Is Representational Art Meaningless?
- My own opinion is that "great" art usually has some meaning, though whether Monet's paintings had any significant meaning I am quite unsure, and I doubt very much that anyone would question whether or not he was a great artist. When I see paintings that have a clear message -- in modern art these are often political -- I look at them with envious eyes and wish I could create something like that. But I also firmly believe that abstract art is not only amongst the most challenging form of art, but that the apparent lack of any meaning is of little consequence. Many people say they have no interest in abstract art in one breath and then appear in awe of such beautiful objects as drift wood and pebbles -- or even trees!! At the end of the day a tree is pretty abstract. The only reason we don't see it as an abstract is because we know what it is; we have given it meaning. Perhaps the least meaningful art is representational. What meaning has the Haywain. And if it has none does it matter?
- —ShaunV
All Art is Abstract
- I feel that all art is abstract, as you do not see the objects that you are trying to convey but only the relationship between them. This is transformed into mark making onto a surface -- whether this is representational or not.
- —Guest lydia
Not Necessarily Innate
- Good abstract painting is difficult to do, but I do not think it is necessarily innate; I think it can be learned. I too was a realist and wanted to try abstracts. It took me two years to paint a mediocre abstract painting and one year after that I finally felt I made a great leap of faith in truly abandoning all that was figurative in my works and having no other distraction than the pure painting experience -- and now my journey just begins...
- —Guest nellie
An Aesthetic Component
- I once had an art history teacher, Mary Holmes, who made the point that everything is art, because there is an aesthetic component to everything one does. And it is a subtle point, in that it does not mean it is GOOD art, or you have to LIKE it. In my opinion, we spend too much time worrying about what art is, and not enough celebrating what it does.
- —Ed Smiley
It is Not Easy
- As a realist painter, I have had various attempts to paint abstracts, and in only one of these have I felt that I was getting somewhere. I think that it is very difficult to paint a GOOD abstract. Many people try and in most cases the results are dire. Trying to use some of the methods put out in many of the 'How to paint an abstract' classes do not work as far as I can see. You have either got the ability or you have not. So many attempts look laboured, whilst to me a good abstract has got to have that look of spontaneity even though it might have taken days or months to paint. Just look at the works of Richter, Kooning, etc, and you will see what I mean.
- —artonabike
Is it Art?
- Living just outside London I have the advantage of having access to some of the world's finest galleries and museums. I would like to ask the question; is a canvas painted with only magnolia paint, about the work or the title? It seems to me that most of the abstract works of a single colored canvas depend on their title to portray any art that may be in the "painting". If the "work" had no title or was called "Dulux matt emulsion painted on a canvas with a paintbrush" would it still have the same appeal to lovers of abstracts. Knowing some art "lovers" they would probably read something into the later. If an artist produces a canvas with only two or three colours having peaked thick blue oils, below a "sandy" textured yellow I could see "Seaside", oasis, landfall or whatever. That is art. But, again I ask you, is a plain textured, single colored "painting" art"? I hope I have made myself clear. English is not my first language.
- —Guest Damian P Faloona
Some Thoughts
- Mark Rothko said that both representational art and abstract art focus on significant form, it is that in representational art the forms are chosen from nature, say, a beautiful velvet, a shimmering surface, and then set down, but in abstract art the forms actually set down are primary, and any suggestion of natural forms, if there is any is secondary. (He also points out that almost every work of art has some aspects of each.) Myself, I work abstractly, and the majority of my paintings have no discernible subject matter. I think both representational and nonobjective art are both valid means of expression. For me, I like the idea of being able to pick and combine forms, colors, and relationships without being constrained to one specific literal object. I do think that almost all abstract work has imagery in a sense, but a form can be two or more things, for me things can shift and that keeps them alive.
- —edsmiley
It's the Soul
- I don't really think that people who create in 'abstract' do it because they don't have the skill to other types... When it comes about art, to me, I believe that every single person has her impression of the object in question. I write poems and I feel that people will interpret them as they want, but also, to me, no one other than I, 'the creator', will really understand the art. If an artist creates art with his soul, with his feellings, it really is art. The form of art should be a choice that aproaches better to his/her feellings, and abstract could be one of those forms. But then again i feel sorry for artists, as it is my impression that is impossible for others to feel what we felt when creating our little work of art...
- —Daniel.Silva
Life is Abstract
- All life is abstract and so are we. The act of creating symbolism of reality or non reality on a fourth dimension is a creative force which evokes similarity with Diety.
- —Guest aido
Painting and Music
- I have been thinking lately about how painting and music are similar. Most people, let's face it, like "pop " type stuff. I also am attracted to it at times, as it is not without merit. Likewise, most people prefer "realistic" and happy art. I would call some of it "Hallmark card " type images -- woodland creatures, sunflowers, often rendered with great skill and difficult to do. I myself am growing to love jazz, with its less predictable hooks. I have always enjoyed abstract lyrics also- think Dylan, the Beatles, Tom Waits. These lyrics wear much better for me than the ones that repeat so often they give me "ear worms"- bits of songs that stay with you and bother you. I guess my point is, it is hard not to be hurt when your classmates sell realistic stuff, while lovely abstracts sit in storage. But I do feel that if one keeps at it, maybe in small doses at first, one can learn to appreciate and eventually love abstract works.
- —Guest Linda Snowden
Defies Definition
- The sad aspect of abstract art is the very nature of it A B S T R A C T it has to define itself, yet it denies definition.
- —Guest Barry
Depth
- Marion, your colour field illustrates exactly what I love in a good abstract: a sense of depth, light, and an ability to lose myself in the space. In my opinion it takes great skill to produce that in an image that lacks any specific references.
- —Christy.Michalak
How to Understand Abstract Art
- I'm a realist. But at items you'd look at my canvases and say "That looks awfully abstract to me!" I use oils in a watercolor technique to lay down series upon series of layers of color. I "see" the finished art in my mind, but I am laying down all the things I see within the reality. In pencil drawings we draw the edges of things, but with a brush we lay down blotches and blobs of areas, and then refine the edges to make the realism. Sometimes I have taken copies of an abstract work and "filled in" the details of what I felt I saw in the abstract piece. To me abstraction is arrested thought and in itself can have a "come finish my thought" appeal.
- —Guest TheresaHenderson
All Art is Abstract
- First, all art is abstract. We are interpreting the world and our culture in our art. Always have, always will. With this is mind, as artists we have to realize that art is on some level an effort to communicate. Not always, but even those piece we create for shear pleasure, become something more the minute we show them to another. So, when we create abstract art, we need a clear focus, or idea or simply a strong emotion that has the chance of coming though. When we look at abstract art, we have to be open to this non-verbal communication, be it an emotion, color, sensation, etc.
- —StarrpointHost01
All in the Eye of the Beholder
- Being a self-taught intuitive abstract artist for the past 15 years, I watch how people react or pro-act with my work. I call myself a symbolic sight artist, for in some abstract art, the symbols have a lot of meaning. People stop and stare at my work saying to me - "I don't know exactly what I am looking at, yet it touches me other than with my mind". My work touches people's souls, and pleasing to the eyes I might add. One doesn't have to try and make sense of the artist's work, for if it just puts a smile on their face, an inquisitive look in their eyes, or just a question of 'what the heck is that'... well, it is sometimes what people do not see, rather than what they do.... Touching people on many levels with abstract art is such a gift that the artist shares with her/his viewers. I feel blessed that I have touched people's lives with my work.
- —Guest JoAn
