In the art world there are many styles and genres of art. Many are similar although they may have titles that distinguish them from other styles. Realism and Abstraction however are possibly the two most opposite genres you will come across. So I thought I'd do a little art style, side by side analysis.
Realism in a basic nutshell is applied to works that are somewhat realistic in their nature. They depict the world we see around us on a daily basis to a recognisable degree. There are levels of realism, such as photo realism which applies when something is painted or drawn to such a degree of perfection that you struggle to tell if it is a photograph or a created image. And then there is the everyday realism. Most traditional landscape art falls into this category; not photo-realistic, yet not abstracted to the point of Expressionism or beyond.
The above painting, Cape Leeuwin Lighthouse, was done in the Realism style. It depicts what it is meant to, which is a lighthouse on a stormy day. It is visually appealing and still has an element of feeling about it. You can feel the wind whipping around the building, and you can almost hear the resulting whistle. If you close your eyes you might swear you could feel the chill and your hair whipping your face.
This painting has achieved its goal of representing a physical thing realistically enough to convey some emotion to the viewer. So if this is what would be considered a successful piece of art, why is Abstract art so popular?
Abstract art encompasses a wide area of style and medium, but the general consensus regarding the definition of Abstract is that is does not depict anything. It is art for arts sake. Not to represent a physical or imagined thing, but to simply 'be' art. The focus may be on the colour (or lack of), the texture (or lack of) or something of both elements.
The above work, Tsunami, is an Abstract piece. It has no particular definition, nothing has been depicted. It is simply colour and pattern on canvas to be art. Yet we as humans will constantly strive to see something within an Abstract work. Our minds will create images within the work that possibly only we will see. And that's what we'll associate with that work or art. So does that mean there is ever anything truly Abstract? Or is that an impossibility because of our very human curiosity? Can we just accept colour and pattern and let it be just that, or will we always like it because we as individuals can see something within it recognisable, and therefore it becomes soothing to our brains?
Jackson Pollock tried to create something absolutely, truly Abstract in essence. Yet when you stare at a Jackson Pollock painting (which I have had the pleasure of seeing in person a few times now), your mind inevitably tries to create some sense within the seemingly random splatters of paint. And quite often you will be rewarded for your brains efforts by 'seeing' something. A suggestion of a profile of a human or not so human face, or the rising structures might indicate a sort of city skyline....Even an artist whilst creating an abstract piece, will not simply slap on the colour and be done with it. It's a process that takes time and deliberation and quite often doesn't work until just the right colour and shape of paint or ink is placed in a deliberate place. Even a truly committed Abstract artist will guide their paint and ink and deliberately create, rather than accidentally stumbling across the just right composition.
Our brains will see something in the chaos, yet we still insist on terming the genre Abstract. Perhaps this is because in the apparently random strokes and splatters we see things based off our life experiences rather than actual visible images. What we see as a dragon rearing up to roar flames, might to someone else look like a group of islands on a map. It's all relative to our life experience and what makes up our individual brains and that's why I think Abstract as a genre is so popular. Purely because it has no certainty and can be anything.
Which genre do you prefer and why?
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Realism in a basic nutshell is applied to works that are somewhat realistic in their nature. They depict the world we see around us on a daily basis to a recognisable degree. There are levels of realism, such as photo realism which applies when something is painted or drawn to such a degree of perfection that you struggle to tell if it is a photograph or a created image. And then there is the everyday realism. Most traditional landscape art falls into this category; not photo-realistic, yet not abstracted to the point of Expressionism or beyond.
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| Cape Leeuwin Lighthouse, 12 x 24" Acrylic on Canvas © Sarah Wherry 2012 |
The above painting, Cape Leeuwin Lighthouse, was done in the Realism style. It depicts what it is meant to, which is a lighthouse on a stormy day. It is visually appealing and still has an element of feeling about it. You can feel the wind whipping around the building, and you can almost hear the resulting whistle. If you close your eyes you might swear you could feel the chill and your hair whipping your face.
This painting has achieved its goal of representing a physical thing realistically enough to convey some emotion to the viewer. So if this is what would be considered a successful piece of art, why is Abstract art so popular?
Abstract art encompasses a wide area of style and medium, but the general consensus regarding the definition of Abstract is that is does not depict anything. It is art for arts sake. Not to represent a physical or imagined thing, but to simply 'be' art. The focus may be on the colour (or lack of), the texture (or lack of) or something of both elements.
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| Tsunami, Mixed Media on Canvas, 20 x 30" © Sarah Wherry 2012 |
The above work, Tsunami, is an Abstract piece. It has no particular definition, nothing has been depicted. It is simply colour and pattern on canvas to be art. Yet we as humans will constantly strive to see something within an Abstract work. Our minds will create images within the work that possibly only we will see. And that's what we'll associate with that work or art. So does that mean there is ever anything truly Abstract? Or is that an impossibility because of our very human curiosity? Can we just accept colour and pattern and let it be just that, or will we always like it because we as individuals can see something within it recognisable, and therefore it becomes soothing to our brains?
Jackson Pollock tried to create something absolutely, truly Abstract in essence. Yet when you stare at a Jackson Pollock painting (which I have had the pleasure of seeing in person a few times now), your mind inevitably tries to create some sense within the seemingly random splatters of paint. And quite often you will be rewarded for your brains efforts by 'seeing' something. A suggestion of a profile of a human or not so human face, or the rising structures might indicate a sort of city skyline....Even an artist whilst creating an abstract piece, will not simply slap on the colour and be done with it. It's a process that takes time and deliberation and quite often doesn't work until just the right colour and shape of paint or ink is placed in a deliberate place. Even a truly committed Abstract artist will guide their paint and ink and deliberately create, rather than accidentally stumbling across the just right composition.
Our brains will see something in the chaos, yet we still insist on terming the genre Abstract. Perhaps this is because in the apparently random strokes and splatters we see things based off our life experiences rather than actual visible images. What we see as a dragon rearing up to roar flames, might to someone else look like a group of islands on a map. It's all relative to our life experience and what makes up our individual brains and that's why I think Abstract as a genre is so popular. Purely because it has no certainty and can be anything.
Which genre do you prefer and why?
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