Abstract Thinking
Yellow Square by Louis van Marissing
I remember seeing this as a teen and thinking I could have done this painting myself. I took visual art classes in high school and realism was the challenge; abstract paintings were what you did if you couldn’t quite nail that portrait.
So why do these kinds of art still fetch the millions? One word. Courage.
It takes courage to grab a brush, paint a square and call it art. It takes courage to make something like this when you know you can create still life instead. I read once that contrary what some think that Jackson Pollock made his art with reckless abandon, he actually splashed every splash of paint with precision and intent. Work like his weren’t an excuse for fine art. They had a purpose.
I went back to paint a few months ago and decided it had to be abstract. I must admit that was one of the hardest I had to do. With a zero reference point, one had to know from inside him where to start and when to stop. I’ve learned first hand the value of sublety and restaint as that canvass took shape.
So the next time you see a piece with a lone blue circle and find it ridiculous, telling yourself your could’ve done that, i’ll ask you this: Then why didn’t you?
