Abstract composition in painting. Abstract art - what is it? Abstract art in painting: representatives and works

By definition, we agree with Wikipedia, Abstract Art (lat. Abstractio n - removal, distraction) or non-figurative or pointless a direction of art that abandoned the depiction of forms close to reality in painting, graphics and sculpture.

The aesthetic concept of the first abstractionists was based on the rejection of real form, which requires erudition and logical comprehension from the viewer, in favor of expressing at least a pure emotional message. As a maximum, it was assumed that artistic creativity reflects the laws of the universe hidden behind the external, superficial phenomena of reality. These patterns, intuitively comprehended by the artist, were expressed through the relationship of abstract forms (color spots, lines, volumes, geometric shapes) .

Rice. 1. V. V. Kandinsky. First abstract watercolor. 1910

The widely used term abstract composition grows out of the field of education, where it defines the formulation of a teaching exercise. The word "composition" is used not in the sense of composition, but in the aspect of a finished work. It would be more correct, of course, to talk about composition in abstract art. As the art of “personal experience,” abstractionism shocked the viewer at various periods of its existence, constituted the avant-garde of art, then was ridiculed, condemned and censored as an art that had no meaning and was degenerate. However, now abstractionism exists on a par with all other forms of art and, moreover, is entering special positions of tasks entrance examinations upon admission to educational institutions for architectural and design specialties. As a test of an applicant’s creative capabilities, the test of abstraction is very productive because clearly reveals creative thinking, compositional knowledge and the ability to express a theme in the complicated conditions of a ban on recognizable forms of the surrounding world. After all, historically, working with the primary elements of the language of art (those geometric forms from which, by cutting off the excess in figurative art, one can obtain objects of the visual world), abstractionists turned to the common for all visual arts compositional principles. It is not surprising that abstractionists found application for their non-representational forms in industrial aesthetics (design), artistic design, architecture (the activities of the “Style” group in the Netherlands and the Bauhaus school in Germany; the work of Kandinsky at VKHUTEMAS; architects and design projects of Malevich; “mobiles” of Alexander Calder; designs by Vladimir Tatlin, works by Naum Gabo and Antoine Pevzner). The activities of abstractionists contributed to the formation modern architecture, arts and crafts, design.

Personally, the author is interested in abstract composition only because, using the example of conventional abstract forms, it is easier to understand the psychophysiological laws of the viewer’s perception of the image and use them to identify the author’s thoughts in the work. After all, in order to make your ideas intelligible to the viewer, it is logical to communicate in a visual language understandable to the viewer and the artist, as the doctor of art history G.P. Stepanov wrote about. ( Compositional problems synthesis of arts, 1984). In the language of universal human gestalts of the psyche by R. Arnheim (Art and Visual Perception. 1974), taking into account the physiology of viewing and processing what is seen by the brain, which was generalized for artists in his book by G.I. Panksenov (Painting. Form, color, image, 2007). This topic is described in detail by the author in the articles “” and “”, which will increase the understanding of this article. Let us pay attention to the fact that even when the first ideas of an object (genre or plot, associative-surreal, decorative, etc.) composition* are sketched, all objects in it are outlined as conventional spots or masses, which are then brought to recognizable forms by the method of “cutting off” the excess . The theory of composition clearly dictates that it is in the conventional masses of large and small, dark and light at the stage of the first implicit sketches that interaction, harmony, a compositional center, means of expression should be found and carefully preserved until the end of work on the work.

Rice. 2. Sketches of paintings. a) I.I. Levitan. Platform. An approaching train. Sketch. 1879. Tretyakov Gallery. b) Spiridonov V. M. Multi-figure composition. Sketch 1941 Chuvash state. museum. V)
Kiparisov P.G. Mariyki Are Coming. Sketches for the painting “When Lilacs Bloom.” Chuvash state museum.

This approach is similar to all forms of composition (genre, abstract associative, decorative, etc.). Of course, in abstraction we can only bring the viewer closer to some psychological experience, mood, sensation, but this is not at all small for a work of objective nature. Therefore, understanding composition in abstraction will expand the horizons of figurative artists. It is from these positions that we will put forward the hypothesis that understanding the connection between the psychological and the visual should become the basic principle for expressing certain sensations in compositional knowledge. This will allow the artist to more accurately express his thoughts and create a more powerful emotional impact on the viewer in a work of both a figurative and non-figurative nature.

However, do all painters understand the principles of displaying certain sensations, this or that association, mood in a non-objective composition, with the help of what coded language should the author and viewer communicate through the image?

