History of Abstract Art: Pioneers Who Created the Movement
History of Abstract Art: Pioneers Who Created the Movement
Abstract art, full of vibrant colors, dynamic forms, and disrespect for the representation norms, emerged in the early 20th century as a revolutionary departure from classical art forms. This movement argued against what art should be, focusing on emotion, expression, and the quest for the non-representational. While abstract art is nowadays a major component of the art world, its origin traces back to some of the most innovative and daring artists in the modern age.
Origins of Abstract Art
Abstract art had started germinating in the late 19th century when the Post-Impressionism, Symbolism, and other movements away from realism sprouted; however, all the varieties of abstract art benefited greatly from the pioneers who developed belief in the powers of color, shape, and form in the expression of the totality of human experience, which began the early 20th century.
One of the pioneers of abstract art was Wassily Kandinsky. A Russian painter and theorist, Kandinsky was credited as the first artist who created purely abstract works. In his outstanding composition, "Composition VII" (1913), the belief that color and form could somehow evoke spiritual experiences or emotions independent of objects of the real world was embodied in his art. In these theoretical works - for example, On the Spiritual in Art (1911) - he established himself as one of the most significant figures in abstract art, as he drew much attention to the transcendence of visual forms.
Piet Mondrian: The Quest for Pure Abstraction
Another significant pioneer was Piet Mondrian, a Dutch artist, who wanted to abstract away at art and distill it into the purest form through the means of geometric abstraction. Mondrian's famous style, neoplasticism or De Stijl, composed pieces of straight lines and primary colors. His work, such as "Composition with Red, Blue, and Yellow" (1929), typified the move toward universal harmony that reflected his pursuit into the balance between individuality and cosmos.
Kazimir Malevich and the Movement of Suprematism
Kazimir Malevich, the Russian avant-garde artist, was the great exponent of another form of abstract art called Suprematism. Malevich's Black Square (1915) is perhaps one of the earliest examples of pure abstraction wherein he reduces visual elements to their most basic forms. His work, although appearing very minimalistic, was a radical break from the depiction of real-world subjects, into which he poured instead all the emotional and spiritual potential of simple geometric shapes.
Abstract Expressionism and After
This movement in abstract art gained its new life in the mid-20th century, especially through the artists known as the Abstract Expressionists, including Jackson Pollock, Mark Rothko, and Willem de Kooning. The main aim of this kind of expressionistic style is spontaneous and emotive brushwork to define raw emotion and imagination. A few examples of abstract art in the post-World War II era include Pollock's "drip paintings" and Rothko's large, color-field canvases. This naturally has deep influence on the present time of contemporary art.
Conclusion
Abstraction would be the story about the transformation of history and rebellion against the norms related to traditional artistic methods. Kandinsky, Mondrian, and Malevich paved the way for this generation of artists who went ahead to open new vistas of creativity, proving that art can communicate a lot beyond what is primarily visible in the sight. It's inspiring abstract art up to today as it opens boundaries of artistic expression while finding a new voice within the world of art.
