Abstract Oil Paintings

Abstract art is a form of art in which the artist attempts to produce in a painting or a photo, an illusion of the reality of the object that is being focused on. It is the departure of the actual presentation of the object that can be slight or extremely exaggerated. This form of art started appearing near the end of the 19th century. It is a diverse form of art that is found in many abstract oil paintings that started to arrive on the scene in the early 1900's. If an abstract oil painting has total abstraction, it will bear no trace of anything recognizable. Abstraction is a departure from reality when depicting an object. Often very bold and intense colors are used in this type of oil painting.

During the 19th century, there were three art movements that contributed greatly to cultivate abstract art. They were Romanticism, Impressionism, and Expressionism. The Romanticism period of Western art ran between the years of 1800-1860. It was the hope of romantic artists to inspire emotions and many of their paintings evoked a yearning for life's mysteries. The Impressionism period was in the 1870's and 1880's. These paintings exhibited small yet visible brush strokes to emphasize light's changing qualities on the subject matter. Monet and Renoir are considered Impressionist artists. Expressionism is a form of art that sought to express meanings instead of physical realities. They presented subjective perspectives hoping to create a mood or an idea to those observing the painting. The Scream by Edvard Munch is a classic Expressionist painting.

Modern art paintings tend to have abstraction characteristics. Artistic works of modern art were produced from about the 1860's to the 1970's. The birth of modern paintings is thought to be around 1863 when Edouard Manet exhibited his painting titled "Le dejeuner sur l'herbe" (The Luncheon on the Grass) in Paris. Romantics, Realists, and Impressionists were the pioneers of modern art. By the early 1940's, many artists producing modern art, abstraction art, and expressionism arrived in New York. The atmosphere of freedom allowed the influences of modern art to flourish. Artists found a new opportunity for learning and growth in New York.

Now into the 21st century, abstract art remains at the forefront. Important works of art continue to be made. With the many different venues in the art world today such as digital art and computer art, abstract oil paintings are still very much an important part of the industry. From the earliest abstract pioneers, to Matisse, Picasso, and Georgia O'Keefe, a modernist abstractionist, modern art paintings continue to thrive in the marketplace today.

Fish Dream by Billy Frank Alexander

Abstract photography is much like abstract oil paintings. The abstract photos do not represent the subject in a real or literal way. Instead of image detail, these photos communicate through color, form, and curves. Abstract photography, much like modern art paintings, can result in very powerful images. You will find that there are many fine art photographers that take wonderful, awe inspiring abstract photos.