Time to Interact . . . with the Abstract.

there are many working definitions of ‘abstraction’; in the dictionary, it is listed as “state of being lost in thought”, but as it is applied to visual art, the definition can fall almost anywhere in the wide range between direct representation and non-objective imagery. But, at the root, ‘abstraction’, as a process, searches for an underlying structure; an essence, a unity, a reality beyond surface appearance. it uses distortion, simplification, unification, geometrical and formal means to reach its goal…

Here is a list of artists with works on display in the Cincinnati Art Museum; Picasso, Roberto Matta, Joan Miro, Matisse, Georges Braque, Oskar Kokoshka, Jean Arp, Philip Guston, Jim Dine. After exploring each artist, choose one to examine further.

Pick three paintings by that artist, and analyze them in terms of:

-Subject matter

-Formal language

-Intent of the artist

-Means of abstraction

Finally, choose one of the following themes or concepts to investigate in a series of three abstraction-based drawings:

Empathy Transformation Identity

Chaos Sound Public vs. Private

Refer to the four elements from above, as well as what you learned from your analyses in the CAM, to aid you in solving this problem. At the critique, be prepared to discuss not only your work, but also the role that your research from the Cincinnati Art Museum played.

*Avoid depending on objects as the primary elements in your solution.

*The final three drawings should read as a cohesive series, or a set of related explorations.

This exercise encourages you to move away from a purely observational diet, and to explore abstraction as an option or means of problem-solving in drawing.

You might consider the following:

What are some other words used to describe the 3 themes or concepts you have chosen?

Aside from whom you observed in the CAM, is there another artist whose abstractions impress you? Perplex you? How could you incorporate that into your three drawings?

As an artist yourself, what else could you possibly get from working this way? Is this a comfortable or uncomfortable experience for you?