Skip to main content

Random?

Harry Powell
Write About Art 6
The following is a brief preview - the full content of this page is available to premium users only.
Click here to subscribe...

Abstract art emerged during the early 20th century and reflected a move away from the traditional depiction of physical objects. While abstract art explores reality through representation, it often strips away details or creates unrecognisable sculptures or depictions. ‘Less is more’ is a phrase often associated with abstract art. It can be interpreted in many ways, however, mostly, it implies that, by removing detail, more meaning can be read into artworks; that there is a depth of meaning beyond the simple or unrecognisable surface. Works like Australia by David Smith and Number One, 1950 (Lavender Mist) by Jackson Pollock exemplify these qualities of abstract art. Through the use of artistic elements, and the distortion of detail, these works embody abstract qualities; the artists effectively create depth of meaning in their works despite the lack of surface detail.

David Smith’s sculpture Australia (1951), though quite simple in construction, is loaded with meaning. Smith combines painted steel (metal scraps and agricultural tools) on a cinder base to create his abstract representation of Australia. He uses the artistic elements of balance and line to create an energetic and open composition. Smith was originally trained in painting and this influence is seen in his sculpture, as, like a two-dimensional work, Australia is best viewed from one side (Museum of Modern Art, n.d.). He once said ‘Sculpture is like drawing in space’ and ‘I do not recognise the limits where painting ends and sculpture begins’. Smith truly uses the world as his canvas, and has created a masterpiece of ‘tension, form and balance’ (Museum of Modern Art, n.d.). Australia is an excellent example of gestural abstract art, and being composed of lines, creates a sense... The rest of this article is available to subscribers of Eyeline

David Smith, Australia, 1951

David Smith, Australia, 1951. New York, Museum of Digitale (1)(A) Modern Art (MoMA). Painted steel, 6’ 7 1/2’ x 8’ 11 7/8’ x 16 1/8’ (202 x 274 x 41cm); at base, 14 x 14’ (35.6 x 35.6cm). Gift of William Rubin. © 2015. Digital image, The Museum of Modern Art, New York/Scala, Florence.