Understanding Abstract art !

Like many, I have also struggled to understand abstract art which is often referred as modern art. I thought the best way to understand something is to get deeper into it and experience it. So I started making small pieces of art which were sort of abstract to me. However when I shared a newly created piece to my colleagues, friends or family, I got mixed reactions. Some would ask " Whats that?", some would walk away with " thats nice" and few stood to admire or enjoy it.

Dabbling with Abstract art was a journey - going with reference to no reference. Let me explain, A painting can be replicated or referenced from nature - anything that has structure, proportion, shape, size, color and texture OR it can be created from zero reference or no starting point. Such art that is created with no reference is born from our reflections in life, experiences, thought process that cannot necessarily be put into words. Our emotions at that moment determine the color and textures. As we progress through the creation, our emotions change, our mood is further uplifted and we realize it has turned out to be completely different than what we anticipated. We are completely surprised by the outcome! It becomes our baby - our creation through the days, months and years in some cases.

So why then, is it difficult to understand or interpret this art? Well, as human beings we like defining things, we like to give structure, shape , size and form to everything we see or make; even in relationships or everything we do in life, we fix our belief with a label or a name. When we suddenly see something beyond it, we are lost. Now as my art is constantly evolving, I realize, its not as formless as I initially thought, it has a composition that works together, a set of lines created by series of colors that talk to each other or textures that mean something. The best thing however is like life, each person can have their own experience or interpretation from the same piece and walk away with their own personalized vibration. Gradually as I continue to understand better, I am beginning to love the abstractness in life, that which cannot be defined but simply interpreted /experienced.

Abstract art as I see it, is an new born expression - each time!