Trying to Understand Abstract art

One of the reasons many people struggle with abstract art is because it’s so open to interpretation. Of all the mediums, any kind of abstract art has the most room for creativity, as you can literally decide what you want to take from the piece in front of you. For many people this can create a state of confusion so here are our tips on how to start trying to understand abstract art.

1. Stop trying. This is probably the most useful tip where abstract art is concerned. You may find that you don’t know what to make of a piece of abstract art when you first look at it because you don’t know what it’s about. With other types of art it may be instantly clear that you’re looking at a fruit bowl or a landscape but that may not be so with an abstract piece. The key here is to stop trying to work out what you’re looking at - there may be no recognisable objects in there, just texture, patterns, line and composition. If you accept that then you can open your mind up to appreciating abstract art in a different way.
2. Put aside the judgment. “My child could do that” is something that you often hear from people who don’t understand abstract art. The reality is that the artist probably has the skills to create a line-perfect portrait or a beautifully illustrated landscape but has chosen not to. What that means is that in a piece of abstract art you’re looking at a creation by someone who has a deep understanding of colour and exceptional drawing skills and has used those to create something less obvious, to make you think.
3. Deriving meaning in abstract art. Although you might find it difficult to work out what a piece of abstract art is meant to be about, that doesn’t mean there is no meaning in it. The formal qualities, such as the composition, colours and textures of the piece, describe what the art is and how it is created. When you’re looking at a piece of abstract art try tapping into how these more formal elements contribute to your experience of the piece, whether that is cerebral or visual. That’s where you’re most likely to find meaning.
4. Maybe words aren’t relevant here. As humans we can spend a lot of time trying to put things into words - the right words. While that can be constructive in many situations it doesn’t tend to work with abstract art. The experience of a piece of work like this is so incredibly personal that maybe it doesn’t need verbal communication - or it may trigger the non-verbal parts of us.
5. Listen to the artwork. Instead of looking for a meaning or a specific image in abstract art, try appreciating it like a piece of music. Stop trying to find the individual elements (instruments) and let the combination of the whole just wash over you. Just relax and let the painting happen to you, let your eyes wander where they want to, see how it makes you feel and notice what emerges from within.

Trying to understand abstract art is mostly a waste of time - the trick is to learn how to experience it instead.