Easier Said Than Done

Have you ever looked at a work of art and thought, “It’s just a bunch of colorful shapes. I could do that!” People make comments like this about abstract art all the time. The shapes in abstract works might not represent flowers, buildings, people, or other recognizable things. Instead, they often include deceivingly simple arrangements of shapes, lines, and colors. So some people think abstract art is easy to make.

But abstract artists work hard to create balanced compositions with all the elements of art working together to inspire a response. When you’re looking at abstract art, how do you know what to look for?

People sometimes look at abstract art and think, “I could do that!” That’s because abstract artwork—art that doesn’t represent objects or people—might look like simple colors, lines, and shapes. But abstract artists think carefully about what colors to use and where to place each line and shape. Read on to learn why this is much harder than it looks.

In the 1923 painting above, the geometric shapes do not represent real objects. Instead, Circles in a Circle is a careful arrangement of overlapping circles, lines, and colors. The repeated shapes create a sense of balance and unity—as if all these individual marks belong together, creating a whole.

The artist Wassily Kandinsky (VAS-uh-lee kan-DIN-skee), born in 1866, was one of the pioneers of abstract art. The Russian artist admired how music could convey a composer’s inner world through sounds alone. He wanted to do the same with color and shape in his paintings. Does looking at Circles in a Circle remind you of the harmonies you hear and feelings you experience when you listen to music? 

The 1923 painting above is called Circles in a Circle. Russian artist Wassily Kandinsky (VAS-uh-lee kan-DIN-skee) fills the work with geometric shapes. Kandinsky paid close attention to how he arranged the overlapping circles, lines, and colors. The result is a balanced and unified image. It’s as if these different shapes and lines belong together. 

Kandinsky was born in 1866. He is considered one of the pioneers of abstract art. Music inspired the artist. He admired how composers could express their inner worlds using only sounds. Kandinsky wanted to do the same with color and shape in his paintings. Does his painting remind you of feelings you experience when you listen to music?

The painting above might also make you think of music. The scattered blue, red, and gray squares placed on long yellow lines creates a visual rhythm.

Piet Mondrian (peet MAWN-dree-ahn) painted Broadway Boogie Woogie between 1942 and 1943, shortly after he moved to New York City. It is a tribute to the city and boogie-woogie—an upbeat style of music that the artist first heard in New York. Mondrian invites viewers to visually experience the feeling of walking around the high-energy city as horns from the traffic fill the air—like the rhythmic beats of boogie-woogie.

Born in 1872, Mondrian began his career as a landscape painter. Eventually, the Dutch artist began experimenting with abstraction. He believed the only way to truly express reality was to simplify it to its most basic form—straight lines and the primary colors, blue, red, and yellow. 

The painting above might also make you think of music. It’s titled Broadway Boogie Woogie. Piet Mondrian (peet MAWN-dree-ahn) painted it between 1942 and 1943. He had just moved to New York City. The painting honors the city and boogie-woogie, an energetic style of music that Mondrian first heard there. 

Mondrian scatters blue, red, and gray squares on long yellow lines. This creates a visual rhythm—like the beats of boogie-woogie music. Mondrian wanted his painting to capture the feeling of walking around the big city. He invites viewers to imagine the loud, busy streets. 

Mondrian was born in the Netherlands in 1872. He began his career as a landscape painter. Later, the artist started experimenting with abstract art. He expressed reality by simplifying it to its most basic forms. He used straight lines and the primary colors: blue, red, and yellow. 

Is the painting above moving? Or are your eyes playing tricks on you? The 1964 painting Hesitate, by British artist Bridget Riley, is an optical illusion. As the gray circles flatten into ovals, the painting appears to curve, becoming three-dimensional. The variations in the circles’ values (how light or dark each one is) suggest that the two-dimensional surface is warping.

Riley, born in 1931, dedicated her career to learning how light and color can work together. She focuses on the optical aspects of art, and she quickly emerged as one of the leaders of the Op Art movement. Op artists use shape, line, and color to create optical illusions.  

Kandinsky, Mondrian, and Riley each made careful choices about color, shape, and composition as they worked on the paintings shown here. Use what you’ve learned as you look at the works shown on the pages that follow. And as you do, ask yourself if you still think making abstract art is easy!

Is the painting above moving? Or are your eyes playing tricks on you? British artist Bridget Riley made the work, titled Hesitate, in 1964. It’s an optical illusion—it looks like something it’s not. 

Riley painted the work on a flat canvas. But the way she arranges the gray shapes makes the painting appear to curve. It looks like it is three-dimensional. By gradually flattening the circles into ovals, Riley makes it look like the painting is moving. She also plays with the circles’ values (how light and dark they are).

Riley was born in 1931. She spent her career learning how light and color can work together. She was one of the leaders of the Op Art movement. Op artists use shape, line, and color to create optical illusions. 

Kandinsky, Mondrian, and Riley each made careful choices about color and shape. As you look at the art on the next pages, ask yourself: Does making abstract art look easy?