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Rudolph Arnheim in his treatise Visual Thinking describes abstract art as “a visual language of form, color and line to create a composition which may exist with a degree of independence from visual references in the world.” 

As a Wildlife and Nature Artist I have meditated on what makes masters like Robert Bateman timeless.  Is it his use of the fundamentals of drawing, line, shape, texture and color?  Is it the emotional impact of his portrayals?  Sure.  But even more compelling to me is his command of abstract design and composition.  And of course that makes sense when you understand that his early years were devoted to that discipline.


Robert Bateman

Remove the powerful placement of forms and shapes and it would be just a really beautiful painting of Tufted Puffins.  Biologically accurate and true to the naturalists portrayal of the animal.  But would it be a work of art? 

One does not have to be an aficionado of Kandinsky, Klee, Kepes, or Moholy-Nagy to appreciate the role of abstract design theory in the aesthetic.  The very best ‘representational’ art sits squarely on a foundation of strong abstract design.  It is this quality of visual language which most interests me lately and challenges my daily struggles at the easel.

I return repeatedly to studying the work of modern masters like Quang Ho, who transcends the mere ‘artistic’.  What draws us to a visual work of art beyond the subject matter, beyond the skillful mastery of the medium, beyond the vibrant color or rich texture of the brushwork?  Even beyond the innovative.

 
Quang Ho

For those of us that embrace the return of representational art to the foreground of currency and relevance in the world of art, let us not overlook the incredible positive influence that abstract design theory has imbued on the works of these modern masters.