Does My Abstract Art Matter?

Does My Art Matter?

Now in the 15^th week of the corona-virus stay-in in the USA, with some businesses only now beginning o open again, how are artists coping with the drastic shifts occurring in the art market.  Taking much advice to heart, I have restarted my art website, which now includes this blog.  It does help me in presenting my art on-line to a potentially larger audience than available at art galleries or community art fairs.  But it requires patience and some dedication to attract viewers and followers who may refer others.  So I am hopeful that I can connect with abstract art lovers who are interested in art about contemporary global issues.  This subset of the art market may only be 1 – 2%, yet that may be sufficient if I can address its esthetic and philosophical content.

In 1913 Wassily Kandinsky wrote in the first book on abstract art, Concerning the Spiritual in Art, that “the more abstract the form, the clearer and more direct is its appeal.”  His book has been my most important influence in making abstract paintings.  He states the reasons to paint are driven by the issues of the age, and for me the major issue of our 21^st century is climate change.  His book describes the basic language of abstract elements, of form, line, shape, space and color.  It has been the greatest influence on Modern Western art since its publication, and I recommend it to all abstract art lovers.

My approach in this dialogue venue is to show an example from a group of paintings or prints with a common theme, and discuss it in some depth.  This art website is specifically designed to quickly access the group of work that I am discussing, beginning on my “Portfolio Page”.  Usually I include my art statement for this group at the top of the page, then go on in detail about the why and how it’s made.  I believe that my readers are familiar with the art history of abstract art, and in particular, would know something of my artists’ influences.  I invite these viewers to comment and ask any questions they may have about my work using my “Contact the Artist” page.

My first blogs presented my “In Balance with Nature” and my “Global Climate Change” series, which are two views of my major theme of climate change.  These two groups are presently accessible on my website, to which I will be adding more pages and more discussion blogs.  My next theme to be presented is “Forest Warning”, which presents another aspect of the impact of climate change on man and nature. 

Occasionally, every artist makes a “different” new work, or reworks an old work. I made changes to the work shown above, “Global Transformation”, and present it here as a piece that doesn’t fit in any of my existing categories, and it is a small work on paper. The square format is divided in left/right sides, showing light and dark backgrounds, representing day and night. An abstract mapping presents land divisions and man-made objects like factories and ships. Two earths, one before and one after (climate change) use color to convey the total conversion from the past to the future, from natural to abnormal, from cool to hot, from life to death. Thus, even a small painting can address our predominate issues.