Just a century ago abstract art was an entirely new concept that sparked many debates. It was a product of its age, fueled by the rapidly changing world at the beginning of the twentieth century. As technology progressed, the function of the accurate depiction of reality was transferred from art to photography. In this new era, many abstract artists chose to focus on discovering a new visual language to depict the intangible.

The Catalonian-born artist Joan Miró was one of the most groundbreaking abstract artists. Often associated with Surrealists, he nevertheless preferred to keep his distance from the organized and unified movement. His work often relied on automatic drawing and folk art of his native region. Miró was one of the main influences on the first generation of Abstract Expressionist artists. Still, he never limited himself to painting, regularly working with ceramics and sculpture as well.

Miró’s abstractions are often minimalist, with fluid organic forms, completely flat surfaces, and distinct contours. He never abandoned figuration completely. Some elements of his abstract compositions were still reminiscent of real-life objects, evoking associations and memories. Sometimes Miró’s lines and shapes form unknown constellations on his canvases, leading the viewer deeper into the domain of free interpretation.

11. František Kupka (1871 – 1957)

Czech artist František Kupka is rarely remembered as an abstract pioneer, but his influence was crucial for the development of the new visual language. Forced to work from an early age, he never had a proper artistic education, but he was self-taught. A decisive point in Kupka’s career happened in his teenage years when one of his employees, who was a saddlemaker, introduced him to spiritualism. These ideas would follow Kupka throughout his whole life.

Most of the time Kupka earned a living as a caricaturist and illustrator. However, in his spare time, he kept working as an avant-garde artist. Inspired by the 1909 Futurist Manifesto, he decided to abandon figurative art and focus on matters of movement, speed, and the sublime. His abstract works were also studies on the impressions and feelings of color and form.

Although Klein considered himself a Neo-Realist, the most important segment of his oeuvre was essentially abstract. His artistic practice was innovative in many ways. Klein painted using live brushes seen in nude models that were directed to leave their print on the canvases.

Klein also created his own color. International Klein Blue, also known as IKB is a specific shade of ultramarine, made to perfection in chemical laboratories. IKB represented the sky, the absolute, and the infinity, but it was also connected to Klein’s Catholic faith and the tradition of Christian painting. For centuries, the blue pigment was one of the most expensive and significant ones, used mostly for painting the cloak of The Virgin Mary.

9. Gerhard Richter (1932 -)

Gerhard Richter is truly a grand master of German abstraction. He started his artistic career as a mural painter, and this aspect left a substantial mark on his later oeuvre. Seamlessly drifting from abstraction to photorealism and back, Richter remains one of the most influential and contemporary artists of our time.

Richter’s painting technique makes him instantly recognizable and different from his colleagues. He does not limit himself by using brushes. Sponges, pieces of wood, squeegees, and mops are his instruments of choice too. Despite the abstract nature of his work, Richter is a politically engaged artist who often addresses difficult aspects of history. His family story adds up to the narrative of guilt and trauma. While one part of his family belonged to the Nazi party, other members were murdered in Nazi Germany.

One of the brightest stars of American modern art, Helen Frankenthaler was a true legend of abstraction. Although her career lasted over six decades, she never allowed herself to bask in her glory. She created irrelevant work relying solely on her personal brand. Frankenthaler always invented something new, progressing as an artist every day.

Initially an abstract expressionist, Frankenthaler moved to another domain of abstraction called Color Field painting. Although Color Field artists shared their preference for large-scale works with abstract expressionist painters, the movement had its significant differences. Frankenthaler’s abstractions look a bit more simple when compared to those of her colleagues. Instead of violent and expressive gesture painting, Frankenthaler and other Color Field painters preferred to dilute their paint and soak the canvas in it, creating organic and fluid shapes.

7. Piet Mondrian (1972 – 1944)

The great abstract artist and one of the pioneers of non-figurative painting, Piet Mondrian started his career as a landscape painter. However, even in his figurative period, his works were detached from realistic depictions enough to suggest something bigger was coming. His quest for departing from objective reality started with his deep involvement in spiritualism and occult practices. Like many other artists of the time, Mondrian was an intellectual who sought a new way of expression and representation.

