Know Your Abstract Art
When it comes to incorporating art into homes, abstract art is every interior designer’s favourite pick. Abstract art is ambiguous, ever-evolving and subjective than most other art forms. This unique form of art, whether it is a painting or a sculpture, doesn’t portray recognizable objects or scenes; but it’s the kind of art that makes the viewer take a step back and think. From Kandinsky’s Expressionism to Pollock’s action painting, the abstract is an irreplaceable component of modern art that has gained a lot of admirers since the 20th century.
While there are many types of abstract art styles out there, here we discuss 6 of them to help you understand them better.
Gestural techniques
Gestural techniques follow abstract expressionism, where the artist’s focus is on the process of making the painting. An abstract painting that showcases gestural techniques will have paint applied in unusual ways, where the brushwork is often loose and rapid. Art critics call gestural artwork the artist’s way of expressing raw, unbridled emotions with the help of bold, determined brushstrokes of sinuous swirls and sheer streaks. Renowned artists like Pollock, Kline and De Kooning were famous for their gestural techniques.
Colour blocking
Taking notes from cubism, suprematism and Bauhaus, colour blocking explores the potential of bold, angular blocks of colours on the canvas. These abstract paintings have uninhibited patterns or texture that is geometric. Artists use colours that are on the opposite side of the colour wheel and use them together to create complementary colour patterns on the canvas. Renowned American painters Mark Rothko, Barnett Newman and Clyfford Still were particularly famous for their “Colour Field” paintings which featured large scale colour-blocked paintings.
Soft Focus
Soft focus is a form of abstract art created using blurred lines and dimensions. Over the years, the style evolved to include textural pieces and other contemporary styles. Soft focus abstract paintings have an ethereal quality to them with limitless dimensions as it completely does without sharper strokes and geometry. These abstract paintings showcase dense textures and artistic shapes. Pioneered by Rothko, soft-focus abstract paintings have evolved over the years. Today artists use several techniques, including scrolling- where a thin layer of paint is applied in semi-circular motion- to achieve a softer look for their abstract paintings.
Monochrome
Monochrome uses only one colour or hue. Here, artists use different shades of their base colour. Monochrome abstract paintings are neither too bold, nor passive, and retain a timeless beauty. The painting starts with tints and shades of a particular colour, where additional geometric shapes are introduced to create a composition that features contrasting elements. Often, artists use a series of paintings which has to be exhibited together to create a wow factor.
Marbling
The marbling effect is created by floating pigments and dyes on water and transferring those patterns onto the canvas. Here the artist utilizes the fluid nature and mobility of water to suspend pigments and create free form shapes and patterns. Marbling creates unique paintings- making it impossible to recreate a painting exactly. These paintings are completely abstract and ethereally beautiful.
Dimensional
Dimensional artworks have a special quality about them, which makes the viewers feel like they are sucked into the painting. These paintings are elusive, intriguing and sometimes very hypnotic. Artists may use vibrant hues or soothing neutral tones to create dimensional abstract paintings. These paintings are generally layered and energetic.
Afterthought
Abstract art is a vast subject that has evolved since the 1940s. Even in this 21st century, this art form is ever-evolving to incorporate the latest concepts and techniques, giving birth to new types of abstractionism. If you are an admirer of abstract art and wish to add a few unique pieces to your collection, check out our handmade oil paintings today.