An overview of what abstract art is

Abstract art is often called non-representational art. Works of art like paintings or statues display something that is recognizable immediately: an object such as a table or a house, an animal or a person, or a landscape. But abstract art doesn’t show that.

Abstract art is about colors and shapes. Anyone who looks at such a work of art can feel something or think about something: a certain color such as red reminds him of something powerful or dangerous. He can imagine for himself what exactly is powerful or dangerous for him.

Even a complete guide to compatibility can be done with abstract art.

What is “normal” art?

With statues or pictures, you often want to show precisely what something looks like. For example, scientists want to know what a particular species of bird looks like. These days you take a picture, in the past days you drew animals. Such drawings weren’t essentially art: they just showed what an animal looks like.

Art goes one step further. It not only shows what is visible but also wants to trigger and affect something in the viewer. In addition, art should trigger moods or feelings. An attractive landscape causes a different reaction in the observer than a wild bullfight.

How did abstract art come about?

Maybe abstract art has always existed. Already in the Stone Age or in ancient times one had pictures with squiggles, lines and other shapes that didn’t mean something straight away. However, this is usually just an ornament: there is no thought or feeling behind it.

Photography was invented around 1850. Any person who wanted to portray something exactly no longer needed a drawing. Some artists, therefore, thought: How can I still do something special with art, something that you can’t do with a photo?

It was no longer so significant to paint an “object” correctly for these artists. Shapes and colors that emphasize something were more important. This can also be used to express feelings and stimulate the watcher to feel something himself. Therefore, abstract art goes one step further compared to “normal” art.

So many people don’t find abstract art interesting. You would rather be able to see something from reality. Some individuals even think that it’s not art at all. They don’t see any special skill in it either.

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