Written by the editors of the Encyclopedia Brittanica: “Abstract art, also called nonobjective art or nonrepresentational art, painting, sculpture, or graphic art in which the portrayal of things from the visible world plays no part. All art consists largely of elements that can be called abstract—elements of form, colour, line, tone, and texture. Prior to the 20th century these abstract elements were employed by artists to describe, illustrate, or reproduce the world of nature and of human civilization—and exposition dominated over expressive function…. Abstract art has puzzled and indeed confused many people, but for those who have accepted its nonreferential language there is no doubt as to its value and achievements.”

Let’s look at an art critic’s alternate universe (and just so you know how my mind works I chose an art review based on a name of an abstract painter – how can one not explore the art of someone called Cy Twombly?) And I quote:

“It is a cliche that abstract art is distant from real life, impenetrable and remote. Twombly is an abstract painter who tells stories of love, longing and loss. His art is always tangy with experience – it drips life.” Jones refers here to a painting about Hera and Leander, dedicated to Christopher Marlowe, and interprets splotches of color quite convincingly as blood, misty seas, evocations of watery graves (true for all three referenced persons in one way or another.) Note that the references depend on your knowledge of myth and/or history, but references they are, red allegedly representing the bloody fate of Marlowe. Twombly’s paintings, which I have only explored on the web, are of astonishing beauty, storytelling or not. He died some years ago.

The lead montage, by the way, is part of my series On Transience that was exhibited last year at the Oregon Jewish Museum. The subject matter concerned the nature of Jewish emigration, and the transient psychological state that comes with displacement in general.

Where does all this leave the quest for understanding abstract art? Yesterday we learned the canon has been challenged; today we find that accepted definitions of the nonrepresentational nature of abstract art is confronted with claims of a representational narrative structure inherent to it after all. Did someone mention confusion?