Many people find abstract art to be too disconnected from the world to hold meaning. I find that abstract art is actually far more connected to the world as it is; that is, as a constant flow of stimulus translated into an understanding by the mind. Rather than attempt to depict the world as a completely resolved understanding, a recognizable object such as a person or thing, abstract art instead attempts to get at the stuff of thinking itself. Abstract art captures understanding done in process, the immediate sensation of thought, and our attempts to organize it. Here are some early examples of abstract art, not all necessarily in chronological order.
Kandinsky is generally held to be the first truly abstract artist, creating paintings which appeared to have no direct relation to the visible world. He was inspired by music to create a visual art untethered by reference, context, and physical form.
Benjamin Hall
The recent discovery of the purely abstract work of Hilma af Klint shows that this idea might have been unfounded, though Kandinsky was unaware of her work. They did, however, work at the exact same time, and were both inspired by the spiritual tradition of Theosophy.
Adam Russell
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Brayden Ross
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James Stewart
Malevich was a Russian avant garde artist who was very influential before the rise of the Soviet Union and throughout its early period, unfortunately being disgraced at the end of his life by Stalin who made the more classical Socialist Realist style the only official state art with all others being made illegal. He was the first to work in purely geometric abstraction, contrasting with Kandindky's freer brushwork. His abstract geometric work, in the style called Suprematism, was defined by its bright color palette and strong sense of dynamic tension, juxtaposing implied lines of great force and direction against each other.
Christian Russell
How long would it take Kandinsky to paint? Would his ideas just go straight from his mind to his paintbrush? Or would he take the time to think about where to place each shape/stroke?
Jordan Morales
This does makke me wonder, what is the visual equivalent of Bach or Mozart? I think I can safely say its not this. But Kadinsky brings up an interesting point. What if the concept of non-representational painting had come along in the 17th century.
Oliver Cook
>ARTS A LIVING THING MAAAAAAAAAAN !!! ALL ART IS EQUAL MAAAAAAAAAAAN !!! MY OPINION ON ART IS JUST AS GOOD AS EVERYONE ELSES MAAAAAAAAAN !!! ART IS SUBJECTIVE MAAAAAAAAAAAN !!! I PAID 40 GRAND TO LEARN HOW TO APPRECIATE SHIT MAAAAAAAAAAAN !!!
