This type of abstraction is a challenge for me, since it is complete invention. In creative terms, it's like stepping off a ledge and weaving the parachute on the way down. There are no real references I'm basing it on other than my own sketches, therefore I'm left with the task of making an idea work with no referential support to assist in decision-making. The work will live or die based on the success of my aesthetic choices along the way. This is in contrast to painting a landscape, for instance, where there is a reference from which queues are drawn for color, perspective, shape and so on. The fact the field is green relieves me from one decision which is to choose what color to use for the area of the field. That's assuming, of course, the aim is to use local color. When one starts abstracting the landscape by using non-local color, it's a step off the path into unknown territory where that one choice will have profound affects on the overall composition and subsequent choices. So, I find producing an abstract piece can be much more difficult to pull off successfully than one that is realistic and based on concrete references.
Abstract art can be difficult for the audience to understand. That is due to the fact there is no reference for the viewer, either. So, while a successful abstract composition is challenging for the artist to make, it can be a challenge for the audience to understand. Both are working without a pre-existing context, and both must arrive at the point of reconciliation with its formal characteristics. That is to say, they must arrive at an understanding of the work based on an appreciation of color, shape, texture, balance, movement and all of the other elements and principles the art consists of. It becomes immediately more relevant to the viewer if the confluence of all of these elements triggers a memory, idea or personal connection.
Sometimes an objective element is introduced by the artist or the art is based on a real subject. When hints regarding the meaning of the work can be identified, there is some concrete reference the viewer can stand on which eases entry into the story of the work. By employing something objective, the artist provides a language the viewer can use to engage in a personal conversation with the art.
When the work is completely non-objective, it's often because the art is about the art. I know, now I've gone too far! There is the presumption that art must represent something outside of itself. Therefore, if nothing representative can be found, it is dismissed as illegitimate. Art that is simply about art itself can be difficult to grasp. What is more easily understood is art that is an abstraction of something we know.
Let's consider the flower, a beautiful subject for sure. What is it about this subject that could be found appealing? The colors and shapes might be most captivating. From an artist's perspective, there are options available regarding how to express this about the flower. The flower could be painted objectively (realistically), or the artist could focus on the colors and shapes (formal elements) to produce something new that interprets and amplifies what it is that impacts her most. So, a new composition, springing from the flower itself but not realistically imitating it could be produced. Georgia O'Keefe's paintings provide an example of this. "Red Canna" is an expression of her own emotional reaction to a flower, in which she uses flowing shapes and vibrant colors to produce a stunning abstraction. Her painting might be easy to understand, because we can recognize the source, and her approach in treating the subject captures our imagination. Through her skillful interpretation of the subject she's able to evoke in us the same emotions she felt when she painted it.
There are subjects that, by their very nature, lend themselves naturally to treatment through an abstract form. For instance, O'Keefe's "Blue Green Music" translates an aural experience into a visual one through her synesthetic representation of a symphony. Music itself is an abstract art form, and this painting effectively depicts what could be interpreted as various tones, sounds, rhythms and harmonies while also conveying mood.
Comments