Abstract art represents a pivotal departure from “mimesis” (the imitation of visible reality). Instead of depicting recognizable objects from the physical world, it uses a formal language of shape, form, color, and line to create a composition that may exist with a degree of independence from visual references in the world.

For researchers and art centers, it is categorized into two main movements:

• Non-Objective / Non-Representational: Work that does not take anything from the real world as a starting point. It is pure form and color (e.g., Mondrian).

• Abstracted Reality: Work that begins with a real-world subject (like a figure or landscape) and simplifies or distorts it until the original source is nearly unrecognizable (e.g., early Kandinsky).

The movement evolved through various sub-genres, including Geometric Abstraction (logical and calculated) and Lyrical Abstraction (emotional and gestural). It challenged the viewer to “feel” the art rather than “identify” it.