As World War II raged over Europe, Mondrian, who was already in his late sixties, moved to the United States. Despite his old age, he had another groundbreaking period of his career, creating a series of square compositions inspired by jazz music using paint and tape. These were not merely paintings, but music scores, with rhythms and notes encrypted on the canvases.

One of the greatest abstract artists Cy Twombly remains a controversial figure for the general public. Among all other artists on this list, he is the one most likely to provoke the reaction frequently formulated as my kid could paint it too. However, looking below the surface, Twombly’s style reveals a complicated and educated artist with a list of surprising artistic inspirations. During World War II, Twombly served in the US Army as a cryptologist, using means of communication different from traditional written and spoken language. As an artist, he was also fascinated by the tribal art of Non-Western cultures and ancient mythology.

5. Wassily Kandinsky (1966 -1944)

Until the groundbreaking rediscovery of Hilma af Klint, Wassily Kandinsky was seen as the pioneer of abstraction. Although his status had changed, the impact left by the Russian-German artist on the history of art is tremendous. Kandinsky’s early work took inspiration from Russian folklore and traditional painting styles. His departure toward abstraction happened during his forties, after years of intellectual labor, research, and theorizing.

He found inspiration for his abstract art in Russian folk art. While visiting remote Russian villages, Kandinsky noticed that the decorations in houses, clothing, and everyday objects were so extensive that they created all-encompassing environments. These moving and living patterns represented everything and nothing in particular, with objects dissolving in ornaments.

4. Lee Krasner (1908 – 1984)

One of the legends of the Abstract Expressionist movement, Lee Krasner knew from an early age that she had to become an artist. In her early career, she made pieces inspired by Post-Impressionist and Cubist works. During the Great Depression Krasner worked as a muralist, but abstract art was seen as undesirable by most of her commissioners.

For years, Krasner’s work remained overshadowed by the fame of her late husband Jackson Pollock. However, Krasner was an accomplished artist in her own right. Apart from large-scale action paintings, she also left behind hundreds of small oil compositions, mosaic tables, and collages made from her older works.

Ukranian-born artist Kazimir Malevich was not only one of the pioneers of abstraction but the founder of his own art movement called Suprematism. Suprematism relied solely on strict geometric forms and primary colors. For Malevich, Suprematism represented the victory of humanity over nature. The most famous painting by Malevich, titled Black Square, is the most concise Suprematist manifesto.

Despite the completely abstract nature and innovation of his works, Malevich was heavily influenced by Orthodox Christian icons. Apart from compositional principles and flatness of scenes, Malevich explored the concept of image sanctification. His squares and crosses were icons as well, the icons of the new world and the new art.

2. Mark Rothko (1903 – 1970)

Mark Rothko was one of the greatest abstract artists ever. People often misunderstand or misinterpret his work due to its simplified style. To make matters worse, Rothko himself refused to explain his paintings publicly, afraid that the media would destroy the message behind them.

In the late 1940s, Rothko developed his signature style of painting consisting of vertically oriented rectangles, filled with stripes of color.  A viewer should not be confused by their simple form: behind primitive-looking planes of color there is a long path of thought, processing, and calibration. For Rothko, only an abstract image could truly convey the depth of human feeling and emotion. An avid reader, he was influenced by mythological subjects but searched for non-representational ways to reflect them.

1. Hilma af Klint: The Forgotten Abstract Artist (1862 – 1944)

The pioneering abstract artist Hilma af Klint was almost completely overlooked by art history. A trained illustrator, she moved from figuration to abstraction as early as 1906 but made no effort to become recognized in the art world. An ardent spiritualist and a believer, she discovered her connection with the higher power during a spiritual seance. According to af Klint, her mission was not to be an artist. Instead, she was supposed to become a receiver of spiritual knowledge, a scientist, and an interpreter. Her goal was to bring the otherworldly messages to humanity and learn as much about them as she possibly could. To her, her abstract works represent the diagrams of invisible forces, the codified natural processes, and manuals on spiritual evolution.

It’s a sculpture called “Warrior for the 21st Century,” which periodically dances to the sound of a rattle.

It’s the work of Native American artist Jaune Quick-to-See Smith, along with her son, Neal Ambrose-Smith.

