Abstract Art is defined by Art Fundamentals as a form of non-representational art that began in the 1950’s. Realism, however, is the depiction of everyday items or subject matter. Abstract and Realistic art are the two extremes of art, one lying in logical order, the other in emotional chaos.
Realism has its roots in the ancient past, where prehistoric artists tried to depict their surroundings and events of their lives on cave walls, and later on their pottery and temple walls. Realism grew to be the definition of art, and in the 19th century, was the only art that was accepted.
Right around the time of the American Civil War, however, things began to change. People began rejecting the establishment’s views of what defined art. The Impressionists were the first to break away from photorealism. Some painted blurred imagery, like Monet, others painted stylistic representations of moments in time, line Renoir.
After the Impressionists, came the Post-Impressionists, the Expressionists, and then the Abstract Artists. By the early 20th century, realism was no longer ‘hot’ and ‘new’, it was the images of the past, no longer ‘art’. Adolph Hitler was the recipient of this rejection of realism and Classical ideas, which could have driven him into military service, and later, political service.
We now live in the 21st century, having the fruit of all of those movements of decades past co-existing. Realism hasn’t died. Portraiture, hasn’t died. Massive color fields of single or multiple colors haven’t died. Cubism, Surrealism, Impressionism, Expressionism, all haven’t died, they have lived and grown into what we call Modern Art.
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