Initial Abstract Theories and their Relevance in Contemporary Art

art has persisted through the previous century and into the world of contemporary art. We can look at abstraction as present in all art due to the fact that art is the result of what the individual artist sees. As an image or scene is captured at a particular moment of time, a number of elements may be omitted or changed, thus, the created image becomes abstracted from reality (Moszynska, 2004). What we have come to understand as abstraction in art had its beginnings in the late 1800s. During this time the Impressionists had shocked the art world with their attempts to give an impression of their subject matter rather than to represent it. At this time, the then recent invention of photography imposed upon artists the challenge to convey imagery that could not be accomplished by the camera. With a strong interest in the effects of light and movement on subject matter, the Impressionists depicted everyday scenery and events. Abandoning the confines of the studio, they painted outdoors at different times of the day in order to capture natural light in its various stages. Focusing on the overall visual effect rather than details, their work was characterized by short, thick brush strokes along with the juxtaposition of pure colour that enabled them to create bold shadows in order to accentuate the true effects of light. It was the Impressionist painter Paul Cézanne who has often been credited with the title the father of modern painting. Through a desire to break reality down into basic forms and taking into consideration the instability of the artists’ view point, Cézanne had begun to push painting further towards abstraction.