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I've always been attracted to the innovation and influence of abstract modern art. What makes it "modern" lies the transgressions of abstraction—the defiance of conventional boundaries—challenging the way we see and feel. This is why abstract modern art is a cornerstone of contemporary aesthetics.
"Modern" in its colloquial sense implies the present or the immediate past. In history, "modern" refers to the period since the Industrial Revolution, or the First World War, depending on which historian you ask. In art, "modern" usually refers to the modernist movement in which art (visual art, literature, architecture, and music) transgresses long-held creative norms.
An example of early modernist architecture—Einstein Tower Observatory in Postdam, Germany, opened in 1921.
While the modernist movement is sometimes narrowly defined, the modern label is often applied loosely to refer to art that is unconventional. Abstract expressionist art (my favorite, of course) falls within both the modernist movement and the loose definition of modern art.
The modernist movement's artists revolutionized the art world. Like Piet Mondrian and his geometric compositions of simple lines and primary colors that project a sense of universal harmony and balance amidst an increasingly urbanized and unpredictable world.
'Composition with large red plane, yellow, black, grey, and blue' by abstract modern artist Piet Mondrian, 1921.
Similarly, abstract expressionist Helen Frankenthaler brought a new level of fluidity and luminosity to abstract painting with her color stain technique. Her paintings manage to embody a sense of movement and emotion. Another example is abstract modern artist Kazimir Malevich, whose Suprematist works explore pure abstraction and the supremacy of shape and color.
Abstract modern artist Helen Frankenthaler in her studio 1974.
'Bureau and room' by abstract modern artist Kazimir Malevich, 1913.
These artists, among countless others, paved the way for the lasting popularity of abstract modern art. Those early examples demonstrated that abstraction can convey and evoke complex narratives and emotions. For me, abstract modern art is about the freedom to interpret and the power of visual expression.
Pete Stein
Founder, Galerie Stein
Montreal
Galerie Stein will be presenting several contemporary abstract expressionist artists both virtually at GalerieStein.com and in our gallery in Montreal in 2024.
Contact: Pete Stein at peter@GalerieStein.com