Have you ever stood in front of an abstract painting and thought, “Am I supposed to get this?” You are not alone, and here is the good news: there is nothing to “get.” The Orlando Museum of Art has published a friendly beginner’s guide to abstract art, and its main message is wonderfully freeing.
Abstract art does not ask for your analysis; it asks for your attention and curiosity. Where a landscape painting uses color and line to describe a mountain, abstract art makes color and line the subject itself. The paint, the texture, the brushwork: those are the stars of the show.
The guide walks you through the spectrum, from semi-abstraction, where you can still glimpse a figure or landscape, to pure non-objective abstraction, where no reference to the visible world exists at all. Think of Mark Rothko’s large color fields: they are not trying to look like anything. Their color, scale, and light are the experience.
Best of all, Orlando is the perfect place to practice. OMA’s galleries are full of abstract works waiting for a fresh look. Grab the guide, visit the museum, and simply enjoy the colors. No art degree required!
Photo: Orlando Museum of Art
