![]() ![]() Experiencing representation and abstraction in the same painting allows us to better understand where one leaves off and the other begins.Ībstraction is never an “anything goes” propositionīecause a painting may be non-representational, that doesn’t mean “anything goes.” Good abstract or semi-abstract painting requires the smart use of visual elements-composition, value, color, form, movement, and so on-just as much as good representational painting does. They still retain a foothold in the representational world. The paintings featured in this article are semi-abstract. “Like a good poem, a good abstraction attacks your feelings before your understanding.” “Abstraction generally involves implication, suggestion, and mystery rather than obvious description,” said Canadian artist and writer Robert Genn (1936–2014). The fewer cues to objective reality there are, the more abstract we say it is. However, when the narrative becomes less obvious and the visual experience shifts more toward the aesthetic devices themselves, the painting becomes increasingly abstract. In a representational work, these aesthetic devices are firmly attached to the subject, giving the picture the descriptive structure necessary for it to be recognized as what it is-a house, a tree, a mountain, etc. We all know an abstract painting when we see it, but why do we experience it that way?Įvery painting - whether strictly representational, fully abstract, or somewhere in between-is built with certain aesthetic devices, such as value, color, composition, shape, form, and so on. I use color to depict luminosity, which elevates the light in the scene as the central subject matter.” What Makes a Painting Abstract? Gellatly says, “In these wetland scenes, I am particularly drawn to the way the richly textured landscape is reflected in the adjacent waters, distorting form into pure shape and color. It requires a visual orientation that prioritizes aesthetics such as color, shape, or movement over the representational story. Scott Gellatly, “Light in Refuge” 2020, oil on panel, 21 x 45″Ībstraction is never an arbitrary act. For many artists, however, shifting toward the abstract can be elusive. An abstract aesthetic can imbue a painting with an extra dimension that transcends representation. Many painters, even those who work representationally, are drawn to the abstract. When we consider nature’s range of light and her many atmospheric personalities, or her variety of colors, shapes, and textures, we realize how much of nature is inherently abstract. Abstraction isn’t unique to landscape painting, but the natural world does wonderfully lend itself to the approach. ![]()
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