Abstract Paintings & Abstract Artworks

Often, we see little toddlers taking colorful pencils, crayons, and watercolors in their tiny innocent hands and witness them have a go with these colors ‒ carefree and unabashedly. We never make sense of it and neither do they and that is what we used to call abstract art. A little later in today’s world, we can relate it to modern art or modern abstract art. In very simple words, abstract paintings are a deviation from the portrayal of the real world and absolute images that we witness in the real world. Abstract art paintings are made with the use of lines, shapes, and asymmetrical-looking figures; often artists have some intention behind it but it may appear as confusing or puzzling to the viewer as it doesn’t convey any message directly. Its purpose is not to depict definite figures of humans, objects, or places but to freely express an emotion or convey a message through colors and non-defined shapes. Abstract art can also be termed as non-representational art, non-figurative art, or non-objective art given its ambiguous nature. Abstract art began in the 19th century, not as a single identity but elements that emerged from various artistic movements like Expressionism, Romanticism, Impressionism, Cubism, Fauvism, and Futurism. This was the period when many artists diverged from the mainstream depiction of art and paintings and started experimenting with techniques, colors, and their imagination. Artists who have contributed to abstract art have been Wassily Kandinsky, Kazimir Malevich, James McNeil Whistler, Manierre Dawson, Henry Moore, Piet Mondrian amongst many other leading artists of modern abstract art. The earliest traces of abstract work can be found in the simple yet amalgamated paintings in the form of cave paintings, pottery, and inscriptions. These could have been made with a sacred, religious or decorative purpose; but in today’s time, one could see them as abstract art paintings without even having to understand them. The primitive foundation of abstract art can be found at the beginning of the 19th century when a number of artists moved away from the idea of producing art that was realistic and mirrored the ideal objects in the real world. Art movements and individuals have been the underlying factors to the development of abstract paintings and abstract art. Romanticism, Impressionism, and Expressionism were three movements that were not only focused on exuding artistic freedom but an era that experimented with techniques, color application, and playing with light. Romanticism was an art movement that was fueled by emotion and increased emphasis on individualism and on the other hand, Expressionism, as the name suggests, was portray express emotions with the help of art by keeping the physical reality at bay. Impressionism was a movement that focused on the techniques of small brush strokes and bringing the canvas alive by instilling a sense of movement. Abstract art can be attributed to many individuals and many movements but there is no specific time period or an event that can be accredited with the birth of abstract paintings. It has been a long process of experimenting with ideas and creativity which eventually led to the establishment of modern abstract art in the world of contemporary art. While a lot of abstract art paintings emerged, they were mostly vague, did not have configured and absolute terms to them, and were covered under the blankets of various art movements. It was only after the end of World War II that the world of abstract art begun with the abstract expressionist movement. This American school of art was known as Abstract Expressionism where abstract paintings became widely famous; these were done on rather large canvases and there was no center of attraction, unlike realistically themed painting where one subject was put in the center and made the focal point, rather artists treated each portion of the canvas equally and let their imagination run wild! Cities like Paris and New York City became popular bases for celebrating modern abstract art. Abstract expressionism was considered an unconventional style of painting that emphasized the free-flowing emotions of the artist; a lot of the work done in this period might seem confusing to many but a lot of thought and planning goes into the making of these seemingly random creations. Two artists who were famous as abstract expressionists were Arshile Gorky and Hans Hofmann; while Gorky was an Armenian-American who was known for his lyrical abstraction, Hofmann was a German-American painter who profoundly established Abstract expressionism and focused on the use of bold color. Pictorial structure and spatial illusion in his paintings. With years of experimentation and the endless talent of geniuses who wove spell-bounding magic around their art, modern abstract art has reached a new level and continues to bewilder people. Some famous artists over the years have continuously contributed to the art of abstract paintings, so let us walk you through some of the most famous artworks in the field of abstract art paintings and the genius minds behind them! Some of the famous abstract art works have come from Wassily Kandinsky who was a Russian painter and a theorist; his most famous abstract painting is known as ‘Composition X’ which is an amalgamation of several colorful shapes and figures with a black background. A lot of his abstract art work was based on spiritual and transcendent content. To not let the art of abstract die, he also co-founded the group known as Phalanx and The New Group of Artists, which was to become a showcasing platform for a lot of young and budding artists to display their abstract art painting. His other famous work includes ‘Squares with Concentric’, ‘Painting with a Red Stain’, ‘Yellow-Red-Blue’ amongst many others. While Kandinsky has been one of the more famous abstract art artists, many believe that Hilma Af Klint has been the founding figure of abstract painting; a Swedish artist, her works are the first known abstract paintings introduced to the western world. Her paintings were a reflection of her spiritual beliefs; she along with four other women created the organization called ‘Five’ which focused on researching the practice of automatic drawing which eventually influenced artists related to the movement Surrealism. A look at her paintings depicts the connection between the actual and the spiritual world, some of her famous abstract art collections are The Altarpiece and Paintings of the Temple. Other famous works are Composition II in Red, Blue, and Yellow by Piet Mondrian, Mountains, and Sea by Helen Frankenthaler, 1934 (Relief) by Ben Nicholson, Abstract Painting 599 by Gerhard Richter, Juin-October 1985 by Zao Wou-Ki, Senecio by Paul Klee amongst many more. To get a perspective in today’s modern world of abstract art, one can always refer to the works of Pablo Picasso who’s work has been a perfect reflection of modern abstract art. Amongst a plethora of works, some of his paintings that stand out are Guernica, Les Demoiselles d’Avignon, Figures at the Seaside, Minotaur With Dead Horse, Jacqueline with Flowers, etc. By the 20th century, abstract art became a part of paintings that were being produced by famous artists, something that to date is etched in the history of modern art. Artists like Vincent van Gogh, Paul Gaugin, Georges Seurat are painters who are well known to date for their flawless work; their style, techniques, and approach to painting subjects on canvas were way ahead of their time and a step away from the traditional style of painting. Today, abstract art is not only restricted to canvas painting but has evolved into abstract music, digital art, minimalism, abstract photography, and abstract films as well.