|
|
Why Abstract Art?
Abstract Art - Of or having to do with Art that avoids the use of ordinary or conventional designs and the representation of material things, animals or persons (World Book Dictionary).
Historically Abstract art has not been appreciated to the degree that representational (realistic) art has been. It has not existed as a genre as long nor has it been understood well. There are a number of reasons for this. First our culture is oriented to the physicality of itself. Ideas, not being part of the physical world, have less agreement and or reality. The idea that money is God cannot have a true reality by a majority unless it is debated and found to be a valid and useful idea for the culture. So it is with Abstract Art.
Abstract art was developed by artists from the Impressionist movement in the latter part of the 19th century by artists who were infused with the ideas that life itself is more than a physical existence. This idea that life is more than a physical existence is as old as history and its acceptance has been battered around by every culture in existence and is often confined to religion. For an art form to be based on the premise that life is more than physical existence is bound to experience opposition from that part of the culture which insists there is nothing more to life than physical existence. Witness the artistic renaissance of the Bauhaus movement in prewar Germany, or the noble movement of The Blue Rider Group, lead by Wassily Kandinsky. The opposition reared its ugly head in the form of Psychiatry fostered by Nazi Germany which insisted man is nothing more than an animal. The avant-garde was banished. Populace control as devised by Mental Health institutions permeated the education systems and Psychiatry still doesn’t know what a psyche is to this day (Psychiatry, study of the psyche).
Artists, since the beginning of time, whether graphically, musically or dramatically have dealt specifically with expressing the psyche of life and culture. Existing far longer than since the 19th century, ancient primitive and civilized man expressed abstract ideas in countless symbols, dramatic rituals, impressive architecture and decoration.
Abstract Art spread out from Europe to America in the first part of the 20th century. Abstract Expressionism emerged as a new artist movement with the premise that art is an expression of the artists mind or emotions in a non representational manner. This movement produced many fine artists in America, Robert Motherwell, Mark Rothko, Clyfford Still and many others. A culture depends on its educational system to further itself and if you have never heard or understood Abstract Expressionism it is because it was not included in your educational system. America’s educational system has been on a decline since the 1960’s. With more illiteracy on the rise what happened to the intellect of the populace? Bad news for the appreciation of art or understanding the culture.
Our current culture has relegated abstract art to the dominion of elitist intellectualism which is not widely understood. Trying to put too much significance behind a piece of art is all too prevalent today while all the explanations in the world will not change the physical art itself, only it’s value or lack thereof.
An expression of a body, a smile or the colors in rainbow are something spiritual why? Because you as an individual sense and relate to life as a spirit, that‘s who you are. When the hallowed halls of academic institutions finally agree to this a truly modern culture can emerge not based on the lies of materialism and fraudulent Psychiatry. Our best example is Jazz music as it is considered the greatest American art form and is perpetuated through education. The abstract rhythms and sounds are spiritual expressions and it’s lyrics and many styles represent the human experience of our culture.
The human mind is the basis for thinking, decision making and all forms of creativity. To think sweetness is abstract, sugar is concrete. Enjoy the difference! Long live Abstract Art!
David W. Douthat
|
It is ok to contact this poster with commercial interests.
Tags: Why Abstract Art (Anywhere)
|
|
