The Winter Road

“Abstraction is a process by which concepts are derived from the usage and classification of literal ("real" or "concrete") concepts, first principles or other methods. An abstraction is the product of this process a concept that acts as a super-categorical noun for all subordinate concepts, and connects any related concepts as a group, field, or category” (Wikipedia 1).

Abstract art is something that most people over look when they go to an art museum or they happen to see it on the walls of a restaurant. They don’t understand how it is deemed art when it looks like a two year old completed it. Abstract art is really how you look at it in your own perspective. It is all about reading between the lines, and thinking more in depth on what the artist is trying to expose to you. One must look deeper into the piece of art; maybe stare at it a little bit longer and truly let it all sink in. What do you feel when you see this piece? Are you sad, or are you angry, or maybe it makes you feel a certain type of way that cannot be described into words, but rather just through emotions.

I chose to imitate Georgia O’Keeffe’s oil on canvas painting called “The Winter Road.” This painting was done in 1963 (Messinger 19). It is one of her many oil on canvas paintings, and although it is rather simple it can be determined in many ways. However the way you want to picture it is up to you, and that is what is so great about abstract art, there is no wrong answer. You may see a just a long dark line, while others may see how the line differs in thickness making it more than just one simple piece of art, but something that really speaks to them. 

 

Although I did not paint this on canvas, and it is simply just pencil on a piece of computer paper, I believe you can get the basis of what I was trying to do, and it actually wasn’t too hard to draw. It was an experience to see what maybe Georgia was trying to tell her audience at the time of painting this, and I felt inspired by her work. Hopefully next time you see a piece of abstract art you will not be so quick to judge and you will try and appreciate the artist who created it.