*All fine art can be divided into objective and non-objective. Both sections can be represented as a set of directions in art, for example, in abstract art there are two large directions: geometric abstraction, based primarily on clearly defined configurations (Malevich, Mondrian) and lyrical abstraction, in which the composition is organized freely current forms(Kandinsky). Within their framework, one can distinguish narrower movements, for example, tachisme (painting with spots that express the unconscious activity of the artist), Suprematism (combinations of multi-colored planes of the simplest geometric outlines), neoplasticism (painting in the arrangement of large rectangular planes, painted in the primary colors of the spectrum), etc. .d. In object painting, various approaches to depicting the most realistic form, action, time, and space intervene. For example, a genre realistic composition, i.e. reflecting a certain genre of art (portrait, still life, landscape, animalistic, historical, battle, everyday, etc.) clearly adheres to Aristotelian unities - time, place, action. In such art, certain characters at a certain point in time in real space united by one action. However, in object art, such trends as surrealism, cubism, futurism and other “object” avant-garde movements have historically developed, where objects of the surrounding world with a significant degree of stylization (deformation, simplification, complexity, etc.) or without it are depicted not in conditions of the real physical world, but as if in the flow of associative reflections of the author. In other words, there are real objects, but times and spaces can be mixed, color can be interpreted conditionally, and the shape can be greatly deformed. “Already the period of proto-avant-garde at the turn of the 19th-20th centuries is characterized as a breakdown, a transition from the classical aesthetics of Aristotle, mimesis to the non-classical, anti-Aristotelian tradition.” But, with all this, the laws, rules, principles, means of expression are the same for all manifestations and produce the effect intended by the author in any variant of an objective or non-objective image.

The purpose of this article is to try to describe adequate principles by which abstract composition reveals human sensations, and at the same time explain the methodology for thinking about expressing life sensations in composition using the example of tactile, gustatory, vestibular and other sensations standard for educational tasks on composition and shape-formation. To do this, let us analyze the features of composition in abstract art and give several examples with illustrations.

The expression of statics in a composition is characterized by:

A heavy bottom and a light top is a psychological anticipation (expectation) of the balance of power in the sheet, which is determined by the physical realities of life. In other words, from the habit of feeling reliable support under your feet, and a light, bright sky above your head. Therefore, it is better to place the compositional center just below the geometric center of the sheet in order to strengthen the bottom and pull the composition to the implied platform. The associative support area felt at the bottom edge of the sheet is required to be large due to the physical law that a large plane gives a greater friction force. Due to life experience In order to find equilibrium stable states, it is necessary to emphasize the verticals and horizontals as a compositional key or the dominant principle in the composition. There's no point in putting anything on the corner. Even triangles in compositions that introduce diagonals with their sides must be placed on a wide base, tending towards isosceles and right-angled triangles. According to the author, color does not affect vestibular sensations.

The expression of dynamics in a composition is characterized by:

In connection with the established “Arnheim” gestalt of the psyche, you can feel a light, bright sky above your head; often, when viewing the pictorial plane, objects placed in the upper part of the sheet seem to be flying or falling. Therefore, it is better to place the compositional center in dynamic compositions slightly above the geometric center of the sheet in order to shift the focus for the viewer, as it were, “to the sky.” We would venture to suggest that dark and large objects, which are associated with heaviness, appear to be falling, while light and light objects, by analogy with fluff, snow, steam, etc., appear to be flying. The support area at the bottom edge of the sheet is absolutely unnecessary. Unlike static compositions, the structure of a dynamic composition is most often a diagonal. There may be a spiral, but with a spiral the impression of constant distance and flight must be “pressed” with rhythm and scale. Please note that dynamics does not mean chaotic movement, but vector-directed movement, as if with a given acceleration. In other words, the objects depicted should appear to be flying (thrown with force) towards a specific target. Such static shapes as various rectangles should be placed at an angle, diagonally. The main means of expression is rhythm. By changing the distance from one drawn object to another, the artist can create a feeling of acceleration or deceleration, depending on how far the eye needs to jump from one object to another. At the same time, the effect of a prospective reduction in flying away objects will also be a good help. Color, according to the author, does not affect vestibular sensations.

Rice. 3. Examples of images of statics and dynamics in a geometric abstract composition. a) Yuldasheva E. b) Lazareva V. c) Lazareva V.

The expression of massiveness in a composition is characterized by:

To express heaviness in a sheet, it is better to place the compositional center slightly lower than the geometric one. It is better to choose a horizontal format, as if “down to earth”. In particular cases, for massiveness, the support area should be, and the larger the better (including the total of several heavy objects) due to the fact that a heavy mass is more strongly attracted to the ground. You need to press the image to the bottom edge of the sheet. However, there may be different artistic tasks, in which the massive should not be connected to the ground, then you should limit yourself to only a large scale in the sheet and a dark tone. There is probably no clearly defined structure for creating massive compositions, but it is interesting to enhance the feeling of heaviness, stuffiness and pressure due to the fact that graphically you can squeeze or crush a small object with large ones, by analogy with rubble. Try to depict objects tightly, without visible gaps between them. For weight sensations much higher value It is the tone that influences: light or dark, rather than the color. So, to reveal the feeling of massiveness, dark tones should come to the rescue. This is again due to life experience, which associatively connects heavy tones with the severity expected before the experience (a priori). In particular, darkness is figuratively associated with difficult emotional states of a person. And since it is known from the color science course that for each color you can choose the appropriate tone in strength, then naturally they are suitable for massive dark colors brown, blue, purple, dark green, dark burgundy and other dark shades of colors. The main means of expression is scale. This is again due to life experience, which associatively connects the huge size with the expected heaviness of the object.

