Beyond Belief | Ambiguous simplification Contemplation progression Ideas distanced from objects |
B eyond Belief is a study of color and the indiscriminate effortless patterns physically fashioned as objects are subjected to the relentless effects of weather. But is this abstract art?
Abstract art is now generally understood to mean art that does not depict objects in the material world, but instead uses shapes and colors in a non-representational or subjective way. This photograph, however, is an accurate representation of a close-up portion of a trash dumpster found in an alley. The rust and oxidation drip markings are a manifestation of naturally occurring phenomenon. Perhaps we need a new definition of abstract art, or better yet, maybe a new art category altogether. In this vein, I am hereby proposing a new art movement:
Representational Abstractionism
This movement can be defined as comprising art creations that are totally realistic representations of the material world, but are abstracted by de-contextualization, or a lack of reference to the depicted object. Now we need to go back in history and identify the founding fathers. How about Ernst Haas and Aaron Siskind?
“A picture is the expression of an impression. If the beautiful were not in us, how would we ever recognize it?” - Ernst Haas
