From what I understand from researching Abstract Art, it was born as a result of two primary forces: The Industrial Revolution and the expansion of support for the arts away from primarily the Church to more private patronage. The Industrial Revolution led to a wider distribution of wealth by creating a true Middle Class of merchants, manufacturers and the service industry created by the resulting economic activity.

This wider distribution of wealth gave more influence to the "common man". This in turn, led to an expansion of education and thus, creative thought and expression. Prior to this time, education was the privilege of a few aristocrats and religious leaders. "The great unwashed" were kept in virtual slavery and ignorance. The Industrial Revolution was not just a revolution in the availability of goods, services and transportation, but in freedom of thought and creativity.

I was struck recently by the similarity between Abstract Art and Jazz upon reading "The Definition of Jazz" by D.C. DowDell on his website at http://www.apassion4jazz.net/. His statement "While classical music may strive to conform the musical tones to orchestral sonorities, Jazz music thrives on collective improvisation which thrives on instrumental diversity", could just as easily apply to the relationship between traditional Representational art and Abstract Art. Just as Jazz has continued to evolve over the last 100 or so years, so has Abstract Art. Like a vine twisting toward the light while holding onto the comfort of a wall, all Art moves with us in a never-ending dance of expression reflecting the world around us.

Wassily Kandinsky is generally considered to be the founder of Abstract Art. The Russian born painter was one of the first artists to paint in this style. He was profoundly influenced by his love of music and is attributed with the statement, "Color is the keyboard, the eyes are the harmonies, the soul is the piano with many strings". He claimed to hear music when he saw a color, much like Lithuanian Symbolist painter, Mikalojus Konstantinas Ciurilionis (see my previous post). It is clear that this genre is much more expressive of the "inner world" of the artist, as opposed to replicating the outside world. I am including several works by Kandinsky for your visual reference. They are, in order of appearance: "Improvisation VII", 1910; Composition IV, 1913; "On White", 1923; "Red, Yellow, Blue", 1925; "Composition X", 1939.

There is an excellent biography on Wikipedia at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wassily_Kandinsky , with links to many other websites with his artwork.

Thanks for the opportunity to ramble and I hope it leads you to your own treasure hunt and a better understanding of this genre.

There are some striking works of Abstract Art in our gallery at http://www.rubylane.com/shops/gsgallery as well. Abstract Art moves along a continuum from slight abstraction to complete distortion. I have included the following works from my gallery which reflect this range.

My next post will explore "Landscapes" and how this subject matter has evolved in the art world. Please feel free to leave comments or suggestions on this blog or at my gallery at http://www.rubylane.com/shops/gsgallery.
Val Romanow - G S Gallery