Abstract Art

Written by Serena Berger
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Abstract art is art that is not an accurate representation of a form or object. In some cases, the work represents an object or location, though the shape, color, or form may be distinctly dissimilar to that which it is said to represent. In other cases, there is no formal, structural, or tonal resemblance between the subject and object, but the artwork nonetheless captures a feeling that the artist associates with the subject.

Movements in Abstract Art

There are many different styles of abstract art. Cubism, Neoplasticism, and Abstract Expressionism are the three that have risen to greatest prominence and in which the most famous painters have experimented. Picasso and Braque were the creators of and central figures in Cubism, while Piet Mondrian is the big name in Neoplasticism. Jackson Pollack and Mark Rothko are probably the most well-known Abstract Expressionists.

Abstract art can be great for your interior design because the colors and shapes can be interpreted in so many ways and rarely force any thought, emotion, or image too specific on the viewer other than a general mood. If you are trying to match a color scheme or complement architectural features of a particular room, you may find that your space cannot sustain a large print of a Michelangelo painting or Impressionist masterwork. The variety of colors or specific forms can overwhelm a space in which you want something simpler, no matter how dramatic or subdued it is in its simplicity.

If anything, many of the most popular pieces in abstract art suffer slightly from being so adaptable. The philosophies behind them are lost in modern times as people simply appreciate their colors, shapes, and forms without ever finding out what the artist intended or understanding how provocative these works were when first released. At the extreme of this phenomenon would be a painter like Rothko, who refused to give his color field works titles or explain what they mean to him; people often hang them simply to enhance the visual harmony of a room without any additional perspective on the works as great art.

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