To create a feeling of lightness in a composition it is typical to:

For lightness, it is better to design the compositional center just above the geometric center of the sheet in order to connect the most important thing in the composition with something soaring and sublime. Even the format should most likely be chosen vertical. In special cases related to statics or stability, support points will be needed, but for greater expression of lightweight structures they should be point (not solid), visually thin supports, regardless of the area of support. However, there may be various artistic tasks of a dynamic nature. Then you should limit yourself to expressing the idea using scale and light tone. It makes no sense to highlight a clearly defined structure of the composition here, but it is interesting to enhance the feeling of lightness with the abundance of “air” between the objects in the image. At the same time excellent artistic device to emphasize lightness, the so-called “drawing through” or “through the object” will be used, creating the impression of transparency of the depicted objects. It is also good to depict objects as hollow, associatively lightening their mass. To reveal a feeling of lightness, by analogy with the realities of life, light colors are suitable, by analogy with fluff, snow, steam, etc. And since it is known from the color science course that for each color you can choose a tone corresponding in strength, then naturally light is associated with light shades of colors: yellow, pink, orange, blue, light green. The main means of expression is scale. This is again due to life experience, which associatively connects small size with the obviously known lightness of an object.

Rice. 4. Examples of images of massive and light in a geometric abstract composition. a) Belyaeva E., b) Lazareva V., c) Yuldasheva E.

To create a feeling of stability and instability in the composition it is important:

These two themes are inextricably linked with the human idea of the plane of the earth, floor, podium, support. Of course, these planes do not necessarily have to be drawn, but they can be implied and emphasized by the concentration of lines. The stable will differ from the static only in the feeling that the static will last for centuries, and stability is a fleeting phenomenon. If the static, as we understand, is difficult to destroy, then the stable is destroyed with little effort. In order for a sense of stability to be categorically present in the graphic design, the support area (including the total of several objects) may not be large, but the total projection composition center of the entire structure on the plane of the proposed “floor” should fall within the support area. On the contrary, if the projection of the center of gravity goes beyond the area of support, then a feeling of collapse, falling, and destruction arises. We recommend choosing a vertical format. TO The compositional center should be located above the geometric one.

Rice. 5. Examples of images of stable and unstable in abstract geometric composition. a) Lazareva V., b) Yuldasheva E.

To express the taste sensations of sour for a composition, it is important:

In the author's opinion, color plays a huge role in expressing taste sensations. The bright colors of lemon, lime, pineapple, grapefruit, etc. are associated with sour things in life. Therefore, all cool shades of yellow, green, emerald, blue, indigo, and violet are suitable for us. Naturally, the listed colors may not be enough for the author-composer’s idea. At the same time, you should not deplete your composition with the listed colors. You should remember only one rule - 75% of cold sour flowers and 25% of others. You should clearly understand that the more elements you bring into the composition from opposite sensations, the more extraneous associations you have, which contradicts the principles of the integrity of the composition, when each element should work to express the general idea of the author. Form formation in the composition occurs again due to images of real life. IN remember how you felt from eating a lemon. The oral cavity seems to be cutting, pricking, pinching, so the forms in the composition should be prickly, needle-like, sharp, and ruff.

To express the taste sensations of sweets for a composition, it is important:

Warm shades of yellow, green, as well as orange, red, and brown are associated with sweets in life. Regarding other colors, exactly the same rule applies: 75% percent associated with a sweet taste and 25% other colors. To form the shape of objects in the composition, remember your feelings from eating sweets, even sickly sweetness. Soft patterned curves, viscous, drop-shaped shapes immediately come to mind; associations may arise with squeezing out jams, with flowing creamy layers between multi-layered cakes. You just need to start analyzing and transforming own memories into lines and colors abstracted from objects.

Rice. 6. Examples of expressing sour and sweet feelings in an abstract lyrical composition a) in black and white graphics, b) in color. Ikonnikova E.

How to Express Joy and Sadness in a Composition

Sadness in drawing - these are dark, thick achromatic or tending to achromatic colors, a certain impersonality or boredom expressed by monotonous forms and equal distances between them, vertical rhythms, patterned curves, creating the effect of “haze”, nebula with special techniques, for example, pointelle. Joy– this is a dynamic composition, asymmetrical, the rhythms are constantly changing, as are the scales. All elements do their job: medium forms in relation to the format, as a rule, carry the main semantic load and create the main action; large elements in a composition have the ability to unite medium ones into a system, subordinate disparate elements; small ones are the “raisin” of each composition. With thoughtful plastic phrases they decorate the composition, like small decorations in a wardrobe. Again, remember the attributes of the holiday and arrange dot lines similar to fireworks, rain, confetti, ribbons, claps, flashes, etc. The colors should accordingly be open and bright.

