Despite it being more than a century since the dawn of Abstract Art, the movement has remained an important aspect within the continuously evolving Contemporary Art world. The arrival of the 20 th century saw a revolution within the art world, as artists became independent from the visual world through the use of abstractedness in their artworks. This paved the way for artists to move away from realistic depictions in favor of figurative works. Acting as a catalyst for the emergence of Contemporary Art, Abstract painters were quick to reject the rules that governed traditional art as artworks created merged the concepts of both abstraction and surrealism. Representing a crucial moment in modernism, Abstract Art was driven forward by many pioneering artists who believed that the emotion present within an artwork was the most crucial aspect. Concentration was placed on the substance of art itself, as artworks emphasized the elements of material, texture, line, tone, color, and composition over accurate depictions during this era.Įfflorescence (1937) by Paul Klee, oil and pencil on cardboard Daderot, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons Thus, Abstract artists created art with the notion that their works should exist simply to be enjoyed for what they were. The artworks that were made in this era placed a greater focus on visual sensation as opposed to the portrayal of objects.Ībstraction as an artistic style helped with the materialization of the concept of “art for art’s sake”, which was the belief that paintings and sculpture should free themselves from all external meanings. Within art history, some earlier movements began to veer in the direction of abstraction, including Romanticism, Impressionism, and Expressionism.

Images that were depicted were entirely non-figurative and non-objective, as no concrete reference to anything remotely real or representational was made in the artworks created.

2 Our Top Ten Most Famous Abstract ArtistsĪ Brief History of the Abstract Art PeriodĪbstract Art was an incredibly notable movement due to its complete departure from reality.

1 A Brief History of the Abstract Art Period.

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