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Degrees of Abstraction
This presentation uses landscapes to introduce different degrees of abstraction in art.
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Paysage (Landscape)
Artists make abstract artworks by abstracting the subject matter in their work. That is, they simplify or distort the people, places, or things they are showing in their work.
Some artists abstract their subject matter just a little. Others make their work so abstract the subject matter is difficult to identify.
The first artworks in this collection are not very abstracted. Later arworks are more abstracted.
The last artwork shows no people, places, or things at all. It is not abstract. The last painting is an example of a "non-representation" or "non-objective" artwork.
<img src="http://www.artsconnected.org/media/work.png" width="140" height="105" />
Vue du lac de Challes au Mont Blanc (View of Lake Challes at Mont Blanc)
Vigée-Lebrun's watercolor is quite realistic. She includes lots of details.
<div class="unzoomed_thumbnail" style="width:140px; height:100.8984375px;"><img class="inline_img fake_1.38753387534" id="zoomer_18742_48689iip_loading" src="http://www.artsconnected.org/media/e4/ec/635899d5a77fb9bc615456002c9a/140/120/18742.jpg" class="iip_loading" title="" alt="Vue du lac de Challes au Mont Blanc (View of Lake Challes at Mont Blanc), Louise-Elizabeth Vigée-Lebrun" height_offset="0" /></div>
Blackbirds in the Snow
In this watercolor painting, Burchfield simplified the subject matter just a bit. He did not include every detail in the houses, trees, or birds in the snow.
<div class="unzoomed_thumbnail" style="width:140px; height:97.75390625px;"><img class="inline_img fake_1.43216783217" id="zoomer_22965_50124iip_loading" src="http://www.artsconnected.org/media/01/76/1cfd24265d6c856a92499c0711e1/140/120/22965.jpg" class="iip_loading" title="" alt="Blackbirds in the Snow, Charles Burchfield" height_offset="0" /></div>
New York, Downtown - No. 7, 1936
Marin both simplified and distrorted (twisted) the buildings in this ink drawing.
<div class="unzoomed_thumbnail" style="width:140px; height:120px;"><img class="inline_img fake_0.774739583333" id="zoomer_22877_6547iip_loading" src="http://www.artsconnected.org/media/f5/b6/8c8a1ef4bcce4ab850e91b61a07b/140/120/22877.jpg" class="iip_loading" title="" alt="New York, Downtown - No. 7, 1936, John Marin" height_offset="0" /></div>
The Viaduct at L'Estaque
Braque simplified the hills, trees, and buildings in this painting.
<div class="unzoomed_thumbnail" style="width:140px; height:111.651090343px;"><img class="inline_img fake_1.25390625" id="zoomer_1903_26206iip_loading" src="http://www.artsconnected.org/media/70/c8/2f339de5f2bef6455de528997bc4/140/120/1903.jpg" class="iip_loading" title="" alt="The Viaduct at L'Estaque, Georges Braque" height_offset="0" /></div>
The Sea, Maine
Marin simplified his subject matter. He transformed rocks, trees, sky, and sea into quick, broad brushtrokes.
<div class="unzoomed_thumbnail" style="width:140px; height:113.777777778px;"><img class="inline_img fake_1.23046875" id="zoomer_9980_42835iip_loading" src="http://www.artsconnected.org/media/37/32/d23222774f4bab7048f677f09017/140/120/9980.jpg" class="iip_loading" title="" alt="The Sea, Maine, John Marin" height_offset="0" /></div>
Bateau-Mouche with Bouquet
Chagall simplified the sun, the Eiffel Tower, a boat on a river, and a bouquet of flowers into washes and dabs of color.
<div class="unzoomed_thumbnail" style="width:140px; height:120px;"><img class="inline_img fake_0.743489583333" id="zoomer_5286_20791iip_loading" src="http://www.artsconnected.org/media/28/b5/c355e399bf1aa90deb81780425c3/140/120/5286.jpg" class="iip_loading" title="" alt="Bateau-Mouche with Bouquet, Marc Chagall" height_offset="0" /></div>
Sullivan Street, Abstraction
Ault simplified this night street scene into dark converging shapes and a rectangle of tan punctuated with rectangles, squares and one circle of light.
<div class="unzoomed_thumbnail" style="width:140px; height:120px;"><img class="inline_img fake_0.8359375" id="zoomer_20139_48588iip_loading" src="http://www.artsconnected.org/media/86/da/e1e3c6fec95bab09fde732e97e2c/140/120/20139.jpg" class="iip_loading" title="" alt="Sullivan Street, Abstraction, George C. Ault" height_offset="0" /></div>
Black Mountain (State II Red)
Like Marin, Motherwell abstracted a landscape with brushstrokes. Because he painted so few marks on an unrealistic red background, viewers might not even recognize Motherwell's subject matter as a mountain without the help of the title.
<div class="unzoomed_thumbnail" style="width:140px; height:109.379450661px;"><img class="inline_img fake_1.27994791667" id="zoomer_19313_52642iip_loading" src="http://www.artsconnected.org/media/e1/a0/0aee5c890bc4fe1ea7ee4303a5de/140/120/19313.jpg" class="iip_loading" title="" alt="Black Mountain (State II Red), Robert Motherwell" height_offset="0" /></div>
untitled
Rothko did not imitate the appearance of any people, places, or things in this painting. Therefore, it has no subject matter.
A painting that shows no subject matter is not abstract. It is called a"non-objective" or "nonrepresentational" artwork.
<div class="unzoomed_thumbnail" style="width:140px; height:120px;"><img class="inline_img fake_0.53515625" id="zoomer_22316_6589iip_loading" src="http://www.artsconnected.org/media/fa/73/0502940c86bec831bfc227cc3e5a/140/120/22316.jpg" class="iip_loading" title="" alt="No. 44, Mark Rothko" height_offset="0" /></div>