Rice. 7. Examples of images in an abstract composition of a) tactile, b) tactile, c) auditory and other sensations. Ikonnikova E.

We have done a great job, which is almost impossible to do perfectly due to individual perception. We did not touch upon cultural, religious and social associations of people, only physical and physiological ones - common, perhaps, to the entire population of the globe. Here it was even more important to present a method of reasoning that can later be applied to such problems as expressing heat and cold, sonorousness and deafness, aggression or peacefulness, excitement and calmness, etc. The article touches on important points compositional knowledge, because in teaching professions of the architectural and artistic cycle there are tasks to express feelings in abstraction, but the author does not know the fact that there is a clear supporting theory. Therefore, an attempt was made to provide a basis from the author’s personal developments for individual reflection, to search for the author’s techniques for novice artists. Let us draw the reader's attention to the fact that the article contains basic principles that are certainly understandable to professionals with experience and analytical thinking. And since one of the principles of composition is novelty (not in the sense that any author’s development that did not previously exist is new in itself, but in the sense that its composition should radically stand out with individual finds from the monotonous mass), then to this basis Each author needs to look for his own individual achievements. It remains to say that the presented author’s concept is not the ultimate truth, learn from own experience, analyze, synthesize. Listening to your inner voice, oddly enough, is very important, just as it is important to analyze the answer given to yourself and try to understand how to fix what you don’t like, or how not to spoil what you like. So the techniques and findings associated with a positive response accumulate over the years into a huge professional baggage, which is also cleared of unsuccessful attempts associated with negative personal experiences and feedback from teachers.

A.S. Chuvashov

Bibliography:

1. Kryuchkova V. A. Abstractionism // Great Russian Encyclopedia / S. L. Kravets. Moscow: Bolshaya Russian encyclopedia, 2005. T. 1. P. 42-43. 768 pp.

2. Sarukhanyan A.P. On the relationship between the concepts of “modernism” and “avant-garde” // Avant-garde in the culture of the twentieth century (1900-1930): Theory. Story. Poetics: In 2 books. / Ed. Yu. N. Girina. - M.: IMLI RAS, 2010. - T. 1. - P. 23.

Since ancient times, the beauty of the surrounding world, experiences and significant events in life have encouraged people to convey visual images with the help of paints. Painting has come a long way from rock paintings and antique frescoes to unique works of art that amaze with realism.

Towards the end of the 19th century, some artists began to look for new ways of expression, trying to bring an unconventional view and a new philosophy into their works. From that time on, mastering the technique perfectly was no longer enough.

Thus, at the turn of the century, a movement called “modernism” appeared with its inherent revision classical art, a challenge to established aesthetic canons. Within its framework, a completely special movement developed - abstractionism.

Definition of the concept

The Latin word abstractio is translated into Russian as “distraction.” It was used to define a new style of painting that emerged at the beginning of the 20th century. It was not used by chance, since abstract artists, without giving of great importance level of performance, the author’s special vision and new means of expression were put in the foreground.

In other words, abstract art is a specific type fine arts, refusing to convey real forms and objects. Therefore, it is often characterized as non-figurative or non-objective art.

Instead of conveying visual images, abstractionists focus on displaying internal, intuitive patterns of comprehension of the world that are hidden behind visible objects.

For this reason, it is impossible to find associations with familiar things in their works. The main role here is played by the relationship of colors, spots, geometric shapes and lines. In addition to artists, some sculptors, architects, designers, musicians, photographers and even poets became interested in the art of abstraction.

Historical milestones

Wassily Kandinsky is considered to be the founder of abstract art. In 1910, he painted his first painting in Germany using a new technique at that time. Moreover, in 1911, Kandinsky’s book “On Spiritual Art” was published in Munich.

In it he outlined his aesthetic philosophy, which was formed under the influence of the works of R. Steiner and E. Blavatsky. The book was a huge success, and a new movement in painting was called “abstractionism.” It has become Starting point: Now the non-objective approach to creativity has gained popularity in various types of fine arts.

Despite the fact that the origins of abstract art were Russian artists such as V. Kandinsky and K. Malevich, in the Soviet Union of the 30s the new direction was ostracized. During the Second World War, America became the center of abstract art, where many of its representatives immigrated from Europe. Here, back in 1937, the Museum of Non-Objective Painting was opened.

Post-war abstract art went through several stages of development, including the revival of non-figurative art in Russia with the beginning of perestroika. Artists finally had the opportunity to create paintings in different directions. They transferred their personal subjective experiences onto canvases with the help of color, especially white, which became one of the main components of modern non-figurative art.

