Latest posts by michael wilson (see all)
- JORDAN RIVER - February 5, 2019
- Inspired Art - August 2, 2018
- Waiting for Inspiration - July 31, 2018
- The Bridge between Painting and Photography - July 31, 2018
Many emerging artists will eventually ask themselves, why paint abstract oils? Or even further, why paint non-representational art or art that has no reference whatsoever to known objects? Painting abstractions of course is mis-leading because it can imply that a vase or a cup or a tree is recognizable but has been bent or elongated through artistic abstraction. Both non-representational and abstract art expression provides an important vehicle for authentic artistic expression.
When the breakthrough painting by Marcel Duchamp, Nude Descending the Staircase, was presented it shocked the art world. It is almost a shame that he titled the painting because without a title the viewer needs to look more deeply to discover the painting. It is indeed a figure or figures descending a stair. There is great movement, wonderful dynamics and force, even with a limited pallete. Why did he depart from a realistic image to this abstraction of form? It might be simply that he was attempting to paint more authentically. He wanted to paint a certain vital essence. By concentrating too much on the nature of form he would have neglected the great action. This effort paved the way for an entirely new way to paint on canvas – one that relied on an inner response and not one that pointed outwards to some exterior form or place or person.
Kandinsky went further by making no reference to any known form. In Duchamp’s painting if we look carefully, we can see the abstracted cubist form descending. In Kandinsky’s work shapes and designs stand on their own merit without reference to anything beyond themselves. This direction in painting can be exhilarating. It can free up various hang-ups, especially the need to accurately represent something real. As an artist you might measure yourself with how well you represent a scene or a still life or a face, but this can be limiting and even detrimental to creative growth. Allowing for freer expression by painting abstractionally can help to discover your own personal style.
Fortunately art (painting) is evolving just as music, dance and architecture evolves. We no longer need be tied to reality. There is a strong inner realm that we can experience which often more directly reflects our own personhood. By responding to internal feelings rather than external sources we come in contact with something very valuable and also very powerful. This alone is an excellent reason to paint abstract oils.