This blog post examines why 20th-century abstract painting in Western art rejected realism and sought a new path. Explore the historical context and artistic shifts together.
Entering the 20th century, Western art saw a pronounced trend toward abstract painting, which emphasized the formal qualities of painting over the realistic depiction of subjects. The formal elements of painting can, in some ways, be likened to the components of music—melody, rhythm, tempo, and so forth. While some songs have lyrics, music is primarily composed of abstract melodies, rhythms, and tempos, and these alone can deeply move us. Similarly, art can be beautifully composed using only color or line, without any subject or narrative, and this composition alone can bring us great pleasure. Abstract painting is a work created by removing story or realistic expression from the picture, much like removing lyrics from a song, and relying purely on formal elements. Thus, critics sometimes divide Western art before abstract painting as literary art and Western art after abstract painting as musical art. The emergence of abstract painting became a crucial turning point in Western art, revealing new possibilities and potential for the medium.
Abstract painting took shape around the time of World War I. This fact holds significant meaning regarding the nature of abstract painting. European society on the eve of war had seen the development of science and technology and the enrichment of material life through the advancement of reason and rationalism. However, extreme wealth inequality had deepened class conflict. World War I was a war where the contradictions of Western civilization exploded all at once. Reason and rationalism brought about the immense catastrophe of civilizational destruction and mass slaughter, leading people to begin seriously questioning and reflecting on reason and rationalism. Art was not immune to these era-defining circumstances. Abstract painting, emerging during this period, rejected the entire centuries-old tradition of Western realism—based on scientific perspective, optical laws, and anatomical understanding derived from reason and rationalism. Simultaneously, abstract painting progressively shifted towards non-representational forms.
The first to recognize the potential and necessity of abstract painting was the Russian-born artist Wassily Kandinsky. His foray into abstract painting was purely accidental. One day, returning to his studio after working outside, he was startled to discover a dazzlingly beautiful painting. It turned out to be one of his own works, misplaced by someone. Once he realized the mistake, the painting no longer appeared as beautiful as before. Kandinsky’s anecdote—that he discovered an indescribable beauty precisely because he couldn’t recognize the subject or form—shows that art’s power to move us can transcend narrative or imagery, relying solely on formal elements. Kandinsky believed that formal elements like color, line, and plane could reveal the profound spiritual truths hidden behind everyday life. He was an artist who valued the feelings welling up from the depths of the inner self. Viewing his works vividly conveys how passionately he sought to embody these feelings.
Kandinsky’s influence completely transformed the trajectory of Western art. Whereas previous art focused on the realistic representation of the external world, Kandinsky aimed to express inner emotions using pure form and color alone. His work greatly inspired other artists, contributing to the global spread of abstract art. Starting with Kandinsky, artists like Mondrian and Malevich explored abstract art, each unfolding their artistic vision in distinct ways. They all realized that art could transcend merely depicting the visible, becoming a new tool capable of expressing the invisible world.
Abstract painting can ultimately be summarized as art that expresses the inner world, not the external world. In abstract painting, no matter how diligently one imitates or skillfully depicts external forms, it holds little meaning. What matters is how well the painter conveys the feelings arising within them. This art is not a mirror reflecting other subjects; it is art that finds its reason for existence within itself. When Europe suffered immense pain from extreme contradictions and conflicts, abstract painting turned its gaze inward toward the human psyche, seeking to capture the resonance within the human soul.
In this process, abstract art did not merely express individual emotions; it also reflected the suffering of society and the era. For example, some of Picasso’s works, though expressed in non-figurative forms, directly reflected the war and social turmoil of the time through the emotions and messages they contained. This demonstrates that abstract art was an important artistic medium that went beyond mere formal experimentation to capture human emotions and social reality. Thus, abstract art established itself as a major current in 20th-century Western art, continuously reinterpreted and developed thereafter.
Ultimately, abstract art established itself as a branch of modern art, transcending mere aesthetic inquiry to become a broad art form reflecting both the human psyche and social reality. Throughout this process, countless artists explored their inner worlds and sought diverse methods of expression, driving abstract art’s continuous evolution and advancement. Even today, abstract art continues to expand its possibilities, playing a vital role in exploring new forms of artistic expression.