The captivating piece of art with sound and movement is one of more than 130 objects in an expansive exhibition of Smith’s work called “Memory Map,” at the Whitney Museum of American Art.

Smith, 83, is a citizen of the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Nation in Montana.

Exhibition curator Laura Phipps says Smith knew from an early age she wanted to be an artist.      

“Before she ever even understood what that meant, she knew that art and mark making and drawing was a way of communicating, and that is what is really important in her work, that art is a form of communication,” Phipps said.

Smith uses her artworks as a way of teaching the public about Native American culture, history and issues they face, including land, racism and cultural preservation.

Phipps spent four years working with Smith on the exhibition, building a relationship with the artist along the way.

“We traveled together to the Pacific Northwest, places that were important to her. We spent time in her studio in New Mexico, time with her family,” she said.

The exhibition brings together nearly five decades of Smith’s work, from The Whitney’s collection, other art museums and personal collections.

While visiting to see Smith’s work, you can also catch New York-based artist Josh Kline’s immersive installations, with video and sculpture.

It’s called “Project for a New American Century,” discussing key issues like how emerging technologies are changing people’s lives every day, plus work that addresses climate change.

Both are on view at the Whitney through Aug. 13.

Call it a country music trifecta — three of the genre’s most compelling artists will visit Vermont over the course of three straight days when Gabby Barrett, Morgan Wade and Jake Owen play the Green Mountain State on Aug. 17, 18 and 19, respectively.

Here’s a closer look at the trio of noteworthy artists:

Aug. 17: Gabby BarrettPennsylvania native Gabby Barrett is a force to be reckoned with.

At age 23, the powerhouse vocalist — a Top 3 finalist on ABC’s “American Idol” — has already had chart-topping hits like “I Wish” and “The Good Ones” from her multi-platinum selling 2020 debut album, “Goldmine.”

“Glory Days,” a new single from a forthcoming sophomore album, was released in June and features her husband, former “Idol” contestant Cade Foehner and two young children in the music video for the song.

The tune is the first track from Barrett’s album, which she recently told Entertainment Tonight was “almost finished” and will possibly be released in “early fall.”

“I did not want to come out with another midtempo or ballad,” Barrett told Billboard about “Glory Days.” “It’s summer, so I really was eager to release something that was up-tempo and fun and make people smile.”

Gabby Barrett performs at 7 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 17 at Vermont State Fairgrounds, 175 South Main St., Rutland (in partnership with the Paramount Theatre). Tickets are $40-$50; call 802-775-0908 or go to www.paramountvt.org online.

Aug. 18: Morgan WadeOne of country music’s most compelling and fastest rising new artists, Morgan Wade headlines the Higher Ground Ballroom in advance of her highly anticipated sophomore album, “Psychopath,” scheduled for release Aug. 25 on Sony Music Nashville.

The album is a follow-up to Wade’s stellar debut album, 2021’s “Reckless,” which garnered widespread acclaim and was named the best country music album of the year by Rolling Stone.

On “Psychopath,” the Virginia native, 28, reunites with Sadler Vaden, who plays guitar in Jason Isbell’s band, The 400 Unit. Vaden, who produced “Psychopath,” coproduced “Reckless” after hearing an earlier album that Wade made in 2018 with musicians she recruited through Craigslist.

The poignant “Psychopath” title track, released in May, is a one-take rumination on obsession while second single, “80s Movie,” serves up a light and breezy ride that’s rich with nostalgic references to the feel-good movies of the decade.

Other highlights of the 13-track record include the anthemic “Losers Like Me,” the steady-driving rocker “Alanis” — an ode to Alanis Morisette, one of Wade’s musical heroes — and the soaring centerpiece song, “Phantom Feelings.”

“I’m proud because I feel like it showcases where I’m at currently,” says Wade of her new album in press materials. “I have no choice but to be authentic, and I have to feel what I feel. And right now, I’m really feeling the music.”

Morgan Wade and opener Nate Frederick and The Wholesome Boys perform at 8 p.m. Friday, Aug. 18 at Higher Ground Ballroom, South Burlington. Tickets are $25 in advance, $29 day of show (all ages); call 888-512-7469 or go to

www.highergroundmusic.com online.

