Wednesday, April 29, 2009

Abstract art- 'According 2'


Abstract art can lead to new directions, new experiments and with collage the use of virtually any element can lead to a new avenue of exploration. The inclusion of bits of drawings, cord, maps, magazine scraps can open new directions of abstract thought.

Collage, as a fine art medium was developed by Pablo Picasso and Georges Braque in France in 1912. These two cubist artists sought to break up space, forms, colors by using torn, cut, pasted papers, wallpapers, magazines and newspapers as important and new elements of their art. Collage is a means to achieveing layers of thoughts, bringing new ideas and meaning to the work.

Collage, for me, brings new life to old drawings, painted surfaces, old magazines, textured cardboard, a historic fusion of artifacts that lie around the studio. A composition of memories in a new abstract combination.

Some major proponents of collage include Kurt Schwitters in the 20's, Surrealists artists such as Max Ernst, Marcel Duchamp, Man Ray, Miro, Dali, Joseph Cornell and Romare Bearden in more recent times. More will be told of Bearden's work in my other blogs.

The Collage on the right is called "According 2". More of my abstract work can be seen at yessy.com/emooyoung.

2 comments:

  1. Errol

    I can absolutely agree with your comment noting that "collage, as a fine art medium was developed by Pablo Picasso and Georges Braque in France in 1912. These two cubist artists sought to break up space, forms, colors by using torn, cut, pasted papers, wallpapers, magazines and newspapers as important and new elements of their art".

    I like historical analyses of individual artists and art styles; a timeline is often an essential component of a lecture or journal article.

    But then we get to the part that is not immediately obvious. How does the viewer know that "collage is a means to achieveing layers of thoughts, bringing new ideas and meaning to the work"? Just because the artist said so?

    My passion is for 17th - 19th century art, so I will apologise because I have a great deal to learn about the 20th century.

    Hels
    Art and Architecture, mainly

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  2. Don't apologize, I'm enjoying the conversation. The comments section here is limited in length for a full explanation. My blogs touch on 20th century art in brief snippets. If you check a few of them you'll see my thoughts in relation to the artwork shown. I quote liberally from the masters like Klee, Kandinsky, Sutherland, Millares, and others because they are better equipped to verbalize their thoughts on abstract art. To answer your question on collage elements, bringing new meaning to the work. Consider the torn piece of map, do maps evoke travel? Some adventure you might have had in the past? Do the strings in the artwork remind you of trails? Do colors have an emotional effect on the viewer? The dark areas, do they represent a cave? A mysterious entry to Hades? If looked at more closely, it evokes many thoughts and tangents. At least, to me while I was working on it. Thanks for your comments. We can discuss 19th century art, I like to learn. Cezanne, was considered the 'Father" of the new way of thinking and painting he influenced many other artist at the turn of the century.

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