Abstract art

Abstract art Any form of artistic expression which bears no apparent relationship to tangible reality is commonly referred to as 'abstract'. Other terms
employed include 'non-figurative' or 'non-representational'. The word 'abstract' stems from the Latin verb 'abstrahere': to withdraw or withhold. In other
words, abstract art is 'withdrawn' from nature. Its lines, shapes and colours serve an autonomous purpose and do not refer to any object not in the actual
painting. A number of European artists, working independently, began creating abstract art around 1910. Among them were Kandinsky (Germany), Kupka
and Delaunay (France), Malevich (Russia) and - soon thereafter - the Dutch artists Mondriaan, Van Doesburg and Van der Lek.