How to understand abstract art
Difference between abstraction and concrete art is that in abstraction there is no illusion of some object. Weather it is abstract or concrete art truly there is only one thing present on canvas/paper/board and that is just and only the line and/ or color, all other is an illusion! Don’t forget that we have 2D image in front of us. It is not 3D, we can only seem to look at 3D object. Because it does not create an illusion it is said that abstract art is the honest art.
I noticed that people understand and like concrete art more, although that’s been over a hundred years since first abstract painting appeared in European art. Actually it exists since prehistoric as the art of ornaments. But many people have still resistance to it. Well, it is not a surprise, if we consider how few people love and understand math which is also apstract by itself. But on contrary people can easily understand and let go to music, which is also abstract, as if the music is closer to humans.
It is consider that in abstract art we should never search for an object, cause the object was not the artist’s interest. Instead, it should be considered that abstract art is an indicator of the inner state of spirit and soul of the artist. In some abstract art there is no tendency for inner expression, it is art by itself, and that kind of art has even less understanding by most of the public.
Regardless of the theory and the aim of artists, it seems that for most people is comepletely natural to searh for an object in abstract art. Our eyes are easy to find it if we look relaxed at the image/ drawing/painting. But !! if we do that it would distract us from the core work. It is an obstacle to our true understanding of artwork.
The fog city
Oil on canvas
70 cm X 40 cm
This painting of mine was just a research of how I can combine colors with white. It was just a workout. It is not easy to paint pure white, it is a challenge for many painters. I like to experiment with it from time to time. It is like an undiscovered world that I explore! It is exciting and interesting to me, there are many dangers in the way I sometimes overcome, and sometimes not.
Pure white copes better with pure colors if there are light colors present, especially where the colors overlaps with white. In that way jump from pure white to pure colors is not so raw, it is softer, more natural. I was researching how much light colors do I need for that good cooperation of white and pure colors? I love to paint with pure colors and want to use light ones (mixed with white) as less as I can. I succeeded here in making balanced contrast, but it is not contrast of many intensive colors and white. The contrast is achieved between dark and light colors, instead in pure colors and pure white. There is only small amount of intensive red, my favorite red called cinnober/vermillion.
That was it. Very simple.
And then my brother came and said that it is the city of fog, and he liked this painting so I gave it to him. Do you see here city and fog? From the moment he said that only thing I can see looking at it is the fog city in the sphere so I named it that way.
To be seen more behind the first association, we need to have knowledge of rules of the composition making, quality of lines, theory of colors, art history etc. There is of course one other option, to have intuition for abstraction, a talent to understand it.
Every time I post my paintings I try to explain something about my interest, why am I doing it, or about composition, colors, contrasts, line, texture or about process of my work.
If you have interest in learning something about abstract art, or just have intuition for it or you even love that kind of art feel free to follow and enjoy my painting adventures.
Thank you for your attention!!
Art by @andrijana/ White (3) / Fifth Circle
Art by @andrijana / White (2) / The circles in white
ART by @andrijana / White (1) / Meet me as birds do
A few quick ink sketches of my cat (2)
ART by @andrijana/ A Winter Dream
@andrijana
