Abstract Realism

By Jeff Morton

I went online today to try and research the concept of abstract realism, only to be directed to a resolved question on answers.com that has no intellectual backing and a post by some blogger with limited understanding and entirely subjective ideals related to conceptual/post-modern art in general. The first misnomer that he exerted was that realism had some relation to photo-realism or the ability to create imagery that represents imagery found through our visual optical experience. Realism has nothing to do with the image itself but rather the artists intention to focus on logic/reasoning and objectivity as opposed to emotion, romanticism, or the subjective ideal. His response became more noticeably naive when he spoke of abstraction in terms of non-objective. Abstract art is never non-objective it is a focus of study on manipulating representational work to evoke an enhanced or sublime response. If it does not focus in one way or another on representation than it is not abstract art but rather non-objective art, two totally seperate approaches to developing a work of art. Anyways  if you want to respond to this article, I would love to hear others interpretation. Punch in Abstract Realism in Google and find answers.com.

My Interpretation

Abstract realism is representational art that has been manipulated in an intentional manner to create an image that serves to shed light on our existential human experience. To intentionally focus on the realistic aspect, the artist would focus on logical interpretation of empirical objectivity, or actual subjective experience that fits a broader schematic of persisting in the earthly environment. The artist would look to remove nostalgia or novelty, and replace it with a justifiable disposition in reapect of our collective reality. However, realism doesn't have to be entirely integrated with collective logical reasoning. One's subjective experience if approached and represented in an authentic manner than it should be seen as realism. While it may not fall within the confines of metaphysical truth or even empirical wisdom, it is still an accurate interpretation of the individual's understanding of reality and their humanism. It being authentic in representation it provides for justified merit, as an individual subjective experience is still a realistic interpretation of a disposition that is rooted in the artist's understanding of truth. We must realize that the optic element of art is just one of a group of perceptual data factors in forming the totality of a formal disposition. If a representational image can be enhanced, broken down, or reconfigured to incorporate other sensual factors such as smell, taste, touch and multiple combinations of these perceptive tools and gives conceptual and aesthetic insight into a more realistic human experience, than I would gather this is what is the foundation of Abstract realism.