Abstract art
According to the Oxford Dictionary of Art (© Oxford University
Press 1997) abstract art is defined as follows:
"Art that does not depict recognizable scenes or objects, but
instead is made up of forms and colors that exist for their own
expressive sake. Much decorative art can thus be described as abstract,
but in normal usage the term refers to 20th century painting and
sculpture that abandon the traditional European conception of art
as the imitation of nature....
It has developed into many different movements and 'isms', but three
basic tendencies are recognizable: (i) the reduction of natural
appearances to radically simplified forms, exemplified in the sculpture
of Brancusi (one meaning of the verb 'abstract' is to summarize
or concentrate); (ii) the construction of works of art from nonrepresentational
basic forms (often simple geometric shapes), as in Ben Nicholson's
reliefs; (iii) spontaneous, 'free' expression, as in the Action
painting of Jackson Pollock."
Abstract art has also been known as "nonobjective" and
"nonrepresentational" art.
During the seventies, many artists were working in various abstract
modes, includng the persistently popular abstract
expressionism, minimalism, and color
field painting.
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