Abstract art, nonobjective art, and nonrepresentational art, are loosely related terms.

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3 ABSTRACT ART "Of all the arts, abstract painting is the most difficult. It demands that you know how to draw well, that you have a heightened sensitivity for composition and for colours, and that you be a true poet. This last is essential." Wassily Kandinsky Abstract art uses a visual language of form, color and line to create a composition which may exist with a degree of independence from visual references in the world. Western art had been, from the Renaissance up to the middle of the 19th century, underpinned by the logic of perspective and an attempt to reproduce an illusion of visible reality. The arts of cultures other than the European had become accessible and showed alternative ways of describing visual experience to the artist. By the end of the 19th century many artists felt a need to create a new kind of art which would encompass the fundamental changes taking place in technology, science and philosophy. The sources from which individual artists drew their theoretical arguments were diverse, and reflected the social and intellectual preoccupations in all areas of Western culture at that time. Abstract art, nonobjective art, and nonrepresentational art, are loosely related terms. Wikipedia, March 2009 From the definition above it should be clear that abstract art does not have to show the viewer anything that is clearly recognizable. Like the first line of the Wikipedia definition states, abstract art uses a visual language of form, color and line to create a composition. The use of tone and texture may well also be very important. In order to get a better understanding of what abstract art is and can be we can take a short journey through the art of the twentieth century to see a few of the high points of abstract art. Kandinsky, On White II (1923). Mondriaan, Composition with red, yellow and blue (1921)

4 Lavender Mist [1950] by Jackson Pollock Installation view of Ellsworth Kelly Minimalist abstraction Feneralia, 1995, Frank Stella

5 Clearly there are a lot of different looks to a work of art that can be called abstract. The thing they all share is that there is a definite shortage of recognizable things from the real world. They are simply compositions built up of line, colour, form, texture and tone and sometimes with some parts that might make use of a sense of pattern. Line, form, tone, colour quiz You are going to see a series of four abstract paintings made by four different abstract artists. Your task is simple, you have to decide which of the four visual aspects listed her (line, form, tone and colour) are, in your opinion the most and the least important in each of the paintings. Try and explain in a few words why you have made the choices you have in each case. Most important: Least important: Most important: Least important: Most important: Least important: Most important: Least important:

6 Making and abstract artwork.. So how does an artist come to make a truly abstract work? Does he just begin and see what happens? Is there a plan or special process? The truth is, as is often the case in art, there is no one way to arrive at an abstract artwork. There are various approaches that artists have made use of through the decades. However for the purpose of our lessons we are going to focus on just two of the possibilities. 1. Abstracting a figurative image Figurative is a term used that is the opposite of abstract. In a figurative picture there are things that you can look at and say that s a man, that s a tree and that s a bird. Many artists have produced abstract art by using a process of step-by-step abstracting or refining of a figurative picture. This may be a rapid and easily made transformation or it might go through a number of phases in between before the final abstract image is reached. One of the most famous sequences of paintings made using this type of approach was done by the Dutch artist Piet Mondiaan in the early years of the twentieth century. These paintings show how the artist began with a painting of a fruit tree and slowly through the series moved towards a more and more abstract composition. In the final painting the idea of a tree in the conventional sense seems to have been painted almost completely away.

7 2. Abstraction and music Some approaches towards abstract art drew connections to music. Music provides an example of an art form which uses the abstract elements of sound and divisions of time. Abstract artist Wassily Kandinsky, was a musician and was inspired by the possibility of marks and colours resounding in the soul as he put it. When we listen to a piece of music (one without an accompanying text or song), be it classical or modern, what we hear is a collection of sounds. These sounds are not directly connected with the real world. They do not represent a particular thing. We do not listen to them and say that they sound like a house or a tree. We may say they it sound peaceful or exciting, but these are more abstract terms. It is this sort of characteristic that has for many artists been the linking quality between abstract art and music. American artist Stuart Davis is one such artist. In the middle part of the twentieth century he produced work inspired by the sights and sounds of jazz music. Stuart Davis, Hot Still Scape for Six Colors-- Seventh Avenue Style, 1940 Assignments In the forthcoming lessons we are going to be making use of music to produce a series of abstract drawings. The purpose of this is to let you see how line, form and tone can be used to show other things than simply recognizable things around us from the real world. Your teacher will instruct you on how you carry out each stage of the assignment, but if there is an extra assignment that you need, it is perhaps just relax a little and don t be afraid!!! Assignment 1 The first assignment will involve listening to various pieces of music and reacting to the sounds you hear using line, form or tone. Homework assignment You have become a little familiar with some of the possibilities of mark making when inspired by music. Up until now though it has been somebody else s choice of music, now though you are going to choose for yourself. Go home and choose a piece of music. It does not necessarily have to be a favourite piece; it could be something you hate!! Ideally though, it should be an instrumental piece, so that you do not get distracted by a text. Set the music playing, nice and loud. Listen carefully to what is going on, think about the drawings you have already made at school and on a 12cm x 12cm piece of paper (exactly the right size to fit in a CD box, make a totally abstract design using line, shape, tone and colour.

8 Main Abstraction Assignment Using a variety of materials you have to create your own abstract design. We have already done a number of warming-up exercises; make sure that you make use of what you have already learnt. The abstract design that you produce must: make sensitive and thoughtful use of a variety of types and qualities of line such as, straight, angular, curved, flowing, jagged, etc. make considered use of different types of shape the obvious geometric forms are a possibility, but think carefully about the possibilities offered by irregular and interlocking forms too. make use of extreme contrast this means parts of the design must be very dark and other parts very light. The use of colour is a possibility, but an optional one your work may be mono-chrome (only different shades of one colour) if you prefer. The composition of your design must be base don one of the basic arrangements shown above. In these plans the basic flow of the design moves away from or towards one particular point (the focal point). However that is really the only guide. Use your imagination to the full, avoid just filling areas in with patterns, the whole image should buzz with interesting design ideas.

9 Marking rubric 3 principles of design line, form and contrast Composition Creativity, design and presentation The three principles have been used with some success The three principles have been fully explored and show a great deal of experimentation The design flows clearly and effectively from or towards an easily recognisable point The three principles have not been fully explored and what has been done is rather predictable Little attempt has been made to make an artwork where the three principles are integrated or successfully combined None of the other levels has been reached The focal point is visible in the design The overall design is imaginative, surprising and shows a range of ideas and approaches that combine in an excellent and considered way. The focal point is with some difficulty visible The focal point is extremely difficult to locate Focal point.what focal point??!! The overall The overall The finished None of the design shows design is work is other levels some complete but unimaginative has been interesting is predictable and lacks reached ideas and and relies only creativity. combinations simple design Parts of the that often ideas design appear combine well to have been together forgotten or neglected