Tennessee Technological University - Appalachian Center for Craft

Vince Pitelka, 2006

Realism vs. Abstraction: Some Things to Consider

The following quotes are from Art Fundamentals, Theory and Practice, Ocvirk, Bone, Stinson, & Wigg

It is interesting that the wholly abstract quality of music is so easily accepted, but art as abstraction (except as pure ornamentation, as in wallpaper) is more difficult to accept.

Abstraction is simply a matter of alteration and reshuffling of priorities in order to convey the artist’s intent and/or feelings more effectively.

Genuine art does not limit itself to superficial appearances, but tries to reveal that which lies deeper. It takes delight in pure invention and adventure.

There is very little excuse for judging a work of art solely on the basis of visual accuracy.

It is possible to develop vision that looks through the encrustations of fashion and fad, into the underlying formal structure.

Art is not primarily intended to be informative. Information is the province of symbols such as words in literature or numbers in math.  Art is primarily experiential.

Artists are under no obligation to narrate (tell a story).

Art that places chief emphasis on accuracy of description is repetitive rather than creative.

When students understand that art does not function primarily to describe things naturalistically, their chances of realizing their own artistic goals will be more closely realized.  The formal devices of design soon become instinctive tools of expression, giving the ability to conceive or imagine form in an original way.

A painting or sculpture can be thought of as the record or expression of an artists experience, from the age and place in which the artist lives.

The subject (of a work of art) is merely the stimulus to creativity.

Public vision is unfortunately often conditioned to be object-minded, satisfied only with art that has an obvious basis of recognition.

The observer must learn to look for the expression of a work of art rather than just the recognizable associations.