So many people must be asking this question all the time … and not getting satifactory answers because I keep seeing articles on the subject.
So, to add to the mix, I thought that, because I am an Abstract Artist, I would give my answer.
First lets see what the official version has to say. The second definition of “abstract” in the Concise Oxford Dictionary says “Idealistic, not practical; abstruse; (Art etc.) free from representational qualities” And it is this last description I want to look at.
That which is free from representational qualities is a picture (or other type of art discipline) that does not depict any recognisable image such as a figure, building, or sky. There is no purposeful reference to anything physically particular. Jackson Pollock, for instance, was one of the first abstract artists and produced the finest of examples… take a look at this: www.nga.gov/feature/pollock/painting.html
If you study this image closely it will soon become apparent that he randomly dripped paint onto a board laying flat on the floor. And if you read up a bit about him you will find that he even suspended...