Aug. 19: Jake Owen

Known for such fan-favorite classics as “Barefoot Blue Jean Night” and “Beachin’,” Jake Owen “has maintained a strong balance of ballads of heartbreak and pain, as well as some of the most energetic party songs of the past decade,” said Billboard in 2017.

The Florida native, 41, brings his feel-good, singalong friendly songs in support of his seventh studio album, “Loose Cannon,” released in June on Big Loud Records.

Owen’s first album since 2019’s “Greetings From … Jake,” the 16-track record serves up a sunny summer soundtrack that’s buoyed by a classic country sound and compelling songs by an impressive assortment of top-tier Nashville songwriters.

Opener “Hot Truck Beer” is a catchy summertime anthem that finds Owen — who quit drinking a few years ago — reflecting on his days of “smoking something from the center console” and “drinking too early by a couple years.”

Other highlights include the breezy “Go Getter,” the infectious “Solo Solo,” the upbeat “Nothing” and the poignant “Somewhere South with Rum.”

And the pretty title track closer is a love song to his fiancée, an “anchor” to Owen’s “reckless abandon.”

“I’m just this kind of guy that flies by the seat of my pants,” Owen told Country Now. “I’m never really steady (and) I’m kind of restless.”

But Owen says his two young daughters and his fiancée are “kind of like my rock in my life, and I feel like it was the perfect way to title what this album’s all about, which is kind of how I feel and how my life is going.”

Jake Owen performs at 7 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 19, at Vermont State Fairgrounds, 175 South Main St., Rutland (in partnership with the Paramount Theatre). Tickets are $45-$55; go online to www.paramountvt.org or call 802-775-0908.

thomaswhuntington@hotmail.com

Submitted photos
The Arts Center in Elkins is currently displaying exhibitions by local artists Julie Weiford, Wilhelmina McWhorter and Keegan Campbell.

ELKINS — The Arts Center will host a reception on Saturday from 4 to 6 p.m. for artists Julie Weiford, Wilhelmina McWhorter and Keegan Campbell.

All three artists’ exhibitions will display through Sept. 28 at The Arts Center.

“Algothquian” is an exhibition created by artist Moll (Julie Weiford), and is a combination of indigenous and gothic aesthetic. Moll’s artwork is a triad of her native heritage, West Virginia upbringing, and herself as an individual. Using assorted media from felt, beads, to glitter, Moll conveys a broad range of themes and emotions all presented with a mischievous grin.

She is an indigenous artist from West Virginia, specializing in one of a kind works. She explores Appalachian and Algonquian culture through a gothic lense. She refers to her style as “Algothquian”, a mix of the words “Algonquian” and “goth.” Each one of her art works come with its own unique beaded frame that holds just as much meaning as the works they border.

“My Mom Says It’s Perfect” is a duo exhibition by Wilhelmina McWhorter and Keegan Campbell. Exploring their styles, expressing freely and finding joy in the silly and mundane world. It is both Campbell’s and McWhorter’s debut gallery. This exhibit finds them diving into public displays of artistry; however, all that matters is that their moms said it’s perfect.

Campbell is from Elkins, and has lived the last 13 years in Morgantown. He attended WVU for both his bachelor’s and master’s degrees, and currently works as an independent clinical social worker. He has always appreciated art, architecture, landscapes, and people’s efforts to create. He enjoys the creepy, dark, ugly and distorted sides of life, but also enjoys the simplicity of natural beauty, joy and rich earthy colors.

Wilhelmina (Willa) McWhorter was born and raised in Elkins. She studied acting and English lit and petry at WVU then later earned a Physical Theatre Certification from Dell’Arte School of Physical Theatre in Blue Lake, California. Her life has taken her down many paths, all over the United States, South America, and Europe, and her work has led her to many communities and experiences.

After the pandemic took away her job in Liverpool, she forged her way back to the mountains in search of her next adventure. It was through this metamorphosis that she discovered her own passions in painting. Much like her late father, William McWhorter, she found herself immersed in the work.

She finds joy in painting the world through an impressionistic, colored brush and draws inspiration from how shadow and light interact with one another to create the things we perceive. This gallery is a chance for her to display progress while she works through the posthumous art lessons of her late father. If anyone has contact with the afterlife, can you ask for an extension on next week’s homework?

