Abstraction Movement In Art

Abstraction can be defined as an art in which the subjects of a painting or sculpture are symbolic with the emphasis of specific elements including form, line, and color. The rise of abstraction varies according to each region around the world, as well as the impacts made on societies by local and global events. In my opinion, the catalyst for abstraction in art history was during the 1800’s when art became reactionary. This was during the time of industrialism and revolution. In response to this change in society, artists were more and more influenced to produce art that coursed intense emotion through the veins of the viewer’s body. Right before the 20th century, the period of Early Expressionism, art contained symbolism, where subjects …show more content…
World War I, the assembly line, invention of photography, and rejection of the past influenced this abstraction movement. It is my belief that the invention of photography was vital for push toward abstraction in art. Images of events in history did not need to be painted anymore, as photography could be used. It took less time to take a photograph of a scene than to paint one. This technological innovation allowed artists to focus on matters other that portrayal of a moment in history. This innovation led to the overall switch toward abstraction, as many of the art movements in Modernism included symbolic art that embodied ideas or emotions of the artist. During Modernism, abstract art and its components varied according to location and effect desired for the viewer. For example, in Russia abstract art used geometry. By using geometry, artists like Kazimir Malevich were able to portray and utopian goals, and art free from borders of objects. Russia was a socialist country during this time period, which aimed to reach utopia. On the other hand, artists in the United States used abstraction to project ideas. The message taken from the painting was more important than its actual