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Pop art started in the USA during the earlier period of the 1960’s. But it was already making its presence felt in the late fifties. Pop art was basically an art movement which aimed to replace the abstract mode of artistic expression with messages that are easier to understand. The pioneers of this art movement were Robert Rauschenberg and Jasper Johns. The boom of this art movement or phenomenon mainly happened in New York City. The initiators of Pop art believed that the metaphysical complexities of abstract art are already out of tune as times and people had become different. As its followers believed in the power of easy to recognize images of common items, pop art introduced new objects such as flags, maps and targets or stuffed animals and rubber tires on paintings. Irony, sarcasm, and mockery were the favorite aspects of this art movement. Pop art in many ways was a form of rebellion to the dictates of traditional expressionism. According to pop art, confining ourselves to the old rules of the arts can make us stagnant as they fit only with the old era.

Some of the known advocates of this new artistic movement were Claes Oldenburg, James Rosenquist Andy Warhol and Roy Lichtenstein. They shocked the painting world with their works that courageously introduced pop culture symbols such as comic strips, advertisements, and media images. Pop art was not just a far cry from the traditional rules on visual expression. It was in itself a slap in the face to the dictates of abstract painting style. Because the public could easily relate to its features, pop art gained the appreciation and support of many art critic groups. But in spite of that traditional abstract expressionism continued to flourish as it is the respected root of classic art. As they say, nothing beats the original. As pop art maintained its mockery activities, it did not reduce the popularity of abstract expressionism.

As abstract expressionism prevailed, pop art also continued to make its presence felt. The rivalry between these two styles resulted in the establishment of two new schools of abstraction: minimalist art and color-field painting. Minimalist art reduced art to its bare elements in reaction to the flamboyance of abstract expressionism. Frequently criticized for being too unapproachable, minimalist art has also been celebrated for its unprecedented immediacy. It attains this immediacy through abstract form, absence of decorative detail, and emphasis on geometry. On the other hand, color-field artists moved toward a more impersonal and austerely intellectual aesthetic. In their works they dealt with what they considered to be the fundamental formal elements of abstract painting. These elements are pure, unmodulated areas of color, flat and two-dimensional space, monumental scale, and the varying shape of the canvas itself.

Pop art and abstract expressionism engaged in a somewhat bitter rivalry in the American sixties. These two artistic styles struggled to get hold of the public’s support. While abstract expressionism tried to keep its old tradition and rules, pop art considered its rival an elitist approach that influenced America’s consumer society.

Abstract art has been dated back to the early 1900’s. The very first abstract art ever created was by Pablo Picasso and Georges Braque. This fine piece of art was titled, Cubism. It is said that abstract art is the mind of an artist and his outlook on the world around him. Many different artist have many different styles. Some bright and colorful, while others are dim and timid. You can see many different strokes and patterns in abstract art. There is no end to what you can create or form with this style. This style is nothing of reality or nature, but more so imaginative art. Therefore nothing is out of ordinary when you create a piece of abstract art. You can express your inner thoughts, and imagination. There were and are many great abstract artists of our times, and several more to come.

Vincent van Gogh, Pablo Picasso, Salvador Dali, Frida Kahlo, Damien Hirst, and Brett Whiteley were among the many famous artists. Abstract is a non-realistic painting, you can never grasp the affects of this type of art fully, you can only admire and imagine what the meaning behind the paintings are. It’s very popular in current art circles, for the fact that it is “modern” or contemporary art. You will find that abstract art is refered to those types of art. People now a days want loud, vibrant mixture of colors and themes, others want a softer, darker theme.

Whichever your personal taste is, you will always find something. You can define abstract art as an exaggeration of something simple. Say an artist paints a leaf. Simple colors of green and gold, a touch of brown or red. Whereas an abstract artist might paint the same leaf in the colors of orange and purple, a bit of blue and black. He might elongate it, and widen it, add a swirl to the top, and plaster it on a fuchsia background. Then again, he might use only the simple colors of black, and white on a gray background. The leaf might be small, laying at the bottom of the canvas. There are so many ways to describe abstract art, but the best ways are imagination, exaggeration, stylization and modernization.

Abstract art is also very original. It is hard to duplicate a piece of work in this style of art. This reason makes it very desirable. Abstract art can give life and tranquillity to a room. It can set a mood, or bring out a vibe in people. It can draw attention and host conversations. It can be useful for emotional and mental tranquillity. To have a piece of art that brings peace and relaxation to a human, with soft tender tones and undertones, can make all the difference. Abstract art is very popular and in high demand with interior designers. Alot of interior designers incorporate abstract art into there finished designs to bring together their creation. And with the endless amount of color choices and moods within this art form, you will find something for everyone. This concludes the article about abstract art. I hope it was helpful in understand the passion and demand for this art form.