The peculiarities of abstract drawing

Bertold Werkmann, Shredding, 2022. Drawing, marker / gel pen / ink on paper, 30.5 x 22 cm.

Introduction to the art of drawing

The term drawing refers to that specific type of graphic realization, purely linear, aimed at immortalizing tangible subjects and objects, but also abstract concepts, such as, for example, emotions, feelings and fantasies. This form of artistic expression is certainly characterized by its emphasis on form, at the expense of mass and, sometimes, color, peculiarities peculiar to other techniques, such as sculpture and painting. Such characteristics make drawing the basis of all visual arts, since other creative types, such as architecture and graphic design, require, and depend on, preparatory sketches. This relationship, however, should not make one regard drawing as a mere preliminary art, since it represents an independent artistic expression, capable of offering a wide range of expressive possibilities, distinguished by bodies, spaces, depth, three-dimensionality and even movement. In addition, drawing, just like the other arts, is certainly also capable of expressing the personality of its creator, through the flow of its line, which can originate even very personal artistic statements. In conclusion, it is worth pointing out that although drawing has very ancient origins, which can even be traced back to the Stone Age, it was not considered an art form in its own right until the 14th century. In fact, before then, this form of artistic expression was only conceived as the preliminary design for paintings and sculptures. It was during the Renaissance, thanks to the arrival of artists such as Leonardo Da Vinci and Michelangelo, that drawing became an independent art form.

Wood, Metastasis, 2021. Drawing, ink on paper, 40 x 30 cm.

Yahia Ouled Moussa, « Succulents cactus « 11, 2021. Drawing, ink / marker on paper, 32 x 24 cm.

Abstract art

Drawing met abstractionism certainly after 1910, the year in which the great Russian master, Wassily Kandinsky, gave birth to the First Abstract Watercolor, which, as per its title, represents the first work of abstract art in history. From this moment on, this movement became for many artists the medium through which they could express their imagination, freeing it from the constraints and conventions, which had until then governed artistic practice. In fact, the movement of abstractionism declared, for the first time in history, that art should not imitate reality. In essence, a work of abstract art chases the purpose of seeking and finding entirely new forms and images, which, different from real ones, can give voice to the artist's interiority.

Luc Pierre, Area II, 2021. Drawing, pastel on paper, 60 x 60 cm.

Mylène Gandon, Circles version 3, 2022. Drawing, pastel on paper, 42 x 32 cm.

Abstract drawing

Abstract art is not appreciated by all viewers, as for many of them the initial inability to understand or grasp its meaning is a major obstacle. In this sense, the simplicity and accessibility of drawing can help even the most skeptical viewer approach the mystery of such a movement. In fact, through this technique, the viewer may feel invited to participate freely, rediscovering himself able to open up before a work that, while still ambiguous, will be more reduced and direct. These feelings can be found through the observation of two abstract drawings preserved at MOMA in New York: Curiosity 1 by Ulrike Mülle and Blue/Red, Phase: Drawings #4 by Richard Tuttle. Speaking of Ulrike Müller, this contemporary abstract artist, who often deals with the technique of drawing, makes works primarily about relationships, such as, for example, those between individuals and groups and those between forms and symbols. Curiosity 1 is part of a larger series of works aimed at exploring multiple forms and compositional variations related to the themes of sexuality. This drawing, an icon of the general lexicon of the series, represents an abstract transcendent image with multiple interpretations. As for the post-minimalist artist, Richard Tuttle, on the other hand, he mainly creates simple and elegant works aimed at expressing universality in the most direct way possible. Moreover, Tuttle's work, which ranges from paintings to sculptures, installations, and drawings, is often marked by the use of the most bare materials and the most delicate actions. In this Blue/Red context, Phase: Drawings #4 beautifully expresses the peculiarities of the artist's work.

Giulio Benatti, "A single dram of heaven!", 2021. Drawing, pastel on paper, 70 x 100 cm.

Some abstract drawings by Artmajeur artists

Abstract investigation realized through the technique of drawing characterizes the work of multiple Artmajeur artists, who, more or less influenced by the example of the great masters of the past, can be represented by the works of Julie Bacon, When I leave the house, Mzerart Grg, Circum, and Izabela Hren, Regeneration. In this context, it is worth noting that the first two drawings were made through the combination of different techniques, such as, watercolor, pastel, wax on paper, chalk, colored pencil, and ink, which were added to the prevalent marker making.

Julie Bacon, When I leave the house, 2020. Drawing, marker / watercolor / chalk / pastel / wax on paper, 30 x 40 cm.

Julie Bacon: When I leave the house

Julie Bacon's drawing on paper recounts, through the vocabulary of abstractionism, an everyday life experience of the artist, which she describes: "When I leave the house, I am sometimes overwhelmed by all the objects and influences I am surrounded by. I begin to see everything from the aspect of its shape and color, and overall it is an overwhelming and vivid experience." Such an account makes us understand the extreme ability to synthesize reality, which can be realized through abstractionism, giving rise to atmospheres of synthetic forms and colors that, spread rapidly on the support, build a kind of "remake" of primordial chaos. In this regard, there is often a tendency to think that abstractionism is born out of disorder or improvisation, when in fact it is the result of a path, often long and tormented, of synthesis and experimentation, in which ample space and weight have the influences that may come from other artists or cultural environments. Speaking of influences, the "chaotic" and colorful atmosphere of Julie Bacon's work seems to be a "fusion" between the First Abstract Watercolor and Composition VII, Vasily Kandinsky's masterpieces in which patches of color, shapes and lines harmonize to create a chromatic balance that suggests a musical symphony.

Mzerart Grg, Circum 25, 2019. Drawing, marker / ink / pencil / watercolor on paper, 50 x 50 cm.

Mzerart Grg: Circum

Mzerart Grg's drawing brings us to another key figure in abstractionism, as Circum appears to be a more complex version of Robert Delaunay's First Disc. The latter painting represents the first work through which the French master sought to free himself completely from all figurative expression. The round canvas of First Disk is divided into concentric circles, which in turn are divided into four circular segments on the horizontal and vertical axis. The chromatic organization follows a color theory model: the principle applied by Delaunay of simultaneous color contrasts is based on the table of different color intensities developed in 1839 by Michel Eugène Chevreul, who classified colors into complementary contrasts. Returning to Circum, this turns out to be a more articulate version of Delaunay's disk, as it is three-dimensional, rich in optical effects and colorful sections designed to carry forward a decidedly more contemporary intent: to enhance the brightness and intensity of the colors that enrich the shape of the circle.

Izabela Hren, Regeneration, 2019. Drawing, pencil on paper, 100 x 70 cm.

Izabela Hren: Regeneration

Izabela Hren's simple pencil drawing reminds us of another work in which compositions of geometric figures are superimposed, namely Robert Smithson's Untitled (Three Spiral Jetty Drawings). It is important to point out that, in the latter drawing, the multiplicity of shapes is surely due to the nature of the graph paper support, intended to reproduce a spiral of rectangles. Untitled was created to express the innocence and universality of Spiral Jetty, a fundamental land art masterpiece made by Smithson, which the drawing helps us contextualize in his overall experience. On the subject of Regeneration, however, this work certainly does not represent an allusion to another work by the artist, although, by reproducing a kind of squared paper, it could most likely imply his most hidden projects, dreams, and ambitions.