3 Major Stylistic Stages of Abstraction in Painting and Fine Art - Mr. Briscoe

This week we began discussing the stylistic differences between the different historical "Stages of Abstraction". The intention of the following paragraphs is to give you an extremely broad context for certian departures from realistic renderings over the last several centuries. Abstraction is nothing new and is in fact as old as mankind. It has a rich history full of inexhaustible intentions. Please note that I am only attempting to briefly explain the reasons for monumental shifts over the last 500 years that effected western society specifically. This is not intended to explain abstraction or its philosophy but simply to give reasons for stylistic changes within art, specifically painting and sculpture.

In the western world, in centuries prior to the 1400's, art was primarily made as a reflection of spiritual or social constructs made in response to political structures and authoritarian commission. Imagery at times was propagandistic, mythological or decorative in nature and generally portrayed types of abstracted human and animalistic figures.

It wasn't until the European Renaissance that the ideal of representationalism became the focus of artists. The Renaissance was a time of innovation in technology and sciences. During this period their was a turning away from religion (not in theme but in personal practice) and a greater focus on social self-interest and the progress of the sciences. Across the board artists had a desire to depict real-life with a sense of awe for the biology of the human form as well as nature & architectures mathematical properties.
















Paolo Vernese, The Wedding of Cana

Representationalim is the deptiction of the natural world the way it is seen. In other words, when artists make artwork, they make it with the intention of capturing it accurately.

Several hundred years later (forgive the broad neglect of chronology and progress), with the invention of the camera, artists found reasons to make artwork that focused less on specificity of depiction and more on the "essence of reality". Artist began departing from the literal representation and began abstracting (departure from whats seen and the empolyment of human devices) the natural world around them. Abstraction is art that may refer reality but strives to represent thoughts, ideas and emotions through the alteration of reality.

Another reason for this evolution was the affordability of painting supplies and the artists freedom from the "commissioned". Artists could make more personal work because they were no longer tied to the demands of other individuals. Artists began experimentin with the placement of forms, color, medium as a reflection of personal thought as well as the excitement of experimentation.

Many artists in the early 20th Centurey were talented at representationalism but chose or grew into abstraction as a more creative way of expressing ideas. Pablos Picasso is a well-known 20th Century artist that worked in both representationalism abstraction. See some his progression and diversity below. Notice how the work early work was more representational but over time he abstracted the human form by depicting it using geometric shapes, pattern and eccentric color.

Many contemporaries of Picasso and other abstract artists were not satisfied by using abstraction to depict the essence of reality. Many artists throughout the last 120 years have departed completely from realism by working in pure abstraction or non-objective. Non-objectivism is based on artist pure imagination and creative impulses and has no obvious visual connections to reality. Many artists have and continue to use pure abstraction (non-objectivism) as a way of creating work. See some examples below.









Kandinsky, Comp 8






Willem De Koonig













Jackson Pollock working on one of his floor paintings.



Jackson Pollock, #8