17/10/2024
******* Understanding ABSTRACT ART *******
What is the meaning of abstract paintings?... the cubist paintings of Picasso? … the abstract lines by Po***ck? .. the simple and complex dots and circles by S H Raza?
We often want someone to explain the modern abstract paintings which we can’t comprehend. Let’s know the secret of Abstract paintings.
Red is a color. What is the meaning of red? Can colors have meaning? We can say Red means this and that but are they really the meaning of Red? Or are they mere experiences of people who saw red?
When we say Red means danger, It is just the experiences of many people taken together over time who felt alert and in danger by looking at red. What about the red roses we gift to our beloved? Do we gift ‘danger’ here? Red is also a color of passion as experienced by people. Red has no meaning, light has no meaning. Similarly cool soothing breeze has no meaning; fear, love, hatred have no meaning; a horizontal or vertical line has no meaning because these are abstract.
Something which is representational has a meaning because ‘representation’ is aimed at making a point. On the contrary, what is not representational is ‘Abstract’, which has no meaning. It has just a feel, based on which, possibly you can give it a meaning. But intrinsically it has no meaning at all.
To one who can’t feel red it can’t be explained how someone else feels danger or passion by looking at red. Can we explain light to someone who has never seen light? One can simply cram that red means this and light means that. But it’s just cramming words.
In the same way you can explain the nature of the artist, the life and vision of the artist, the context in which an abstract painting is done or about what inspired the artist to paint but you can never explain the meaning of an abstract painting.
“Mujhe samajh nahi aayi painting”.
It is not meant to get understood in the first place. Do you try to understand music without lyrics? Or do you feel it? Then why understand paintings?
Not everyone can feel abstract paintings as not everyone can feel classical music. It’s completely normal. It doesn’t necessarily prove you dumb. I am a professional artist but I couldn’t get abstract paintings since childhood and still I can’t say that I can get all the abstract paintings that exist.
Only they can understand the fine details of anything who have spent a long time developing the taste of that anything.
Those who have drunk on just a couple of occasions can’t tell the difference between single malt and blended whisky.
To be able to feel classical music or abstract art you have to let your taste mature. It is an evolution. Therefore, no one can ‘make you understand’ abstract art. If you want to feel it, spend at least one hour daily with art, know the history, see different artworks by accomplished artists ever created, study about art and one day you’ll definitely feel and comprehend abstract artworks.