Abstract Art
Abstract art is largely a C20th/C21st phonomenon. There are many different styles of abstract art, each using different ways of using colours, lines, textures and compositions. some of the most famous abstract artists include:
Vassily Kandinsky
The Guggenheim Museum [http://web.guggenheim.org/exhibitions/kandinsky/index.html#overview] has on online exhibition of Kandinsky's work which includes useful analyses of his paintings.
Webmuseum [http://www.ibiblio.org/wm/paint/auth/kandinsky/] has a selection of works. Click on the painting for a detailed view.
Paul Klee
The Tate Modern [http://www.tate.org.uk/art/artists/paul-klee-1417] has a page about Klee which includes a slideshow of 10 works.
Artchive [http://www.artchive.com/artchive/K/klee.html] has a longer list of images and links to Artcyclopaedia's entry on Klee.
Auguste Herbin
Vicou S. [http://www.pinterest.com/vicouble/auguste-herbin/] has a wonderful pintrest site of Herbin's works.You can see how he moved from cubism to abstract expressionism. His cubist period is very useful if you're interested in abstract landscapes.
Mid Centuria [http://www.midcenturia.com/2011/10/auguste-herbin-paintings.html] has a list of images of Hernin's work.
Joan Miro
The Joan Miro Foundation [http://www.fundaciomiro-bcn.org/colecciojm_pintures.php?idioma=2] have a large selection of works in chronological order so that you can see his development as an artist. He is largely considered a surrealist.
The Guardian [http://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2011/mar/20/joan-miro-life-ladder-escape-tate] has a useful review of Miro's life and influences with some exemplar paintings.
Jasper Johns
The Tate Gallery [http://www.tate.org.uk/art/artists/jasper-johns-1365] has a selection of Johns works, including abstract and pop art sketches.
Ben Nicholoson
Gerhard Richter
Jean-Paul Riopelle
Vassily Kandinsky
The Guggenheim Museum [http://web.guggenheim.org/exhibitions/kandinsky/index.html#overview] has on online exhibition of Kandinsky's work which includes useful analyses of his paintings.
Webmuseum [http://www.ibiblio.org/wm/paint/auth/kandinsky/] has a selection of works. Click on the painting for a detailed view.
Paul Klee
The Tate Modern [http://www.tate.org.uk/art/artists/paul-klee-1417] has a page about Klee which includes a slideshow of 10 works.
Artchive [http://www.artchive.com/artchive/K/klee.html] has a longer list of images and links to Artcyclopaedia's entry on Klee.
Auguste Herbin
Vicou S. [http://www.pinterest.com/vicouble/auguste-herbin/] has a wonderful pintrest site of Herbin's works.You can see how he moved from cubism to abstract expressionism. His cubist period is very useful if you're interested in abstract landscapes.
Mid Centuria [http://www.midcenturia.com/2011/10/auguste-herbin-paintings.html] has a list of images of Hernin's work.
Joan Miro
The Joan Miro Foundation [http://www.fundaciomiro-bcn.org/colecciojm_pintures.php?idioma=2] have a large selection of works in chronological order so that you can see his development as an artist. He is largely considered a surrealist.
The Guardian [http://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2011/mar/20/joan-miro-life-ladder-escape-tate] has a useful review of Miro's life and influences with some exemplar paintings.
Jasper Johns
The Tate Gallery [http://www.tate.org.uk/art/artists/jasper-johns-1365] has a selection of Johns works, including abstract and pop art sketches.
Ben Nicholoson
Gerhard Richter
Jean-Paul Riopelle
The de Stijl Movement
Artists belonging to the de Stijl Movement believed that art should have nothing at all to do with representing real aspects of the world; it should be purly an aesthetic (beautiful) experience. As a result they concentrated on line, shape and colour to create balanced abstract compositions. An overiew of this style can be found at Artlex [http://www.artlex.com/ArtLex/d/destijl.html] which has a simple and many example images. Artists who wotrked in this style include:
Piet Mondrian
The Museum of Modern Art [http://www.moma.org/collection/artist.php?artist_id=4057] has a slideshow of Mondian's works in order so you can see how he moved from realism to abstraction.
A silimar selection of images is available through the Guggenheim Museum [http://www.guggenheim.org/new-york/collections/collection-online/artists/1340].
The Mondrian Maker allows you to experiment with horizontal and vertical lines nad primary coklours to create your own "painting" in his style. Print out a selection of your images for your process journal and explain why some compositions are more balanced than others.
Max Bill
The Museum of Modern Art has a slideshow of Bill's works, especially those dealing with printed words.