The Arts Center is a welcoming and inclusive home where everyone is encouraged to create, explore, and discover the value of art through exceptional programming. The Center encourages arts opportunities for a lifetime of personal enlightenment. Committed to making art more accessible to everyone, it offers art programs for individuals of all ages and abilities. The Center wants to encourage conversation and connections, bring joy to your life, and exceed your expectations in all areas of art. Empower yourself through the arts!

The Art Center is presented with financial assistance from the West Virginia Department of Arts, Culture and History, and the National Endowment for the Arts, with approval from the WV Commission on the Arts.

BILLINGS, MT- The City of Billings Planning and Community Services Department is now calling on an artist or a group of artists to create an Indigenous identity-themed placemaking hub (a public art installation informed by community input) in the North Park neighborhood. 

The selected artist(s) would work will the Mobilize the MAGIC (Making Art Grounded in Community) City project team. 

The Mobilize the MAGIC City Team partnered with Triia which is a subsidiary program of the Native American Development Corporation, has a mission of elevating and showcasing the talents of Native American artists for this project. 

Triia offers a platform where Native artists can promote their work and connect with each other. This opportunity is open to artists of all races, ethnicities, and abilities. 

Preference will be given to artists or groups of artists with a demonstrated understanding of Indigenous lives and experiences in the Billings area. 

Submissions that illustrate the theme of Indigenous Identity in Billings will be considered for selection. 

Tally Monteau, Triia Program Manager says of this effort: “When I look at the city of Billings, I do not see an accurate amount of representation for the city’s Indigenous population. According to the latest census and recent CMS data reports, as much as ten percent of the Billings’ population identifies as Indigenous. 

Triia’s goal with this project is to bring further Native visibility to the community. To bring Indigenous art to the public art space here, and open up spaces for future projects and representation, so that people like me feel comfortable and included in this community.” 

Interested artists can learn more and download an application packet on the City of Billings Website.

Applications will be accepted until August 14, 2023, at 5 PM. Artists can also reach out to Elyse Monat (City of Billings) at monate@billingsmt.gov or 406-247-8637 or,

Tally Monteau (Triia) at tmonteau@triia.com or 406-294-8048 for questions or assistance with the application.

Stonington Gallery Rudy Willingham

Pioneer Square has dozens of superb galleries along its appealing brick streets and hosts America’s longest-running monthly Art Walk, held on first Thursdays. Stop by Greg Kucera Gallery (212 Third Ave S), which opened in 1983 and showcases a mix of museum-quality pieces from local and international artists, and Stonington Gallery (125 S Jackson St) for weavings, jewelry, and sculpture by Native American talents. More than 30 resident artists work from the studios inside the Tashiro Kaplan Artist Lofts (115 Prefontaine Pl S), while Method Gallery (106 Third Ave S) shows compelling site-specific installations.

The Frye Art Museum is always free to visit and displays modern and contemporary art from the collection of Charles and Emma Frye as well as rotating temporary exhibits. Photographic Center Northwest (900 12th Ave) stages innovative photo exhibitions, many that focus on social justice. During Capitol Hill Art Walks on the second Thursday of each month, bustling Chophouse Row (1424 11th Ave) marketplace joins in on the fun with art, food, drink, and live DJ sets. Georgetown abounds with places to engage with original art, especially during Georgetown Art Attack, held every second Saturday. Art talks take place at contemporary studio e (609 S Brandon St). In a creatively transformed gas station, Mini Mart City Park (6525 Ellis Ave S) serves as a community art space and pocket park. Also check out the thoughtful exhibitions at Koplin Del Rio (6107 13th Ave S) and the colorful home of alternative comics publisher Fantagraphics Bookstore (1201 S Vale St).

To paraphrase Neil Young, art never sleeps. It’s August, it’s hot and humid and sleepy, but St. Petersburg’s artist community has not, will not, set down its collective brush.

First and foremost, Saturday (Aug. 12) brings this month’s edition of the St. Petersburg Arts Alliance’s Second Saturday ArtWalk, during which some 40 studios and galleries leave their doors wide for a strolling, chatting and perusing city-wide open house.

