Abstract art has been a significant art movement for more than a century. It started as a way for artists to move away from traditional representational art and explore the use of colour, shape, and texture to convey emotions and ideas.
Here are some famous abstract artists who have made significant contributions to the movement:
Wassily Kandinsky (1866-1944)
Often referred to as the “father of abstract art,” Kandinsky was a Russian painter and art theorist who played a key role in the development of the movement. He believed that art should be pure and express the artist’s innermost emotions and spirituality. His work often featured bold colours, shapes, and abstract forms. His famous works include “Composition VII” and “Yellow-Red-Blue.”
Piet Mondrian (1872-1944)
A Dutch painter who is best known for his geometric abstract paintings featuring grids of black lines and primary colours. He believed that art should reflect the underlying spiritual order of the universe, and his work aimed to achieve a sense of harmony and balance. His famous works include “Composition with Red, Yellow, and Blue” and “Broadway Boogie Woogie.”
Kazimir Malevich (1878-1935)
A Russian painter and art theorist who is credited with creating the first entirely abstract painting, called “Black Square” in 1915. He believed that art should be free from any reference to the physical world and instead be based on pure feeling and sensation. His famous works include “White on White” and “Black Circle.”
Jackson Pollock (1912-1956)
An American painter known for his unique style of drip painting, in which he would pour and drip paint onto the canvas, creating complex layers and textures. His work was highly influential in the development of abstract expressionism, a movement that emphasised the spontaneous and instinctual aspects of the creative process. His famous works include “Number 1, 1950 (Lavender Mist)” and “Convergence.”
Mark Rothko (1903-1970)
An American painter who is best known for his large-scale colour field paintings, which featured large areas of flat colour with subtle variations in tone and texture. His work aimed to create a sense of transcendence and spirituality through the use of colour. His famous works include “No. 61 (Rust and Blue)” and “Untitled (Black on Grey).”
Willem de Kooning (1904-1997)
A Dutch-American painter who was a major figure in the abstract expressionist movement. His work often featured gestural brushstrokes and dynamic compositions, with a focus on the materiality of the paint itself. His famous works include “Woman I” and “Excavation.”
Joan Miró (1893-1983)
A Spanish painter, sculptor, and ceramicist who is known for his playful and whimsical abstract works. His paintings often feature biomorphic shapes, bright colours, and intricate line work. His famous works include “The Tilled Field” and “Harlequin’s Carnival.”
Lee Krasner (1908-1984)
An American painter who was a key figure in the abstract expressionist movement. Her work often featured gestural brushstrokes and complex layering, with a focus on the process of creation and the physicality of the paint itself. Her famous works include “Milkweed” and “Gothic Landscape.”
Helen Frankenthaler (1928-2011)
An American painter who was associated with the colour field movement. She was known for her large-scale abstract works, which featured areas of flat colour with subtle variations in tone and texture.
Robert Motherwell (1915-1991)
An American artist who’s work was characterised by large, boldly-coloured shapes and lines, often with a strong sense of movement and spontaneity. He frequently used black and white in his work, which he saw as representing the extremes of emotion and thought.
