5 Abstract Art Quotes for Endless Inspiration
Abstract art quotes and inspiring quotes can and, I think, help us to move forward in our lives. As an abstract artist, I thrive on inspiration. I’m constantly seeking out sources of creative energy to fuel my passion for abstract painting.
Lately, I’ve been deeply moved and motivated by quotes about abstract art. These poignant words from pioneering abstract artists reveal so much truth and meaning about this imaginative art form.
Abstract art quotes have almost a mystical quality to them – they open doors in my mind, sparking new ideas and fresh ways of seeing.
When I discover a new abstract art quote, it’s as if the words lift off the page, swirling around me in a vortex of colour and shape.
The best abstract art quotes distil profound insights about art, creativity and life down to their essence. They capture elusive feelings and phenomena I struggle to put into words.
Abstract art quotes validate what I aim to communicate through my colourful, emotionally charged paintings.
In this blog post, I will share five abstract art quotes that inspire me deeply as an abstract artist. My goal is to analyse why these quotes resonate so strongly, explaining their significance in the world of abstract painting.
Even more, I hope to demonstrate how these abstract art quotes illuminate truths about the human experience that apply far beyond art. Buckle up for a thought-provoking ride to the beating heart of abstraction!
The first quote comes from avant-garde painter Arshile Gorky, an Armenian-American artist celebrated as the father of Abstract Expressionism…
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Arshile Gorky Abstract Art Quote
“Abstraction allows man to see with his mind what he cannot see physically with his eyes. Abstract art enables the artist to perceive beyond the tangible, to extract the infinite out of the finite. It is the emancipation of the mind. It is an explosion into unknown areas.” – Arshile Gorky
A great inspiring quote from a great artist.
Who is Arshile Gorky?
Arshile Gorky was an Armenian-American abstract painter in the early 20th century who deeply influenced the evolution of abstract art.
He is known for his poetic, surrealist-inspired abstract paintings that expressed his tragic personal history and complex perspective as an immigrant.
Though not well-known in his lifetime, Gorky would posthumously gain recognition as the “Father of Abstract Expressionism”.
The meaning of the quote
This inspiring quote beautifully captures Gorky’s view of abstract art as liberating the mind, allowing the artist and viewer to perceive realms beyond ordinary physical reality.
To Gorky, abstract painting opened portals to unseen spiritual, psychological and emotional dimensions. His quote suggests abstraction grants artists an almost mystical vision – enabling us to “see with the mind” realities invisible to the eye.
Gorky conceived of abstract art as revealing deeper truths through pure aesthetic forms like colour, line and shape. His words inspire me to approach abstract painting as a journey of imagination and self-discovery.
To me, creating art is a journey of self-discovery.
How quotes inspire my approach to abstract art?
Whenever I read this inspiring abstract art quote, I am reminded that abstract art offers not just freedom of expression but freedom of vision.
My abstract paintings become vehicles for seeing “with the mind’s eye” – conveying inner landscapes, sacred geometries and surreal dreamscapes beyond the tangible world.
I let go of conscious control and expectations to access subconscious realms where inspiring abstract art quotes emerge as I paint.
My goal is to create portals through which viewers might glimpse unseen dimensions or feel renewed wonder at abstraction’s strange beauty.
I approach abstract art as visionary work – scrying with shapes and symbols, channelling arcane muses, decoding the hieroglyphics of the soul.
This abstract art quote spurs me to keep evolving my personal abstract visual language to ever more closely depict these extraordinary inner visions.
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Georgia O’Keeffe Quote
“I found I could say things with colour and shapes that I couldn’t say any other way – things I had no words for.” – Georgia O’Keeffe
This is such an inspiring quote from a great artist. I’ve used this quote in several other blog posts, too.
About Georgia O’Keeffe
Georgia O’Keeffe was a pioneering modernist painter known for her vivid abstract flower paintings. Though she rejected being labelled as part of any artistic movement, O’Keeffe’s luminous, enlarged flower canvases presented new ways of seeing nature through an abstract lens.
She pushed boundaries with her unique signature style of abstraction that embodied feminine spirituality and energy.
Expressing meanings beyond language with colour and shape
This inspiring quote is probably one of the best abstract art quotes. It almost describes the meaning of abstract art in one simple sentence.
The meaning behind abstract art is profoundly multifaceted, evoking a wide array of interpretations. More than just shapes and colours for their own aesthetic sake, abstract art is intended to communicate complex concepts that engage the mind on a deep level.
This quote by O’Keeffe resonates deeply as an abstract artist. It articulates my belief that the alchemy of colour and shape in painting can convey ineffable meanings beyond the limitations of language.
O’Keeffe recognises abstract art’s power to wordlessly communicate emotions and ideas straight from the artist’s interior world.
Through visual language, we symbolise what cannot be spoken. This relates to my quest to develop a personal abstract iconography – my own lexicon of colours, lines and shapes bursting with intimate significance.