It’s a self-guided tour, which can be navigated from the top, bottom or middle of this handy map. Some locations have refreshments and/or live music. All have fine art, with every description (and medium) available. (There are, sadly, no trolleys this month.)

Meet the artists, talk about art, have a cool one, take a few photos. Maybe buy something. Keep searchin’ for that heart of gold. ArtWalk hours are 5-9 p.m.

Robert Simone.

Friday exhibit openings

Work by Terry Brett as part of “Glyph,” at Leslie Curran Gallery.

Jabari Reed-Diop’s Ghetto Gods opens with a reception Friday at thestudio@620. The 23-year-old painter is one of the area’s most consistently watchable artists; this new show, which he discusses in this story, represents a subtle shift into new territory (it’s different from his previous work). Ghetto Gods is one of the stops on the Second Saturday ArtWalk.

New at the Leslie Curran Gallery is Glyph, an exhibition of paintings by Terry Brett and ceramic sculptures by Jan Richardson. At the 5-8 p.m. reception Friday, Brett will talk about his large, tactile monochrome paintings using deep relief, plaster or burlap. Richardson, who teaches at the Morean Center For Clay, produces functional, figurative and abstract work. This is also is one of the stops on the Second Saturday ArtWalk.   

There’s a reception from 5 to 9 p.m. Friday at Woodfield Gallery for Paradise Found – the Art of Robert Simone. The Petersburg artist is known for his dramatic oil paintings of outdoor scenes.

Other new exhibits

In “HAPPY! Art That Makes You Smile,” “Psst,” photography by Tracy Kennard.

HAPPY! Art That Makes You Smile is the new show at Five Deuces Galleria, with work from more than 100 guest artists. There are seven resident artists at Five Deuces, and they’ll be happy to show you around during the Saturday ArtWalk.

St. Pete Artworks’ August Artist of the Month is Laura Brigman, whose mixed media show Pixel Perfect will be feted during the ArtWalk. This art is inspired by the works of Salvador Dali, who used distance to change the perspective of images. Refreshments and live music are part of the plan for Saturday’s reception.

New stuff on the ArtsXChange campus (Warehouse Arts District): In the Burka Member Lounge, Summer Heat is a members show focusing on, well, themes of summer and heat. In the Tully-Levine Gallery, Made Here is a diverse collection with works by resident ArtsXChange artists.

Saturday’s ArtWalk will see the debut of two new shows at Soft Water Gallery, also part of the Warehouse Arts District’s ArtsXChange campus: Selected Smalls: Graphically Inclined features small-scale works by Lynn Foskett, Anna Rac and Diana Tonnessen – respectively collage and frottage, monochrome ink drawings and linoleum block prints. Then there’s Alternate Realms: Selected Works by Candace Knapp, an exhibition of paintings and sculptural works in acrylic, clay and wood.

Opening Saturday at the Museum of Fine Arts St. Petersburg, Explore the Vaults: Water & Color exhibits paintings and drawings made using water-based media, including ink, gouache and watercolor. Because works on paper are sensitive to light, these pieces – from the permanent collection – are rarely displayed. Water & Color runs through Jan. 7.

Art news

The application deadline is Aug. 15 at midnight for artists interested in working on Creative Pinellas’ South Pasadena Florida Mural Project, a city beautification (artification) initiative. Find details here.

In Tampa: University of South Florida Professor Emeritus Bruce Marsh, who taught art for 37 years, will be honored with a solo exhibition Aug. 21-Sept. 7 at The School of Art & Art History in the USF College of The Arts. There will be a reception for Bruce Marsh – A Six Decade Survey Aug. 25. The exhibition will feature  more than four dozen oil paintings and watercolors.

In Tampa: At the USF Contemporary Art Museum, Native America: In Translation (Aug. 25-Dec. 1) is an exhibition of fine art photography by nine Indigenous artists “offering new perspectives on Indigenous identity by reimagining what it means to be a citizen in North America today.” It’s curated by Apsáalooke artist Wendy Red Star and organized by Aperture.

From “Native America: In Translation,” Martine Gutierrez, Queer Rage, Dear Diary, No Signal During VH1’s Fiercest Divas, 2018.

The fine print

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