Reflecting on Abstract Art

by Lorette C. Luzajic

It’s a question that has vexed me for decades now, but I’ve come to I accept it won’t be answered. If you are an artist or an art aficionado, it has probably plagued you, too: “Why am I profoundly drawn to some works of abstract art, and not at all to others?”

Planetary Chaos 2012 – Lorette C. Luzajic

This cannot be answered with the usual platitudes about pleasing composition and masterful use of colour. These may play into our responses, but the way we experience abstract art is more visceral than this. Art is always subjective, and despite centuries of scholarship and millions of pages and countless brilliant, creative minds,  the answer to why some people like some art and others don’t and vice versa remains elusive. Still, what we like and dislike about abstract art is itself abstract. “I like the colours/textures/lines/patterns” becomes meaningless when another piece with similar favourite colours or patterns falls completely flat.

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