For this piece, the abstract artistic thinking is central to the artistic concept generation.
In case you find it difficult to capture your artistic thoughts and transfer them onto canvas, then you can rest assured that you are not a lone fighter.
There are certainly times when the weight of creativity feels unbearable and that is exactly where abstract thinking comes in handy.
If one were to classify what art is, abstract thinking just might be the secret. It provides the artist in us the strength to imagine things that can’t be directly observed or physically felt.
It is somewhat like exercising the brain in a different way. Rather than interpreting the words strictly at their face value, we spend the time to interpret words, thoughts and feelings in a manner that is sensed but is not directly observable.
In the remainder of the post, we’ll show you how this extraordinary approach to realisation of ideas leads to motivation and into creating the kind of art that is able to appeal to other audiences.
Grab a cup of coffee and get ready to explore the thrilling world of abstract thinking.
A Thumbnail View of An Abstract Thinking
That’s a great question to start with. For instance, what are the components of abstract thinking?
So, to begin with, what brings very start of the formation of an understanding of abstract thought in people?
To put it simply, it’s the ability to think about concepts that are not necessarily defined by physical things and tangible experiences.
It doesn’t help to just say for instance that when we say that we’re thinking in the abstract, we aren’t simply staring at the faceted surface of things, but rather probing deeper to try and find hidden meanings and connections that are not always obvious.
In the case of, say, artworks, this can be such as the uplifting feeling of happiness being represented by a canvas full of moving colors or the sad feeling – by jumbled up shapes which aren’t intended to depict a particular scene but the emotional essence of one.
Importance of Abstract in Art
So, why should we care about something such as abstraction in art?
For a start, without abstract thought, the universe would easily become boring and lazy since all we’d be doing would be copying every motion or word uttered in front of us even if the fieriest of scenes occurred daily to keep us sane.
Use logic: If every single one of the artists only drew from the present, novel works that challenged ourorthodox ideas and made us feel differently would never be created.
For instance, take Vincent van Gogh as an example. Starry Night, one of his more iconic paintings, never truly depicts the intention of a starry night as one may believe, but it is in its most pure form the features of a mildly disturbed and thought riddled mind.
It is as if he geled tornados on canvas with the way he uses color and form and that in itself is the power of abstract thought.
Abstract Thinking Explanation
Moving on, let’s examine the psychological components associated with thinking abstractly.
Huge emphasis has to be placed on global reasoning processes since they are crucial here.
Time now to switch gears and discuss the creative process. When we engage in abstract thinking, we are employing our mapping and problem-solving skills. This means that our brains bring together a mix of words, sounds, pictures and other concepts together allowing us to draw motivation from many different places.
Let’s examine a few real life cases.
A perfect contemporary artist example can be Yayoi Kusama.
When basing her art on her own experiences, especially those related to mental disorders, her works develop into more personal ones.
In a painted dot or mats, she incorporates feeling that is often hard to put words to as a viewer looks out into her vivid self-created lively zone, a world full of repeating patterns catch the attention.
For an instance, when she is painting, she is not painting, but instead she is going into her subconscious. This is a clear illustration of the way abstract thinking informs ideation in artists.
Now let me take you in another direction, see for instance Salvador Dalí.
Check out how he painted everything he could ever imagine. This is a classic case of someone having a surrealist approach.
Dalí captured these sequences of images that mixed beguiling and absolute nonsense to them, that although illogical but emphasized their emotional importance.
All oddity developed their own compelling traits that permit possibility to relocate thinking beyond boundaries.
The Intersection of Abstract Thinking and Artistic Concepts
Let us expand our focus on how the use of abstract integrating in the idea formation stage can alter the course of creativity.
When we start thinking about brainstorming, it can be described best as an esssence of hodgepodge of ideas.
You might find yourself putting together fragmentary pieces of nightmares and dreams to common conversations and hoping your muse comes through.
That’s where abstract thinking comes into play.
It allows us to break free from conventional thoughts of thinking and focus on things that aren’t lodged into objects.
I remember one time during group art workshop in which all of us were asked to make an art piece expressing a particular feeling but without any of the ordinary symbols.
This was a true exercise in abstracting thinking!
We sat there for hours just brainstorming and letting our minds stray to different places.
Some grew thoughts based on things they observed as children, others focused more on feelings like anxiety, joy, and other emotions.
The outcome? A wide variety of colors, shapes and textures all mixed together to give a representation of the different conceptual images that were formed for each emotion we focused on.
Case Studies of Famous Artworks Born from Abstract Concepts
There are some key works of art that have been born out of such unconventional brainstorming sessions as well.
Take for instance Wassily Kandinsky, he worked on the hypothesis which basically stated that colors and shapes can convey feelings without having to have a sense of physicality.
A very good example of this is his piece titled “Composition VIII.”
Seeing the brilliant colors’s shapes is
Making the person exhibit emotion rather than just feeling something.
That is the interesting aspect of abstract ideas: they are conceptual in general but evoke emotions giving a channel for different forms of artistry.
Lastly, let’s discuss some useful abstract thinking approaches applicable for artists.
Yes, understand the correlation between mind mapping and visual images and icons.
One of my favorite techniques is mind mapping.
Consider it a way for growing visual thinking as an approach of growing horizontally rather than vertically.
