Abstract Art

Abstract Art
Composition
• What are some parts • What are some parts
to music? to art?
– Chorus – Repetition
– Verse
– Content
– Beat, rhythm
– Tone, notes etc…. – Movement
– Color
Understanding
Abstract Art
• Since abstract art
first appeared, many
people had difficulty
understanding and
struggled to accept
it as art.
• If you are one of
these people – don’t
worry. This is an
attempt to explain
how to understand
and appreciate
abstract art. Willem de Kooning,
“Woman V” 1952-53
Looking at Abstract art is like
finding images in clouds.
• Have you ever
looked at the clouds
and found
recognizable
images?
• Understanding abstract art is in the eye
and spirit of the beholder – YOU
• Most people say that no matter what mood you’re in,

you can look at a piece of abstract art and still be able to
relate to it in some way –
• Everyone brings their own unique

interpretation to the abstract art.
Just like finding images in clouds

How to look at abstract art.
Through a simple meditative practice, the viewer (you) take an active
part in creating the meaning of the artwork.
Try this method

• Simply sit back – close your eyes, relax – slowly open them and just
stare at the artwork.
• Don’t think – just stare…stay in the present moment.
• Ask yourself – what do you feel? Is it sad, angry, excited etc….
• Ask yourself – why does this work make you feel this way? Is it
because of the colors, lines, space, etc….
• Now – look at it more closely, can you put a concept, story or
meaning that is personal to you in this work through relating the
elements of the art with your life?
• Abstract art is all about what the artist feels and what
mood they might want to portray.
• Let me tell you about my college abstract expressionalism

painting experience……………….
Part 1
What is Abstract Art?

What is Abstract
• Any art that is not Realistic
George Bingham, The Fir

Traders Descending the
Missouri, 1845
Thomas Eakins, The Chess

Players, 1876 - America
It is………..
• an exaggeration of one or more
compositional elements:
Li Value
n
Shape
e Texture
Space Form
Color
Types of Abstraction
1. Objective – artwork with recognizable
images.
Matisse, The
Blue Nude,
1952
Picasso, Head, 1960
2. Non-objective – artwork with no
recognizable images
Autumn Rhythm (Number 30), 1950
Frank Stella, (The Science of

Laziness) 1984,
Abstract Formalism
• Picasso, Mondrian,
Piet Mondrian, Composition with Yellow,

Picasso, Woman Playing Mandolin Blue, and Red, 1921, oil on canvas, 72.5 x
69 cm, Tate Gallery. London.
Abstract Expressionism
Jaskson Pollock, "Lavender

Mist" from 1950
Elegy to the Spanish Republic, 70, 1961

Robert Motherwell (American, 1915–1991)
Noun vs Verb
• Noun
– Abstract Expressionism –
style developed by certain
artist (see roots of
Abstraction). Mainly non-
objective, improvisational
work.
• Verb
– Art work can be abstract,
objective and have more
emphasis on expression.
Significant People (cont’d.)
Willem de Kooning (1904-1997)
• Born in the Netherlands and later

moved to Manhattan in 1927
• Became friends with art critic John

D. Graham and painter Arshile
Gorky who got him started with
painting abstraction
• Became famous for his impact on

the abstract expressionism
movement in the 1940’s and was
recognized as a leader of it in the
1950’s Willem de Kooning
(1975)
Significant People
Jackson Pollock (1912-1956)
• Moved to New York to study at

the Art Students League
• Worked for the Federal Art

Project from 1938-1942
• Invented the “drip” technique
• Artist of the most expensive

painting in the world in 2006,
“No. 5” (1948), that sold for Jackson Pollock’s “Blue Poles”
$140,000,000 (1952)
Franz Kline (1910-1962)
• Recognized as a very “spontaneous”

painter, focusing not on figures or
images, but rather on brush strokes
and use of the canvas
• Most famous for his black and white

paintings, which some say reference
to Japanese calligraphy
• Most modern architecture is said to

be modeled after Kline’s works Franz Kline’s “Painting
Number 2” (1954)
Fuller Potter (1910-1990)
• Painted landscapes and portraits

until he met Jackson Pollock in
1950 and permanently changed
his style of painting to abstract
• Never used the “drip” method

like Pollock did, but instead put a
lot of paint on the brush at once
and applied it liberally and
aggressively to the canvas
Fuller Potter (1969)

Significant People
Pablo Picasso (1881-1973)
• Pablo Picasso, born in Spain, was a

child prodigy who was recognized as
such by his art-teacher father.
• Recognized as the leader of Cubism.

Influenced by Einstein’s Theory of
Relativity
• Wanted to truly represent 3

dimension on a 2 dimensional
surface.
Pablo’s Picasso “Dora Maar
Au Chat” (1941)
• Periods: Rose, Blue, Analytical,
Synthetic
Other People Alexandra
Nechita’s
Alexandra Nechita (1910-1990) “Wine Taster”
• She was born in Communist Romania.

• Considered a child prodigy by art
critics, she has created a visual
language of her own in a modern
abstract expressionist and cubist
manner and creates unique, masterful,
dynamic compositions.
• Whit her innate sense of color, she
transfers images of what she sees, what
she imagines, and what she dreams, to
large canvases with sensitivity,
boldness, and a totally uninhibited
freedom.
• She is completely comfortable with all Alexandra Nechita’s
media. “Know Yourself”
Other People
Noel Cole (b.1957)
• Art teacher since 1980
• Inspired by Alexandra Nechita –

developed this piece for lesson/
Noel Cole’s “Clara and Jason”

(2001)
Result/Conclusion (cont’d.)
Abstract Architecture

Abstract Art

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Abstract Art

• Most people say that no matter what mood you’re in,

• Everyone brings their own unique

Just like finding images in clouds

Try this method

• Let me tell you about my college abstract expressionalism

What is Abstract Art?

George Bingham, The Fir

Thomas Eakins, The Chess

Autumn Rhythm (Number 30), 1950

Frank Stella, (The Science of

Piet Mondrian, Composition with Yellow,

Jaskson Pollock, "Lavender

Elegy to the Spanish Republic, 70, 1961

• Born in the Netherlands and later

• Became friends with art critic John

• Became famous for his impact on

• Moved to New York to study at

• Worked for the Federal Art

• Invented the “drip” technique

• Artist of the most expensive

• Recognized as a very “spontaneous”

• Most famous for his black and white

• Most modern architecture is said to

• Painted landscapes and portraits

• Never used the “drip” method

Fuller Potter (1969)

• Pablo Picasso, born in Spain, was a

• Recognized as the leader of Cubism.

• Wanted to truly represent 3

• She was born in Communist Romania.

• Art teacher since 1980

• Inspired by Alexandra Nechita –

Noel Cole’s “Clara and Jason”

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