Directions of abstractionism

From the first years of the emergence of a new type of visual creativity, two main directions began to develop within its framework: geometric and lyrical. The first was reflected in the works of Kazimir Malevich, Peter Mondrian, Robert Delaunay and others. The lyrical direction was developed by Wassily Kandinsky, Jackson Pollock, Hans Hartung, etc.

Geometric abstractionism uses ordered figures, planes and lines, while lyrical abstractionism, on the contrary, operates with chaotically scattered spots of color. In turn, on the basis of these two directions, other movements were formed, associated with abstractionism by a single aesthetic concept: systematism, constructivism, Suprematism, Orphism, Tachisme, neoplasticism, Rayonism.

Rayonism and lyrics

Discoveries in the field of physics at the beginning of the 20th century served as an impetus for the emergence of such a movement within the geometric direction as rayonism. At its origins were Russian artists M. Larionov and N. Goncharova. According to their idea, any object is a sum of rays that are transmitted on the canvas by oblique colored lines. The artist's task is to create a form from them in accordance with his own aesthetic vision.

And in the 50s of the last century, geometric abstraction, including Rayonism, temporarily gave way to the lyrical direction. It is characterized by improvisational performance, as well as an appeal to the emotional state of the artist. In other words, lyrical abstractionism is a kind of snapshot of a person’s emotional experiences, made without depicting objects and forms.

Kandinsky's geometric lyricism

As already noted, the style of abstract art owes its appearance to V. Kandinsky. Preparing for a career as a lawyer, he subsequently became interested in painting and, having gone through stages of fascination with various trends of modernism, created his own, unique type of abstract painting.

Having proclaimed a departure from nature to the essence of phenomena, Kandinsky dealt with the problems of bringing color and music together. In addition, the influence of symbolism in relation to color interpretation is clearly visible in his work.

IN different periods In life, the artist was fond of geometric, then lyrical direction. As a result, abstractionism in Kandinsky's paintings, especially late period, combines the principles of both movements.

Neoplasticism by Peter Mondrian

The Dutchman P. Mondrian, along with V. Kandinsky, is considered one of the founders of abstract art. Together with his followers, the artist founded the “Style” society in 1917, which published a magazine of the same name.

Mondrian's aesthetic views formed the basis of a new direction - neoplasticism. His characteristic- the use of large rectangular planes, painted in the primary colors of the spectrum. This can certainly be classified as geometric abstract art.

Paintings by Mondrian P., obsessed with the balance of horizontals and verticals, are canvases consisting of rectangles of different sizes and different colors, separated by thick black lines.

Neoplasticism has had noticeable influence on architecture, furniture design, interior design, as well as typographic art.

Malevich's Suprematism

Abstractionism in the art of Kazimir Malevich is characterized by a certain technique of superimposing two layers of paint to obtain a special kind of color spot. The artist's name is associated with the emergence of Suprematism - a movement that combines the simplest geometric shapes of different colors.

Malevich created his own unique system of abstract fine art. His famous “Black Square”, painted on a white background, is still one of the most discussed paintings by abstract artists.

At the end of his life, Malevich returned from non-figurative painting to figurative painting. True, in some paintings the artist still tried to combine the techniques of realism and Suprematism, as can be seen in the painting “Girl with a Pole”.

Undeniable contribution

Attitudes towards non-objective painting vary widely: from categorical rejection to sincere admiration. However, there is no denying the influence he had on modern Art genre abstractionism. Artists created new directions, from which architects, sculptors, and designers drew fresh ideas.

And this trend continues. For example, in modern non-objective painting a plot direction is developing, which is characterized by the construction of an image that evokes certain associations.

Sometimes we don’t even notice how many objects made using this technique surround us: furniture and its upholstery, jewelry, desktop wallpaper, etc. Abstract techniques are also widely used in Photoshop and computer graphics.

Thus, abstractionism is an artistic phenomenon in art, which, regardless of our attitude towards it, occupies important place in modern society.

Abstraction in art!

Abstractionism!

Abstractionism- this is a direction in painting, which is highlighted in a special style.

Abstract painting, abstract art or abstract genre, implies a refusal to depict real things and forms.

Abstractionism is aimed at evoking certain emotions and associations in a person. For these purposes, paintings in an abstract style try to express the harmony of color, shapes, lines, spots, and so on. All shapes and color combinations that are located within the perimeter of the image have an idea, their own expression and meaning. No matter how it may seem to the viewer, looking at a picture where there is nothing except lines and blots, everything in abstraction is subject to certain rules of expression, the so-called “abstract composition”.

Abstraction in art!

Abstractionism, as a movement in painting, arose at the beginning of the 20th century simultaneously in several European countries.

It is believed that abstract painting was invented and developed by the great Russian artist Wassily Kandinsky.