[http://www.moma.org/collection/browse_results.php?criteria=O%3AAD%3AE%3A559&page_number=1&template_id=6&sort_order=1]
If you want to know how to describe his paintings, try the analysis at Abstractart.com
[http://www.abstract-art.com/abstraction/l2_grnfthrs_fldr/g073a_maxbill_dist.html]
Theo van Doesburg
The Museum of Modern Art [http://www.moma.org/collection/artist.php?artist_id=4057] has an introduction and a slideshow of
van Dorsburg's works.
Iconofgaphics [http://www.iconofgraphics.com/Theo-Van-Doesburg/] has an in-depth introduction to the founder of
Ellsworth Kelly
The Museum of Modern Art [http://www.moma.org/collection/browse_results.php?criteria=O%3AAD%3AE%3A3048&page_number=2&template_id=6&sort_order=1] has a series of minimalist works in its online gallery.
More images can be explored at the Metropolitan Museum of Art [http://www.metmuseum.org/en/exhibitions/listings/2012/ellsworth-kelly].
Articles in magazines:
Brennan, Joseph. "Factory 49: Substance without subject". Australian Art Review sept-Oct 2012, pp48-51. JAcky Ferrand, Muneki Suzuki, Pam Aitken, Roland Orepuk, Jean Villeroux, Mark Book, Marlene Sarroff
Christofides , Andrew "George Johnson" Artist Profile Issue 25, 2013. pp 90-93.
Piet Mondrian
The Museum of Modern Art [http://www.moma.org/collection/artist.php?artist_id=4057] has a slideshow of Mondian's works in order so you can see how he moved from realism to abstraction.
A silimar selection of images is available through the Guggenheim Museum [http://www.guggenheim.org/new-york/collections/collection-online/artists/1340].
The Mondrian Maker allows you to experiment with horizontal and vertical lines nad primary coklours to create your own "painting" in his style. Print out a selection of your images for your process journal and explain why some compositions are more balanced than others.
Max Bill
The Museum of Modern Art has a slideshow of Bill's works, especially those dealing with printed words.
[http://www.moma.org/collection/browse_results.php?criteria=O%3AAD%3AE%3A559&page_number=1&template_id=6&sort_order=1]
If you want to know how to describe his paintings, try the analysis at Abstractart.com
[http://www.abstract-art.com/abstraction/l2_grnfthrs_fldr/g073a_maxbill_dist.html]
Theo van Doesburg
The Museum of Modern Art [http://www.moma.org/collection/artist.php?artist_id=4057] has an introduction and a slideshow of
van Dorsburg's works.
Iconofgaphics [http://www.iconofgraphics.com/Theo-Van-Doesburg/] has an in-depth introduction to the founder of
Ellsworth Kelly
The Museum of Modern Art [http://www.moma.org/collection/browse_results.php?criteria=O%3AAD%3AE%3A3048&page_number=2&template_id=6&sort_order=1] has a series of minimalist works in its online gallery.
More images can be explored at the Metropolitan Museum of Art [http://www.metmuseum.org/en/exhibitions/listings/2012/ellsworth-kelly].
Articles in magazines:
Brennan, Joseph. "Factory 49: Substance without subject". Australian Art Review sept-Oct 2012, pp48-51. JAcky Ferrand, Muneki Suzuki, Pam Aitken, Roland Orepuk, Jean Villeroux, Mark Book, Marlene Sarroff
Christofides , Andrew "George Johnson" Artist Profile Issue 25, 2013. pp 90-93.
The Constructivists
Constructivism began in Russia during the 1920s and became centred in Germany between the wars. This group of artists were less conserved with the beauty of art than the idea of how it functioned - how well the materials were utilised,the processes used to make the art and the (often socialist) messsages it could carry. An excellent article about constructvism can be found at theartstory.org [http://www.theartstory.org/movement-constructivism.htm]. A shorter introduction can be found at the Museum of Modern Art [http://www.moma.org/collection/details.php?theme_id=10955]
Otto Freundlich
The Museum of Modern Art [http://www.moma.org/collection/artist.php?artist_id=1996] has an introduction and a slideshow of Freundlich's works, many of which are from the magazine that so affended the Nazi party.
Arden Kuhlman Riordan [http://www.pinterest.com/ardenriordan/otto-freundlich/] has a lovely Pintrest page with images of Freundlich's works.
Naum Gabo
Naumgabo.com [http://www.naum-gabo.com/gallery/] has a wonderful online gallery of Gabo's sculptures and useful biography. In addition to his constructivist work, It includes some of his cubist sculptures.
The Alan Cristea Gallery [http://www.alancristea.com/artist-Naum-Gabo] has a large selection of his woodcuts and monoprints.
