The Magic of Abstract Art

Written by Guest Author: Tien Frogget

Bolts in Teal and Indigo ©Tien Frogget

I absolutely love abstract art. There is something magical about a really good abstract that makes you stop, regard, question, and contemplate. Each person will see different forms, messages, and stories within the lines and shapes and colors. And each person will interpret them differently. No other type of art gives the viewer as much permission to explore and imagine and create within a finished piece in the way the abstract does.

Although it is one of the most free-flowing types of art that exists, it is actually one of the most difficult to create. True artists do not just splash random paint across a canvas and call it art – they have a deep well of knowledge about composition, values, color, and much more. To create something great, they must use this knowledge with their talent to compose an abstract that draws the viewer in and makes their eyes want to continue to wander the canvas, soaking in the details and absorbing beauty.

Song Wisp ©Wendy Froshay

I also want to clarify something. A lot of people seem to mix up impressionism and abstract. More people than I can count use the words interchangeably as if they are the same thing, but they are two completely different types of art. Impressionism is painting something that the viewer can tell what it is: a landscape, a still life, a person – but making it somewhat messier, less perfect than photorealistic. Their goal is to give the impression of their subject, so that you know what it is, and yet it is clear that this is a painting, and the painter took liberties to add their own perspective into the art.

Abstract, on the other hand, takes the idea much further. Often times, you cannot tell what the subject might be (if there is one at all.) Forms and shapes intermingle and merge together in a dance that makes you wonder what the artist is trying to say. You may be able to see objects in the image, but they are often half-formed or changed to look like something else. In the case of abstract photography, the image is often a close-up of something, making it difficult to tell what the subject is, or tiny details in a subject, or elements of the photo have been blurred or colorized to create something new.