The recognized founders and inspirers of abstractionism are the artists Wassily Kandinsky, Kazimir Malevich, Piet Mondrian, Frantisek Kupka and Robert Delaunay, who in their theoretical works shaped approaches to the definition of “Abstractionism”. Differing in goals and objectives, their research was united in one thing: Abstractionism, as the highest stage of development of visual creativity, creates forms inherent only to art. The artist, “freed” from copying reality, thinks in special pictorial images of the incomprehensible spiritual principle of the universe, eternal “spiritual essences”, “cosmic forces”.

Abstract painting, which literally blew up the art world, became a symbol of the beginning new era in painting. This era means a complete transition from frameworks and restrictions to complete freedom of expression. The artist is no longer bound by anything, he can paint not only people, everyday life and genre scenes, but even thoughts, emotions, sensations and use any form of expression for this.

Today, abstraction in art is so wide and varied that it itself is divided into many types, styles and genres. Each artist or group of artists tries to create something of their own, something special that would in the best possible way could reach a person’s feelings and sensations. Achieving this without using recognizable figures and objects is very difficult. For this reason, the canvases of abstract artists, which truly evoke special sensations and make one marvel at the beauty and expressiveness of an abstract composition, deserve great respect, and the artist himself is considered a real genius of painting.

Abstract painting!

Since the advent of Abstract Art, two main lines have emerged in it.

The first is geometric or logical abstraction, creating space by combining geometric shapes, colored planes, straight and broken lines. It is embodied in the Suprematism of K. Malevich, the neoplasticism of P. Mondrian, the orphism of R. Delaunay, in the work of masters of post-painterly abstraction and op art.

The second is lyrical-emotional abstraction, in which compositions are organized from freely flowing forms and rhythms, represented by the work of V. Kandinsky, the works of masters of abstract expressionism, tachisme, and informal art.

Abstract painting!

Abstract art, as painting of a special personal expression, at first for a long time was in the underground. Abstract art, like many other genres in the history of painting, was ridiculed and even condemned and censored as art without any meaning. However, over time, the position of abstraction has changed and now it exists on a par with all other forms of art.

As an artistic phenomenon, Abstractionism had a huge influence on the formation and development of modern architectural style, design, industrial, applied and decorative arts.

Recognized masters of Abstract Art: Wassily Kandinsky, Kazimir Malevich, Frantisek Kupka. Paul Klee, Piet Mondrian, Theo Van Doesburg, Robber Delaunay, Mikhail Larionov, Lyubov Popova, Jackson Pollock, Josef Albers.

Modern abstractionism in painting!

In modern fine art, abstractionism has become an important language of deep emotional communication between artist and viewer.

In modern abstractionism, new interesting directions are emerging that use, for example, special images of various color forms. Thus, in the works of Andrei Krasulin, Valery Orlov, Leonid Pelikh, the space of white - the highest tension of color - is generally filled with endless variable possibilities, allowing the use of both metaphysical ideas about the spiritual and the optical laws of light reflection.

In modern abstractionism, space begins to play new roles and forms different semantic loads. For example, there are spaces of signs and symbols that arise from the depths of archaic consciousness.

In modern abstractionism, the plot direction is also developing. In this case, while maintaining non-objectivity, the abstract image is constructed in such a way that it evokes specific associations - different levels abstraction.

Modern abstractionism is infinite in its boundaries: from the objective situation to the philosophical level of figurative abstract categories. On the other hand, in modern abstract painting, the image may look like a picture of some kind of fantastic world - for example, abstract surrealism.

Development

By the thirties of the twentieth century, the movement of abstractionism gained strength. The founder of a new direction in the art of painting was Wassily Kandinsky, one of the most progressive artists of that time. A whole galaxy of followers formed around the master, for whom the basis of creativity was the process of studying the state of the soul and internal intuitive sensations. Artists ignored the reality of the world around them and expressed their feelings in abstract art. Some paintings by the early followers of the new genre were impossible to understand. Abstractionist paintings usually did not convey any information, and unprepared visitors to exhibitions and vernissages were often at a loss. At that time, it was not customary to attach annotations to paintings, and every connoisseur of painting could rely only on his own vision.

Masters and founders

Among the most prominent followers of the new movement were the famous abstractionists Wassily Kandinsky, Natalya Goncharova, Peter Mondrian, Kazimir Malevich, Mikhail Larionov. Each of them followed their own direction. Abstractionist paintings performed by famous artists gradually became recognizable, and this contributed to the promotion of a new type of art.

Kazimir Malevich worked in line with Suprematism, giving preference to a geometric basis for self-expression. The dynamics of his compositions on canvas came from a seemingly chaotic combination of rectangles, squares, and circles. The arrangement of the figures on the canvas defied any logic, and at the same time the picture gave the impression of a strictly verified order. In the art of abstraction there are enough examples that fundamentally contradict each other. The first impression when meeting a painting may leave a person indifferent, but after a while the painting will already seem interesting.

And Mikhail Larionov followed the direction of rayism, the technique of which consisted in the unexpected intersection of straight ray-like lines different colors and shades. The colorful play in the painting was mesmerizing, fantastic combinations of intersecting rays alternated in endless combinations, and the canvas at the same time radiated a flow of energy.

