Seeing vs Feeling: The Divide Between Realism and Abstract

Abstract art, with as broad as it is, can loosely be described as using form, color, and texture to convey emotion and a message from the artist. It can often be interpreted in many ways, affecting each person in a different way and that’s part of the beauty in it. Abstract art shines in its ability to invoke emotion and thought, and it is able to due this because it doesn’t focus on showing forms we see in every day life. Artist choose to capture the essence of the form and expand on them, bringing to light meanings and interpretations that may have slipped your mind previously.

Group X, Altarpiece №1 by Hilma af Klint, 1907, via Wikimedia Commons

Artwork by Olga Skorokhod

This ambiguity is a stark contrast from the representative nature of the realism movement. The realism movement emerged in mid 19th century France, as a response to romanticism. Realism as the name may suggest, focused on depicting everyday life and the world around us. Photography was only just beginning to come into play as an artform, so realism artist took it upon themselves to depict reality in the way a camera does for us now. They focused on true human experience, struggle and love, believing they should reflect on life not escape it. 

The Rose Lover, Carl Spitzweg ca 1847-1850. One of my favorite paintings, I took this picture in Frankfurt, Germany.

The Last Moments of John Brown, Thomas Hovenden 1882-84

Attempting to recreate my project within the realm of realism is a daunting idea. If you do not know, my project is a recreation of Greece based on the country’s contour lines. To do something like that realistically, I think I would have to recreate my model with more contour lines, and use thinner cardboard than I currently have. This could produce more of a natural slope when depicting the mountainous geography of Greece. That wouldn’t be too bad if that was all, but I think I’d have to try and accurately paint what the country would look like from space, and to do that on cardboard would be a serious task for a well skilled painter, which I am not.

Sources in order of use:

https://www.thecollector.com/famous-abstract-artists/

https://www.allthingspaper.net/2016/03/paper-sculpture-by-olga-skorokhod.html

The Rose Lover, Carl Spitzweg ca 1847-1850, picture taken by me.

https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/11160