László Moholy-nagy
El Lissitzky
Aleksandre Rodchenko
Vladimir tatlin
Otto Freundlich
The Museum of Modern Art [http://www.moma.org/collection/artist.php?artist_id=1996] has an introduction and a slideshow of Freundlich's works, many of which are from the magazine that so affended the Nazi party.
Arden Kuhlman Riordan [http://www.pinterest.com/ardenriordan/otto-freundlich/] has a lovely Pintrest page with images of Freundlich's works.
Naum Gabo
Naumgabo.com [http://www.naum-gabo.com/gallery/] has a wonderful online gallery of Gabo's sculptures and useful biography. In addition to his constructivist work, It includes some of his cubist sculptures.
The Alan Cristea Gallery [http://www.alancristea.com/artist-Naum-Gabo] has a large selection of his woodcuts and monoprints.
László Moholy-nagy
El Lissitzky
Aleksandre Rodchenko
Vladimir tatlin
Abstract Expressionism
Keep scrolling down - there's more in the New Directions subheading!
Mark Rothko
Clyfford Still
Mark Tobey
Mark Rothko
Clyfford Still
Mark Tobey
American Abstract Expressionism
Lee Krasner
de Kooning
Jackson Pollock
Joan Mitchell
Barnett Newman
Sean Scully?
de Kooning
Jackson Pollock
Joan Mitchell
Barnett Newman
Sean Scully?
Post-painterly abstraction
Kenneth Noland
Jules Olitski
Jules Olitski
Minimalism
Kasimir Malevich
robert Morris
Julian Opie
Ad Reinhardt
Sean Scully
Richard Tuttle
Brennan, Joseph. "Adrian MAcdonald" Australian Art Review sept-Oct 2012, pp68-70.
robert Morris
Julian Opie
Ad Reinhardt
Sean Scully
Richard Tuttle
Brennan, Joseph. "Adrian MAcdonald" Australian Art Review sept-Oct 2012, pp68-70.
Futurists
Frantisek Kupka
Joseph stella
Joseph stella
Suprematism
Serge Poliakoff
Malevich?
Malevich?
Op Art Movement
Op Art - perceptual games with the viewwer
movement on static cancvas
Victor Vasarely
Bridget Riley
movement on static cancvas
Victor Vasarely
Bridget Riley
Existentialists
Henri Michaux
New Directions in Abstract Art
Some installation artists have taken astraction to new mediums. Have a look at:
Dan Flavin
The National Gallery of Art, Washington [http://www.nga.gov/exhibitions/2004/flavin/introduction/introduction.shtm] has a fabulous introduction to Flavin's art, including analyses of his abstract fluorescent light installations.
The Pulitzer Foundation [http://flavin.pulitzerarts.org/#/introduction/] has an excellent written introduction to his work, including interviews and other support materials.
Peter Halley
Helley's website [http://www.peterhalley.com/] has a large gallery of his work and links to interviews and other documentation. Make sure you find out the meanigns of his artistic vocabulary and use this to analyse the works (for instance, a row of thin rectangles represents prison bars).
Anish Kapoor
Kapoor's website [http://anishkapoor.com/] has a combination of gallery images and thought-provoking quotes. His works consist of abstract installations and sculptures.
The Museum of Contemporary Art, Sydney held an exhibition of Kapoor's work in 2012. You can read about Kappor and download the catalogue on their site.
Agnes Martin
https://www.biennaleofsydney.art/artists/roy-de-maistre/
https://www.biennaleofsydney.art/artists/michael-stevenson/
Dan Flavin
The National Gallery of Art, Washington [http://www.nga.gov/exhibitions/2004/flavin/introduction/introduction.shtm] has a fabulous introduction to Flavin's art, including analyses of his abstract fluorescent light installations.
The Pulitzer Foundation [http://flavin.pulitzerarts.org/#/introduction/] has an excellent written introduction to his work, including interviews and other support materials.
Peter Halley
Helley's website [http://www.peterhalley.com/] has a large gallery of his work and links to interviews and other documentation. Make sure you find out the meanigns of his artistic vocabulary and use this to analyse the works (for instance, a row of thin rectangles represents prison bars).
Anish Kapoor
Kapoor's website [http://anishkapoor.com/] has a combination of gallery images and thought-provoking quotes. His works consist of abstract installations and sculptures.
The Museum of Contemporary Art, Sydney held an exhibition of Kapoor's work in 2012. You can read about Kappor and download the catalogue on their site.
Agnes Martin
https://www.biennaleofsydney.art/artists/roy-de-maistre/
https://www.biennaleofsydney.art/artists/michael-stevenson/