Tachisme

Abstract artists Delaunay and Kupka presented their own art. They tried to achieve maximum effect by rhythmically intersecting colorful planes. Representatives of tachisme, a pictorial drawing obtained as a result of the chaotic application of large strokes in the absolute absence of a plot component, expressed their artistic credo in this way. Oil abstraction in the Tachisme style is the most complex; painting in this genre can be perceived in an infinite number of interpretations, and each will be considered correct. However the last word still remains with critics and art historians. At the same time, the style of abstract art itself is in no way limited by any framework or conventions.

Neoplasticism

And if the paintings were an example of meaninglessness, then the Dutch abstract painter Peter Mondrian introduced a strict system of interaction of large figures with right angles, which contrasted with each other on the canvas and at the same time in some incomprehensible way united into one whole. Mondrian's work is called "neoplasticism". It became most widespread in the twenties of the last century.

Czech Frantisek Kupka created paintings dominated by round and rounded figures, truncated circles and circles cut off on one side, which suddenly continued with black broken lines, causing anxiety and concern. One could look at Kupka’s canvases for hours and find new nuances in them.

When creating his paintings, the abstract artist tries to move away from familiar images. At first, the unrecognized surrealist works of Kandinsky, Malevich, Mondian and others subsequently caused heated debate among opponents and admirers of the new art.

Expression

Another one in painting is expressionism, a style of quick drawing on large canvas using emphatically neo-geometric strokes applied with wide flute brushes, while large drops of paint can fall onto the spread canvas at random. The expression of this method is the main and only sign of belonging to art.

Orphism is one of the directions French painting, developed in the twenties of the last century. Artists adhering to this movement tried to express their aspirations through rhythmic movement and conventional musicality, while they widely used the technique of mutual penetration of colors and intersection of contours.

Pablo Picasso

Cubism as a reflection of abstraction in painting is characterized by the use of geometric shapes, not designated explicitly, but with a certain degree of convention. Irregular circles, broken lines, corners and kinks - all this could be located according to a certain logical pattern and at the same time with blatant chaos. The brightest representative of Cubism was and remains spanish artist Pablo Picasso (1881 - 1973), who is rightfully considered the founder of this trend in painting.

Experiments with color (blue period, pink period) smoothly transitioned into a change in form, deliberate deformation and destruction of nature. An example of such paintings can be considered a canvas painted in 1907, when abstractions in painting were just beginning to gain strength. Thus, the work of Picasso led some artists of that time to a completely new genre, which completely rejected the traditions of naturalism and the educational value of fine art.

Distant past

Paintings by abstract artists of the early twentieth century revolutionized the painting of that period; in the wake of numerous trends and directions in artistic creativity, masters of the brush appeared who were able to prove that abstraction is a completely independent type of fine art, part of culture.

Modern abstract art

Currently, abstractionism has taken on slightly different forms, different from those that existed during the heyday of this rather controversial type of fine art. Modern language abstractions today are Famous artists, such as Andrei Pelikh, Valery Orlov, Marina Kastalskaya, Andrei Krasulin, put into it ideas about the spiritual at the level of metaphysics, and also use optical laws in a palette of white shades.

The highest tension of color is possible only in the white hypostasis; this color is the basis of all foundations. In addition to the color aspect, in modern abstraction there is also a semantic factor. Signs and symbols arising from the depths of consciousness bear signs of the archaic. Modern abstract artist Valentin Gerasimenko uses in his paintings images of ancient manuscripts and scripts, which allow him to broadly interpret the theme of the distant past.

Abstractionism abstractionism

(from Latin abstractio - distraction), non-objective art, one of the most influential artistic movements of the 20th century, which arose in the beginning. 1910s The creative method of abstractionism is based on a complete rejection of “life-likeness”, the depiction of the forms of reality. An abstract painting is based on the relationships between colored spots, lines, and strokes; sculpture - on combinations of volumetric and flat geometric forms. With the help of abstract constructions, artists wanted to express internal patterns and intuitively comprehended essences of the world, the Universe, hidden behind visible forms.

The date of birth of abstractionism is considered to be 1910, when V.V. Kandinsky exhibited in Munich the first in the history of art abstract work(watercolor) and wrote a treatise “On the Spiritual in Art,” in which he substantiated his creative method with the discoveries of science. Soon abstractionism becomes a powerful movement within which various directions: lyrical abstraction (paintings by Kandinsky and masters of unification "Blue Rider" with their fluid, “musical” forms and emotional expressiveness of color) and geometric abstraction (K.S. Malevich, P. Mondrian, partly by R. Delaunay, whose compositions are based on combinations of elementary geometric shapes: squares, rectangles, crosses, circles). Malevich’s programmatic work was his famous “Black Square” (1915). The artist called his method Suprematism (from the Latin supremus - highest). The desire to break away from earthly reality led him to a fascination with space (Malevich was one of the authors famous performance"Victory over the Sun") The artist called his abstract compositions “planites” and “architectons,” symbolizing the “idea of universal dynamism.”