For instance, ‘light’ could have its branches that expand further into other sequences such as glare or dim light.
This spool is useful as it enables the artist to link one idea to the other even the distance between the two is noticeably broad or distant.
For example, in my last endeavor, I wanted to focus on the concept of “transformation”.
Using that term as a cornet stone, I branched into more or less about change, growth and metamorphosis.
I then created even heavier branches that consisted of colors and even personal experiences that I had tied into those concepts.
At the end of the session, I was more than a little excited for I clearly had bundled all the ideas that helped in my practice.
How Artists Transform Abstract Concepts into Actual Art Forms
Another useful technique is the use of visual metaphors.
These serve as some of the guides that assist the artists to bring out an idea which is in the abstract into the physical form.
For instance, if an artist wants to express the idea of ‘freedom’, they could depict flying birds or an expansive space devoid of boundaries.
This enables the audience to understand the concept better and also to view it more intimately.
Real-Life Examples of Abstract Thinking in Art
Now, let’s look at some of the better known artists who appreciated out-of-the-box concepts.
Wassily Kandinsky and Pablo Picasso are two names that immediately come to mind.
Kandinsky was a true visionary who viewed color and form as imbued with spirit.
His works are a testimony to the fact that abstraction in painting is well-grounded in the appreciation of emotions that are buried beneath the surfaces of the forms.
In “Composition X,” form is invested with a dozen colors creating an effect of both chaos and order at the same time.
When you look at it, you can’t help but feel a rush of emotion, even if you can’t pinpoint why.
On the other hand, Pablo Picasso was the first to take a completely different forn of art in the form of abstract art.
In this work, “Les Demoiselles d’Avignon,” he abused traditional norms and instead rendered figures with volumes but in an abstracted style.
This wasn’t simply about imagery; this was producing a new discourse to comprehend existence.
Contemporary Artists and Abstract Thinking
Now, let’s reverse the order and begin with the present day and look towards those artists who use concepts of abstraction in their work.
These days, artists are venturing and breaking the strands of norms like never before.
Take Yayoi Kusama for example.
Inescapably drawn into the world of dots and infinity mirrors, she is also constantly obsessed with other things making the viewer’s experience entirely immersive.
She’s examining how simple patterns can spiral into complex ideas, history, self-identity, and even the cosmos.
And then there’s Mark Bradford, who does social issues through collage and abstraction of the collage form.
A lot of his works are also influenced by his location in Los Angeles – they are made from things that he has collected from the neighbourhood, combining personal stories with abstract images.
The work of Bradford can be itchy. The itchiness is to not ignore the reality and the harshness of it while enjoying the loose forms of beauty and abstraction.
These artists prove that if we think broadly, art and everything around may be viewed and understood differently.
These people force us to make more connections, encouraging us to question and make more meaning, which may even aid in understanding our own practice more.
FAQs
What is the significance of abstract thinking in art?
The fact that abstract thinking is important in art is irreproachable.
It is what drives progress and invention, allowing the artist to move beyond mere concepts.
The concept enables the practitioners to express their feelings, experiences, or perceptions in art forms that are more diversified and different.
In many instances, abstract artists are able to find new ways of representation of complex ideas and expect that their audience will be interested in multiple aspects of their works.
Is it possible to cultivate the ability to think abstractly to create art?
Yes! It is entirely possible for any individual to cultivate the ability to think abstractly for artistic purposes.
It’s mostly a function of the right levels of practice.
For instance, one can practice art by free association while mind mapping or using other creative prompts to engage the skills.
Start by using freewriting, set a countdown for five minutes, and write down every thought that relates to a word or theme without second guessing yourself, for instance.
The connections you are capable of making might shock you!
Perfecting it simply means perfecting the urge to experiment and venture into the unknown, which can be very rewarding in art.
What’s the use of abstract thinking with problem solving in relation to art?
The original thought extends the answer for one in relation to art solving problems as expanding one’s a scope within which problems are solved.
If an artist faces technical or creative problems, it’s useful to look at the specifics of an issue from a broader perspective. It allows them to think of more than one way to resolve the problem.
For example, if an artist cannot choose the color scheme, they might look at the color wheel and automatically fix the emotion associated with each primary color.
Moreover, some of these combinations become turning points in enriching their work.
Further, with the ability to think incompletely and form new concepts, artists are able to broaden the scope of their approach to solve the problem rather than think of the problems in a particular pattern.
Conclusion
In short, abstract thinking has an important place in the process of constructing concepts of art in particular and the process of creation of new ideas in painting and in other forms of art in general.
Because it lets them think of ideas that are detached from the physical world, abstract thought paves the way to endless possibilities that comprise innovative vision ideas in art.
Throughout this discussion, we have seen how abstract thought enhances creativity making it possible for an artist to transcend creativity constrains and barriers.
We’ve also pointed out how such way of thinking is a potential efficient force of collaboration because it helps artists to interact, exchange ideas and make sense making works.
At the end of the day, allowing abstract thoughts to dominate could be beneficial for an artist, as it would help him/her produce artworks that go beyond the normal scope of understanding.
Hence, if you are an emerging or established artist, do not be afraid of going abstract.
On the contrary, traverse the uncharted territories, invest in reckless experimentation, and expect your artistic ideas to manifest in the most bizarre forms possible.