What Is Abstract Artwork?
Abstract art is one of the most radical aesthetic movements in art history, and is most often associated with the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Artists from different eras and cultures have embraced abstract art as a common visual language.
Definition
Abstract art is the opposite of representative art, or art that attempts to depict a subject or object as realistically as possible. Instead, abstract art attempts to provide an alternative, internalized viewpoint.
History
In the most technical interpretation of the term "abstract art," abstract art has actually existed ever since cavemen drew on the walls of their caves. The first contemporary artist to call his own work "abstract" was Wassily Kandinsky (1866 to 1944). In 1910, he painted "First Abstract Watercolor," a non-representational painting of swirling colors.
Pablo Picasso
Pablo Picasso is perhaps the best known of all abstract artists, and is particularly noted for his use of cubism. Picasso interpreted the world through an intensely personal filter, which is visually reflected in his morphed shapes and unusual use of color.
Nineteenth Century
Two famous nineteenth century abstract artists include Paul Cezanne (1839 to 1906), who is considered the father of cubism. Georges-Pierre Seurat (1859 to 1891), the famous pointillist painter, is also considered an abstract artist.
Twentieth Century
Henri Matisse (1869 to 1954) was one of the most famous of abstract artists working during the twentieth century. Pieter Mondrian (1872 to 1944) is another well-known abstract artist whose most famous works consist of grid paintings containing blocks of primary color.
Twenty-First Century
The minimalist artist Donald Judd creates abstract sculptures that are hugely influential not only on other artists, but also on furniture designers, architects and writers. Frank Stella is considered to be a pioneer of color-field painting.
Purpose
Ultimately, abstract art is the placement of the subjective over the objective. Abstract art is reality filtered through the eye, hand and psyche of the artist, who presents us not with a photo-realistic world view, but an intensely personal interpretation.
