srt101fan

Interesting observation; very possible. Still, works like Mondrian's are a challenge to me. I respect those works and their role in art history. I will make no disparaging remarks or host no deragotary thoughts toward the artist or his paintings. And yet there is that ambivalence....

From Wikipedia, a Mondrian quote I don't quite know how to process: "Mondrian's art was highly utopian and was concerned with a search for universal values and aesthetics. He proclaimed in 1914: 'Art is higher than reality and has no direct relation to reality. To approach the spiritual in art, one will make as little use as possible of reality, because reality is opposed to the spiritual. We find ourselves in the presence of an abstract art. Art should be above reality, otherwise it would have no value for man'."

I mention Mondrian, but I could have chosen many others (Mark Rothko is one). But it's all fun. As has been said before, you don't have to "understand" art. Just open your mind and heart and see if it speaks to you....

[By the way, Larry, I think your construction photo is pretty cool! Reminds me of my younger days when I found erector sets fascinating.]

larryepage Loc: North Texas area

Thanks for the kind comment. Interestingly to this discussion, I'd self-rate the "craft" of that photograph as at least pretty good. But I have no notions of it being something that I'd ever enter in a contest. It perhaps has some abstract elements, but definitely depended on you to find the interest in it.

Wallen Loc: Middle Earth

Any work can be viewed in many ways. The point would be is "what matters?". What's out angle? Are we looking at it purely for the aesthetics? Are we appreciating it for its monetary value? Are we dissecting it for education? Are we aligning our emotion into it? ...And so on.

On Mondrian, he started with traditional representations but slowly focused on abstraction.
To be clear, Abstract does not mean simple shapes, distorted or unnatural or devoid of reality. Abstract means the simplest part. The core, the simplification of elements, shape, story, action, etc.

A sample of abstract can be a messy spiral. It might look devoid of artistic value and just plain chaos, but if i say "that is the path a moth flew over a lamp", then suddenly it have a real meaning and story to convey.

If I knew nothing of his work, I would probably be looking at it purely for the aesthetics and look at it as a modern graphics design. On the other hand, I knew he created it with abstract intent, so I may try to figure out what he was representing, aside from the visual pleasure of the work.

larryepage Loc: North Texas area

Interesting insights. I'm not knowledgeable about abstraction, so my appreciation of it has been pretty limited. I have a friend with a much deeper knowledge base and understanding of the subject. We are planning to have lunch later this month. Maybe that will be an opportunity to gain some increased familiarity, at least.

User ID

Very possible.

One should keep in mind the meaning of abstraction. Anything abstract is not born from the ether. On the contrary it is excised from a more complete and more concrete reality.

The example everyone experiences is the google search results page. The brief text accompanying each result is called an abstract (of the page or site that it represents).

An abstract artist experiences the larger reality but focuses on a narrower aspect. Abstract works do not spring from the mind. The mind distills them out of a larger lived reality.

User ID

Maybe ask about "abstraction" as a verb, an action or process ... what it means "to abstract" something from out of its larger environment, or to abstract an idea from out of its broader context.

Wallen Loc: Middle Earth

Have fun! I myself is very picky when it comes to abstracts. Many of them makes my eye burn and my head ache
Specially when an artist makes abstraction a license for over-expressive impressionism.

Wallen Loc: Middle Earth

Yep, a clear & concise definition of what an abstract work is.

MDI Mainer

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7zxancgfDVg

Features several of Adam's images.

User ID

Wellsure Ok ... but thIs is page 14. We been waaaaay done with him looooong ago. Just get over it ;-)

MDI Mainer

I know, and I would have started a new thread, but it would have been consigned to the dead zone known as "Links and Resources," so I chose this well-populated thread for maximum exposure to a targeted market.

Architect1776 Loc: In my mind

Not being the type to BS and try to sound esoteric I find this interesting but nothing to gush about.
There are several posters here on UHH that to me do superior work.
Same in my profession, I think most Architects that are gushed over just have huge unlimited budgets to make crap.
I do like FLW though for many reasons and nuances.
Same with Ansel, good shots but nothing to spend big bucks on.

Bill_de Loc: US

Why did you bother reviving a year old 14 page thread?
At this point it is unlikely there will be anything new.




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flyboy61 Loc: The Great American Desert

My reaction now is the same as when I first saw it years ago: WOW! How'd he DO that? Superb photo and a real compliment to Ansel's photographic AND Darkroom skills! I doubt the same could be achieved nowadays, no matter the advanced wizardry of photo editors. IMNHO, it could do with a bit less sky.

RodeoMan Loc: St Joseph, Missouri

For me the Brutalist style of architecture is an example of something some folks gush over but leaves me cold.