The Case for Abstraction | The Art Assignment | PBS Digital Studios

Historically, art aimed to represent the world around us, but around 100 years ago, artists started moving away from that approach, leading to a new era in art. This chapter explores the transition from representational art to abstraction and the challenges it presented.

The chapter delves into the concept of abstraction in art, emphasizing that it didn't occur suddenly but evolved over time. Artists began abstracting familiar subjects, stylizing and simplifying them, leading to movements like Fauvism and Cubism.

Various artists took unique approaches to abstraction, such as the Italian Futurists, Franz Mark, Wassily Kandinsky, and Kazimir Malevich. Each artist brought their perspective, influences, and intentions to the realm of abstraction.

This chapter explores how spiritual and philosophical beliefs influenced abstract art, with artists like Hilma af Klint, Wassily Kandinsky, and Paul Klee seeking to express spiritual ideas and emotions through abstraction.

The narrative traces the development of abstraction through the 20th century, including movements like Bauhaus, De Stijl, Dada, and post-painterly abstraction. It highlights the diversity and evolution of abstract art during this period.

Abstraction in art has elicited varied interpretations and responses over time. The chapter discusses how abstraction can be a mirror, a window, or a challenge, and how it has been both celebrated and criticized in the art world.