- Abstract
Let’s begin with the trickiest! If you’re a literal person, abstract paintings are often
hard to get your head around because they don’t depict anything real – not a person,
not a place, not a thing. To achieve its effect, artists paint colors, shapes, forms and
gestural marks such as a stroke of paint or even a seemingly random splash.
According to Tate, the word abstract strictly speaking means ‘to separate or
withdraw something from something else’. They say ‘abstract art is art which is not
representational, it could be based on a subject or may have no source at all in
the external world. - Modern
If you’ve ever had the fortune to visit MOMA (Museum of Modern Art) in New York,
you’ll know how captivating modern art can be. You need more than one day to fully
appreciate all that is there.
Modern art, which covers works from the 1860s to the 1970s, strayed from traditional
techniques and styles. As Modern art refers to a period in time rather than a type of
art, it’s often tricky to define. However, The Art Story states modern art is
characterised by ‘the artist’s intent to portray a subject as it exists in the world,
according to his or her unique perspective and is typified by a rejection of accepted
or traditional styles and values’.
Modern artists shunned the rational world that came before it and instead had a spirit
of experimentation. Our own online gallery of Modern art embraces strong colors,
line and form – applying a fresh perspective to every aspect of existence. - Cubism
One could talk or write about cubism all day, but in the end you’ll learn much more
about this style of art by actually viewing it, so to garner a full appreciation be sure to
check out our Cubism gallery.
If, when thinking of cubism, you think Pablo Picasso, you’re on the right track as both
he and Georges Braque started the movement in the early 1900s. Despite appearing
quite abstract in form, it is actually a style of realism.
Art History highlights that cubism has ‘three main ingredients – geometricity,
simultaneity (multiple views) and passage’. Artists tackle the ‘fourth dimension’ which
is why cubism pieces often feature the same subject from a variety of angles – it’s a
quest for meaning or understanding, pointing out the world is not how it seems.
That’s why cubism often features so much colour and so much life!
