Have you ever been enamoured by a painting? Trying to comprehend what it stands for? Or the artist’s intention behind the work?
Interpreting abstraction is a personal experience which might not be the same for every viewer. Depending on the viewer’s state of mind or personality, the interpretation is subjective and can find different meanings.
For more than a century now, Abstract art has used simplified forms, shapes and colours to dominate the art world with masterpieces from Kandinsky to Picasso. Many famous abstract paintings have changed the way we perceive the world. Evoking the inner emotions of an artist, an abstract painting is an expression beyond the tangible. A departure from realism, an abstract art form encourages the viewer to engage and focus on how the painting makes him feel.
Here are some of the most famous genres in Abstract art form.
Abstract Expressionism – This art form developed in the US post World War II. In the late 1940s, artists like Jackson Pollock used innovative techniques like Drip Painting where the paint is dripped and splattered on the canvas which lays on the ground. This art form is a true representation of an artist’s mind in the moment.
Geometric Abstraction – This form of abstract art is based on the use of geometric figures (squares, circles, triangles). Using blocks of uniform colours, these shapes present a unique perspective to the viewer by reducing the reality into its purest and most basic structure. One of the most prominent Indian artist Sayed H. Raza often used concentric circles and geometric patterns to represent Indian life and culture. His work evolved from the realistic landscapes into abstraction using a simple circle or Bindu (dot or epicentre). The ubiquitous presence of Bindu became the central motif in Raza’s works representing the seed which encapsulates the prospective to give birth to all life.
Some of the rare limited edition Serigraphs from the “Bindu” Series are featured in the Art Lounge and Library at The World Towers.
Cubism – One of the most influential painting styles of the twentieth century popularized by Picasso, Cubism breaks down objects and figures into cubes representing a fragmented abstract artwork. The figures are fragmented into dynamic geometric forms showing objects from different angles in the same canvas. So, watching the same painting at different angles will give the viewer a different perspective. One of the most famous works of Picasso is the exhaustive analysis of Velazquez’ Las Meninas (depicting the Royal family of Spain) which is now accessible through the Virtual tour of Picasso Museum in Barcelona. Reinterpreting and recreating Las Meninas several times, Picasso transformed several characters in the painting including Princess Margarita.
