Definition of Abstract Art

It could be said that all art is to some extent abstract since no piece of art ever really looks exactly like the thing or person it attempts to show. Abstract art simply takes that concept and runs with it to the extent that realistic depictions are not the point at all.

What Abstract Art Is

Abstract art is art that is not representational, meaning it does not look like anything that can be recognized and is not meant to. For example, the Mona Lisa is not classified as abstract, because it is representational in that it is a picture that is recognizably that of a woman. Abstract art may depict something that is not visual at all, such as feelings or sensations. The colors in certain types of abstract art are not realistic, for example. The idea behind visual art, generally speaking, is to show reality, to present an accurate depiction, whereas abstract art is trying to show a truth deeper than can be encompassed by the mere visuals. The term abstract art is used as a broad term to cover many different movements and different styles that go beyond the obvious surface appearance of things and people.

The Meaning of Abstract Art

At the end of the 19th century, artists began to feel restricted by painting things as they looked. They wanted to display more than just simple representations of things as they were. Thus began Post-Impressionism, which essentially was the practice of not finishing a painting. Cubism, which was an early part of the abstract movement, involves showing object or people from multiple viewpoints simultaneously. Fauvism painters used vibrant colors and a free treatment of form to depict images differently from how they looked in real life.