I aim to share my distinctive inner landscape, inspiring viewers to connect through universal childhood symbols or cosmic motifs.
Examples from my paintings
Visions from Within: Raising Awareness through Abstract Art
Here are examples of some My Colourful Abstract Paintings Collection for 2023.
This is part of my series of “Almost Black and White”. I’ve written a blog about this particular series – Add Striking Black and White Abstract Art in Your Living Room.
Art often imitates life – and sometimes it calls us to open our eyes to truths we prefer to ignore. My abstract paintings welcome you to see beyond the apparent randomness of shape and colour – and glimpse deeper stories of health, heartbreak and the indestructible human spirit.
In “Pulse”, frenetic black lines suggest the disorienting chaos of a heart spiralling into arrhythmia. Against this jagged backdrop, a small red orb seems to beat with anxious purpose – a metaphor for how this vital organ can falter despite sustaining us with every pulse. This canvas raises awareness of cardiac health.
“Growth” uses consuming black lines to depict the spread of malignant cells, shrinking the red form at its centre as darkness prevails. The loss of natural balance and devouring spread wordlessly convey the terror of cancer – an illness originating from within yet propagating with unchecked aggression.
Finally, “Clarity” whips black scratches into a swirling storm, mimicking the turmoil experienced by vital systems in distress. Yet gliding calmly at its eye, a red sphere embodies resilience and hope, even on the most difficult journeys. This is a tribute to the human spirit’s power to find meaning amid life’s chaos.
My dreamlike paintings reflect sobering truths – but their final message illuminates health awareness and our collective ability to anchor ourselves in wisdom and grace despite the storms.
Let the colours and shapes speak to you, inspire self-reflection, and kindle compassion for what ails us all from time to time. The paths to healing often wind through mysterious and surprising terrain.
O’Keeffe’s inspiring quote reaffirms my commitment to abstraction as profound, wordless communication.
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Wassily Kandinsky Abstract Art Quote
“Form itself, even if completely abstract … has its own inner sound.” – Wassily Kandinsky
Kandinsky – The father of abstract art
Wassily Kandinsky is considered by many to be the father of pure abstract art or the pioneer of European abstraction.
Wassily Kandinsky was an influential Russian painter and art theorist in the early 20th century. He is credited as one of the original pioneers of pure abstract art and wrote extensively about the capacities of colour and form to convey emotions and ideas.
Kandinsky explored synaesthesia in his radical abstract compositions, seeking to evoke sound through visual art. His writing and painting expanded conceptions of what abstraction could achieve.
The inner sound of abstract form
This great inspiring quote beautifully encapsulates Kandinsky’s perspective on the “inner sound” of abstract art – its capacity to resonate on deeper levels beyond the merely visual.
He suggests that even wholly abstract forms have an intrinsic, emotional impact similar to music’s direct expressiveness.
Kandinsky invites us to tune into the poetic, lyrical essence in simple marks and patterns. This challenges me to consider the figurative qualities in abstraction – how a jagged red line conjures instability or concentric circles soothe like a lullaby.
How I try to evoke particular moods or sounds with abstractions?
When designing my abstract compositions, I consciously try to direct energies and establish tonalities through strategic use of colour, shape and line – much like a composer scoring a film.
Above is another set of three paintings form “My Colourful Abstract Paintings Collection for 2023.”
Emerging from the shadows, three abstract visions materialise with messages to proclaim. Sombre and dark backgrounds give way to textures thick and swirling, colours dancing in layers mystifying.
In one, a heart glows crimson behind masks of gold paint, chaotic strokes both obscuring and sheltering the vital core.
Another holds blossoms of pink and white, petals budding with hope yet tinged with darkness. And the third weaves indigo strands parted by white, light bursting through webs that both threaten and protect.
These three soulful artworks layer meaning upon meaning. They whisper of the heart’s strength, flowers that can heal or harm, the maze of twists and turns towards health’s fragile gates.
Abstract yet intimate, their swirling dreams reflect human truths waiting to be unveiled in every unique stroke.
Kandinsky’s abstract art quote affirms for me that the “grammar” of abstract art can speak intangibly yet profoundly straight to the soul.
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Robert Motherwell Inspiring Quote
“Abstract art is uniquely modern. It is a fundamentally romantic response to modern life – rebellious, individualistic, unconventional, sensitive, irritable.” – Robert Motherwell
Abstract expressionism at its best
Robert Motherwell was a preeminent American abstract expressionist painter and member of the New York School.
Known for his philosophical approach to art, Motherwell created bold, emotional abstract paintings drawing from themes of tragedy and revolt. He emphasised subjectivity, instinct and creative freedom in his dynamic, large-scale canvases.
Abstract art – a rebellious response to the modern world
This abstract art quote crystallises Motherwell’s perspective on abstraction as intrinsically defiant and individualistic – an artistic rebellion against the constraints of traditional standards, values and logic imposed by the modern world.
To him, rejecting concrete representation freed artists to channel their private passions, fears and dreams to engage audiences on a raw, emotional plane beyond the rational.
