Abstract Canvas Art – The Modern Visual Language of the West
All modern abstract canvas art uses color and form which exists ‘ to one degree or another’ in the natural world. In this way it is objective abstract art. The oil paintings produced by groundbreaking artists such as Van Gogh, Monet and Kandinsky could be described as ‘abstract canvas art’ today. However, this was not so much the ‘artistic label’ placed upon them before the nineteen twenties as was Impressionist and Expressionist. Dawning Of a New Age From the height of the renaissance until toward the end of the nineteenth century the traditional artistic language was one of perspective and visual reality. Abstract canvas art was born into the age of modernism. The dawning of the twentieth century and industrialization opened up the world to a new vision – huge changes in technology, science, politics and so philosophies providing new sources for inspiration for the artists of the day: To which oil paintings took on an entirely new visual language. A Departure from Reality Non-figurative abstract canvas art is not so dissimilar to non-objective abstract canvas art: Although it is not entirely the same. One could relate the differences akin to changes in accent from one county to the next – While the language may be American English it is not entirely the same. The visual language of abstract canvas art is, in essence, a departure from ‘reality’. To what degree that happens varies. Oil paintings which can be deemed abstract, yet are recognizable with some object in some way are considered partial abstractions: The portraiture of Picasso for example. The work of Monet however would most likely be described as slight abstraction: And Kandinsky’s later geometric abstract oil paintings complete. Therefore, modern abstract canvas art is versatile and so appeals to a varied following.