In the beginning. 20th century abstract art spread to many Western countries. In 1912, neoplasticism was born in Holland. The creator of neoplasticism, P. Mondrian, together with T. van Doesburg, founded the De Stijl group (1917) and a magazine under the same name (published until 1922). The “human element” was completely banished from their art. Members of the De Stijl group created canvases where surfaces lined with a grid of lines formed rectangular cells filled with pure, uniform colors, which, according to Mondrian, expressed the idea of pure plastic beauty. He wanted to create painting that was “devoid of individuality” and, therefore, possessing “world significance.”
In 1918-20 in Russia arose based on the ideas of Suprematism constructivism, which united architects (K.S. Melnikov, A. A. Vesnin, etc.), sculptors (V. E. Tatlin, N. Gabo, A. Pevzner), graphics ( El Lissitzky, A.M. Rodchenko). The essence of the direction was outlined by Vesnin: “Things created contemporary artists, must be pure structures without the ballast of figurativeness.” An important role in the development of constructivism was played by the Bauhaus, an artistic association founded in 1919 in Germany by the architect V. Gropius (P. Klee; V.V. Kandinsky, El Lissitzky, etc.). In 1930 French critic M. Seyfor created the group “Circle and Square” in Paris. In 1931, the association “Abstraction – Creativity” arose in Paris, founded by emigrants from Russia N. Gabo and A. Pevzner. A particularly radical movement was tachisme (from the French tache - stain). Tachists (P. Soulages, H. Hartung, J. Mathieu, etc.) did without brushes. They splashed and splashed paint onto the canvas, then smeared or trampled it. They mixed soot, tar, coal, sand, and broken glass with paints, believing that the color of dirt was no less beautiful than the color of the sky. With the beginning of World War II, the center of abstract art moved to the USA (J. Pollock, A. Gorky, W. Kuning, Fr. Klein, M. Tobey, M. Rothko). In the 1960s a new rise of abstract art began. This direction in art remains relevant today, but no longer occupies a dominant position, as in the beginning. 20th century

(Source: “Art. Modern illustrated encyclopedia.” Edited by Prof. Gorkin A.P.; M.: Rosman; 2007.)

Synonyms:

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- [Dictionary of foreign words of the Russian language

Abstract art Dictionary of Russian synonyms. abstractionism noun, number of synonyms: 2 abstract art (1) ... Synonym dictionary

abstractionism- a, m. abstractionnisme m., English. abstractism.1926. Ray 1998. An extremely formalist movement in painting, sculpture and graphics. SIS 1985. Unlike abstractionism, realism is always concrete. Zalygin Features of documentary. Lex. SIS 1964 ... Historical Dictionary Gallicisms of the Russian language

ABSTRACTIONISM, huh, husband. In the fine arts of the 20th century: direction, followers of which depict real world as a combination of abstract shapes or color spots. | adj. abstract, oh, oh. Ozhegov's explanatory dictionary. S.I. Ozhegov, N.Yu... Ozhegov's Explanatory Dictionary

- (Latin abstractio - distraction) - a direction in the art of the twentieth century, primarily painting, which abandoned the depiction of the forms of reality. The aesthetic credo of abstractionism was set out by V. Kandinsky. Abstract art –… … Encyclopedia of Cultural Studies

- (lat. abstractio removal, distraction) the direction of non-figurative art, which abandoned the depiction of forms close to reality in painting and sculpture. One of the goals of abstract art is to achieve... ... Wikipedia

Abstractionism- (from Latin abstractus abstract) abstract, pointless, non-figurative claim; movement in the 20th century, which put forward the idea of refusing to depict the forms of reality. The goal is to create compositions with different emotions. content with... ... Russian humanitarian encyclopedic dictionary

abstractionism- a, only units, m. A movement in painting, sculpture, and graphics of the 20th century, whose followers reproduce the real world in the form of abstract forms, color spots, lines, etc. Since the time of Apollinaire, the parallel between music and so on has become a habit … … Popular dictionary of the Russian language

abstractionism- (from Latin abstractio removal, distraction) a direction in the art of the 20th century, whose adherents fundamentally refuse to depict real objects and phenomena (mainly in painting, sculpture and graphics); the ultimate expression of modernism... Terminological dictionary-thesaurus on literary criticism

Abstractionism- (lat. abstrahere) – 1. formalistic direction in painting, founded by V. Kandinsky (1910 1914), which later embodied in the main trend in the development of other movements of fine art, mainly in Western culture (cubism, ... ... encyclopedic Dictionary in psychology and pedagogy

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Currents in art. From Impressionism to the Present Day, Georgina Bertolina, This volume The encyclopedia is a logical continuation of the book “Styles in Art” and covers the whole variety of processes that took place in the world of artistic creativity, starting with... Category: