Abstract art is a large umbrella under which many kinds of art lay. Here are several kinds of abstract art, along with some key artists in each respective field of the abstract milieu.
Definition
Abstract art is a very wide genre that contains many, many art forms. Essentially, any art that doesn't try to realistically portray something, and instead uses texture, colors, shapes or space to represent that thing is considered abstract.
Types of Abstract Art
There are many types of abstract art, such as Abstract Expressionism (artists of this genre include Pollock and DeKooning), Post-Painterly Abstraction (Morris Louis and Helen Frankenthaler), Lyrical Abstraction (Jean Dubuffet and Wols), Color Field Painting (Frank Stella and Mondrian), Cubism (Picasso and Braques), Futurism (Kandinsky and Boccioni) and Fauvism (Raoul Dufy and Matisse) to name a few.
Origins
Abstract art has its origins in the Impressionist movement of the 19th century, and in artists like Monet and Cézanne who painted in a manner that relied more on how the individual interprets the world, rather than depicting in absolute realism.
Modern Art
Most modern art can be considered abstract in some form because abstraction became a liberating idea that sent art into a myriad of new directions at the beginning of the 20th century, ideas that emphasized the artists interpretation of their experiences and their own internal selves.
Significance
The significance of abstract art lies not only in its importance to all modern art, but also the "art experience." Before abstract art, art was focused on realism and visual pleasure, but now, abstract art is not only about "seeing" but also "feeling."