I relate to his conception of abstract art as liberating the imagination from artistic conventions, letting our inner demons and marvels emerge in pure pigment.
My abstract art as personal expression reflecting modern experiences
Like Motherwell, I approach abstract painting as an antidote to modern overwhelm – a means of finding my centre while navigating today’s fragmented digital age.
Free-flowing and intuitive, the process helps me achieve mindfulness, presence and emotional clarity.
Spontaneous drips, scribbles and gestural strokes release stress and unfiltered feelings in a healthy catharsis.
Through rich layers of oils and acrylics, I manifest a sanctuary from digital distraction. Bold colour explosions echo my sensitivities to overstimulating urban spaces. Radiant geometries evoke transcendental refuge and order amidst chaos.
My abstract works transparently reflect genuine responses to modern life. Though non-representational art, they are profoundly expressive – authentic windows to my inner soul.
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Additional Kandinsky Abstract Art Quote
“Of all the arts, abstract painting is the most difficult. It demands that you know how to draw well, that you have a heightened sensitivity for composition and colours and that you be a true poet. This last is essential.” – Wassily Kandinsky
This amazing inspiring quote is perhaps the best advice for beginner abstract artists or experienced abstract artists wanting to develop their artwork to the next level.
This abstract art quote comes from pioneering abstractionist Wassily Kandinsky’s famous book “Concerning the Spiritual in Art“, first published in 1911.
As an acclaimed painter and theorist, Kandinsky’s views on the challenges and rewards of abstract art hold particular weight. Given his role championing pure abstraction, this quote offers rare insight.
Meaning and significance
Here, Kandinsky suggests abstract painting requires an advanced, versatile skillset – excellent craftsmanship and refined intuitions around composition, colour and poetic vision.
He believed succeeding at the highest levels of abstraction demands technical mastery combined with mystical creativity and imagination.
Kandinsky implies that those drawn to abstraction must undergo tremendous artistic development – dedicating themselves wholly to accessing profound inner truth through pure aesthetic elements alone.
There is a spiritual dimension involved in distilling communication to its barest yet most universal visual language.
Just to further explain a piece of great advice for serious abstract artists or any other artists, here’s a great video that explains another amazing quote about abstract art from a great abstract artist, Picasso, who said: “It took me 4 years to paint like Raphael, but a lifetime to paint like a child.”
More Inspiration
I am bolstered by Kandinsky’s abstract art quote, as it further validates the challenges every abstract artist faces in exceeding the limits of figural representation to uncover essential meanings through colour, line and form alone.
His words inspire me to continue strengthening my technical skills while nurturing my most radical creative instincts. My abstract inspiration draws from avant-garde jazz, sacred geometries and glassy dreamscapes.
As Kandinsky suggests, I strive to subsume ego and channel mystical visions, expressing ineffable realms in my cosmic abstractions.
This demands constant openness and discipline. Guided by abstract art quotes like this, I accept abstraction as a monumental, lifelong quest to reveal my deepest truths.
Conclusion – Inspiring Abstract Art Quotes
Revisiting these marvellous abstract art quotes offers me a renewed appreciation for abstraction as an imaginative gateway to unseen realms and unspoken truths.
Through colour, shape and line alone, pioneering artists established new visual languages to express intangible energies and ideas.
Freed from representing physical forms, abstract art conveys emotions, dreams, fears, passions and fantasies straight from our distinctive inner landscapes.
These quotes advocate embracing abstraction’s radical creative freedom to channel our deepest selves through paint.
Abstract art as imaginative, liberating, visionary
To me, these abstract art quotes capture why abstract art so compellingly endures into the 21st century. Far from obtuse or meaningless, abolition sparks new ways of seeing, knowing and feeling.
Abstract painting is visionary alchemy – spinning gold from base materials like charcoal, earth pigments and turpentine.
Abstraction is the phoenix perpetually reborn from society’s shifting ashes, rising to meet the age’s buried longings.
Unburdened by logic or convention, abstraction imagines bold new futures while delving into the collective unconscious. Rightly understood through these quotes, abstract art liberates audience and artist alike.
These are just a few examples of some of the most amazing, motivational and famous abstract art quotes.
Now, let me know your thoughts about this topic.
What abstract art – whether historical or contemporary – resonates most powerfully for you?
Which pieces express ineffable qualities through pure aesthetic magic?
I welcome readers to share their favourite works and why they find them meaningful. Let’s exalt abstraction’s renewed relevance as we navigate bewildering technological times together!
The power of abstract art to expand minds and perceptions
Guided by these illuminating abstract art quotes, I rededicate myself to abstraction as a profound, evolving language to stretch minds and shift perceptions – including my own.
If my non-objective work kindles new sensations, ideas or emotions for even one viewer, I’ve succeeded in channelling these pioneers’ visions.
May we continue advancing abstraction’s liberating legacy.
These are some of my inspiring quotes and great abstract art quotes.
What are yours?
