A timeless genre with infinite appeal

We can probably all remember the art we have seen throughout our lives.  From the paintings and prints hung in the homes of family members to museums and galleries we have visited over the years.

We will have come into contact with many different styles, mediums and indeed Artists. large orange and purple painting

Famous artworks will always have a historical and cultural appeal.  They are representation of a time and culture gone by.

They provide us with historical reference points and evidence. However not everybody wants a renaissance or impressionist painting hung on the wall of their home.

I am, of course, biased because this is my medium but Abstract art will always remain  popular and current because it is not defined by the artist, the time in which it was created or a subject.  Abstract art is emotionally and aesthetically malleable.

It is open to interpretation and its appeal does not alter when trends or fashions change.  Abstract art is meaningful and personal. It is a full mind and body experience.

Purpose

Abstract art has a purpose for both the artists and the viewer.  Many people collect abstract art to decorate their surroundings. Abstract art can be found in home and businesses across the world.  It conveys meaning. Silver sculpture on a black granite base

For corporate collectors they choose their abstract art to tell a story about them. They want their art to tell their clients who they are and what they stand for.

Corporate clients also use abstract art to influence their employees and the way they feel about the organisation and their work.

Emotion

Admirers and collectors of abstract art often do so because they have an emotional response to or connection with, the colours, forms, the texture or the energy that the artwork gives off.  Abstract paintings have the power to alter and enhance the mood and the atmosphere of a living space.

Abstract art, more than any other artform according to the Nobel prize winning American-Austrian neuroscientist Eric Kandel, has the ability to connect more directly with viewers in ways that manifest in heightened emotional responses.

Interpretation

Abstract art often does not depict anything in the natural world and sometimes it does.  Abstract art can simply be a visual expression of language or emotion using colour and form.  However this is not true of all abstract art.gold and black painting behind grey chair

The word “abstract” means a departure from reality, but this departure can sometimes be only a slight one. This allows for partially abstract landscapes, figures, seascapes, etc. to be classed as abstract art.

The beauty of abstract art is that anyone can take what they see and interpret it however they wish.  This can be said of any artwork but with abstract the imagination has the freedom to wander and draw its own conclusions.  Ten different people could look at my artwork and see ten different things.

No two people will have the same experience. Abstract art gives you the freedom to explore the artwork and assign your own meaning to the piece. This intensely personal process enriches a viewer’s experience of an artwork.

My Mission

For some people abstract art will always make them feel uncomfortable because they don’t know “what it’s meant to be” and won’t “get it”. But for others, because it leaves so many details unspecified and requires more of our imagination, those who enjoy their own creativity will always enjoy it. Swarez holding a painting

If you’d like to have your own abstract art experience please arrange to visit my studio. Visiting means I’ll show you everything; talk to you about any part of what I do and take you round the bits no-one else gets to see.

I like to spend time with you when you come here so that’s why it’s only by appointment; nothing scary I assure you. It’s courteous to offer you all the time you want when you come here which is why an arrangement is important.

Viewings can be arranged for any time during the day, evening or weekend; I’ll accommodate you no matter when you want to visit.

7 replies
  1. Laurel Hall says:

    Thank you so very much for this explanation of why abstract art appeals to many people. I’m one of those people. I’ve been puzzled for years about why I can feel emotionally overwhelmed in the presence of some artworks. I once stood rooted in place seeing a huge painting by Cy Twombly, my heart swelling in my chest. Same thing has happened in response to artworks by far less known artists over many years. It never occurred to until this morning to enter the question “Why do I like abstract art?” in a search bar. I didn’t expect to find an answer, but there yours was! I’m very happy to know that it’s perfectly fine for an emotional reaction to abstract art to be enough.
    By the way, I’ve loved Twombly’s work for years, but when I read a biography of him a couple of years ago, my enthusiasm for it dimmed somewhat. I’m didn’t really need to know about the content.

    Anyway, again, thank you!

    Reply
    • Swarez says:

      Hi Laurel. Thank you for your wonderful comments. I know exactly what you mean about Cy Twombly. Glad you found me though and i am very pleased about that! Have a great day. Cheers>Ed

      Reply
  2. Aida Guardia says:

    Estoy fascinada con tu arte, los colores, diseños, formas, estoy abrumada de tanta belleza plasmada en cada cuadro. Gracias por compartir.

    Reply
  3. Mark Goodwin says:

    I am sorry to say that l cannot understand Abstract art and never will.To me it’s meaningless,and opposite to the way you describe it’s meaning.

    The traditional masters were explaining history in their painting s.Abstract doesn’t explain anything to me .

    I can’t even see what it is,and another thing how do you know when it’s finished, or if it’s correct.

    I don’t think the old masters would be happy with abstract art as it’s not discribing anything.

    Also l think there far too much of it in the modern world.
    This had made it hard for people to sell traditional art.

    As people are more brainwashed into buying abstract art.

    Mark Goodwin

    Reply
    • Ewan says:

      I had this feeling too, for a long time, having been brought up to respect classical art & the skill & training which went into developing figurative masterpieces.

      While there is a lot of clumsy creation going on these days, I have come to wholeheartedly disagree that it is meaningless. I have come to realise that abstract art is a thing in as of itself, in that it can, when conditions are right, invoke a feeling which even some of the most ‘accurate’ or skilled figurative pieces could not.
      There is still skill in creating compositions, which despite being absent direct ‘meaning’ or ‘explanation’, amalgamate components or methods that express a feeling or implication of something ‘real’.
      Just because something does not require the same technique or structure, in terms of its creation, does not entail that it does not involve a level of talent or skill. And to paint an entire art form with the same brush is a little hasty, given that much of abstract art is only appealing due to how deliberately it has been composed.

      That being said, I do agree that there has been an over-transition to abstract, in that it has overwhelmed classical art, in many regards.
      I do believe that this will balance out in time, with each being treated as they should be, distinct means of artistic expression; they are different forms, to be treated as such, with neither replacing the other.

      Reply

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