The Road Is Never Straight

The term abstract art is like the term modern music in the sense that it is a very broad umbrella sheltering a wide variety of art. But like abstract... more

by Marcia Lee Jones

Title

The Road Is Never Straight

Artist

Marcia Lee Jones

Medium

Photograph - Photography

Description

The term "abstract art" is like the term "modern music" in the sense that it is a very broad umbrella sheltering a wide variety of art. But like "abstract math," the general sense of the term is that it is the opposite of the concrete, or "realism." At one end of the continuum is a painting of a violin so perfectly rendered that we feel we could reach into the frame, pick up the instrument, and play it. At the other end is a canvas painted pure white or black all over. There is nothing in it to reach in and touch.

A simple, common definition of "abstract art" is "not realistic." Yet many artists who call their work abstract, actually do have a subject in mind when they paint. They take a figure or landscape and simplify it, exaggerate it, or stylize it in some way. They are not trying to imitate nature, but to use nature as a starting off point. Color, line, and form are more important to them than the details of the actual subject matter. They want to give a sense or feel for the subject rather than an exact replication. By Lynne Taetzsch

Uploaded

November 23rd, 2014