meaning. This approach was used throughout art history but the trend tended towards realism for much for the renaissance period. However, by the late 19^th century, artists were rebelling against these constraints.

Born in 1866, Wassily Kandinsky is often considered the first abstract artist, specifically using colour to evoke emotion. A lover of music, he drew parallels between his art and music; referring to pieces as ‘compositions’. A more recent example of colour use in abstract art is ‘Luminous Intent’, by Susan Diamond, using bright reds and greens against a dark background with the cool blue figure in the centre – conveying both eroticism and tension.

Artists often depict significant historical events in their work; possibly the most famous example of this in abstract art is Picasso’s ‘Guernica’, painted in just two months after the bombing of Guernica town in 1937.

Abstract artists were often seen as outliers, occasionally achieving posthumous recognition (for example, Van Gogh) but as the internet has developed there is now a virtually limitless pool of inspiration, though trends do still emerge. Abstract art ideas and principles now influence many other art forms, like graphic design. We recognise the effect that shape, form and colour has on us and use it to its best advantage.

An example of this modern abstract art is street art which often makes great use of emotion and mood, using an abstract treatment even if the subject is recognisable. While still painted on canvas, Leanne Dolan’s ‘Clarice’ is an example of a recognisable subject being treated in an abstract way. Using colour and form, the painting shows emotion in a way that a hyper realistic portrait could not.

For a long time, abstract art was seen as random and frenetic but over time, we have begun to understand the skill and composition which comprises abstract art. Gena’s ‘Galaxy’ and Courtenay Kusitor’s ‘London’ are both abstract paintings using a variety of colours but each has a very different feel the longer one looks. The eye begins to focus on each woven colour in ‘London’ while an examination of ‘Galaxy’ shows the movement of the strokes.

Abstract art has been controversial; the centre of a long cultural debate about what constitutes ‘art’ but if the point of art is to fascinate and inspire thought and dialogue, abstract art fulfils that brief perhaps more so than any other art form. View our collection of original abstract art and art prints here.