Curator’s Choice on World Child Cancer Exhibition: "Abstract Art"

We were overwhelmed by the response we received for USEUM’s first online sale exhibition, in collaboration with Deutsche Bank charity of the year, World Child Cancer charity. Artists from the USEUM community showed incredible empathy for the charitable cause of the exhibition and their willingness to contribute was heart-warming.

The curatorial team had the almost impossible task of making a selection from the staggering 515 received submissions, all of which were of amazing quality. After thoughtful consideration and discussion among the members of the curatorial team we decided upon the 116 works of art that can now be found in the online gallery.

This blogpost will highlight a selection of Abstract works featured in the exhibition. An often-heard critique of Abstract art is that people “don’t understand it”, or that it “doesn’t say anything”. The clear narratives and subjects usually present in figurative art are often less overt in Abstract pieces.

Colours, textures, patterns and shapes can offer a range of interpretations. ‘Untitled 2010-1’ by Greek artist Nikos Marinis is a great example of how an elaborate repeated pattern of circles is capable of turning a two-dimensional work of art into something with a tactile quality to it. The surface appears to be three-dimensional and moving; both features supposedly impossible for paintings.

In ‘Incertidumbre II’ Luis Medina created an urban landscape making use of a subtle interplay of coloured blocks and lines. The figurative person at the bottom of the painting hints at the individualistic “loneliness of man in any city in the world,” allowing the viewer to interpret the work accordingly. 

Carol Isern, who was featured in USEUM’s exhibition at Le Dame Art Gallery last October, creates landscapes on paper using mixed media. Her textured surfaces allow the materials to speak for themselves, exposing the painterly process. ‘Por un Llano Encendido’ is her contribution to USEUM’s online exhibition in collaboration with World Child Cancer charity.

Are you interested in Abstract art and would you like to see more works in our online exhibition? Here is a selection of more beautiful Abstract artworks. Which one is your favourite? 

text by Jesse Voetman