Artistic Polar Bear Challenge: 100 Ways In 100 Days. #52 - Abstract

Although I think it would be fun to go all Salvador Dali on the bear, I believe I would need far more than a 24 hour period to pull it off.  So we'll wave to Dali and Max Ernst, and the other Surrealist artists as we pass them by on the way to Abstraction.

Abstract art is most noticeable for it's departure from reality.  The departure may be small, as in slightly exaggerated color, or complete, with the artwork having no recognizable basis in reality.  Although abstraction has existed in varying degrees throughout the history of art, it didn't become a purposeful style until the early twentieth century, where artists like Picasso began experimenting with simplified structure in portraiture.  Other artists aimed for complete abstraction.  Piet Mondrian developed a severe geometric style with a limited palette of only three primary colors, balancing the blocks of color with blocks of white or black outlines.

Trafalgar Square

Piet Mondrian

Since we had a taste of the black lines with the Cubist Bear, a softer approach was the choice for this one.

Abstract Bear

Acrylic on paper

I debated just painting the colored background and leaving it at that, ("...well, it is an abstract bear..."), but couldn't resist adding just a few bearish reference points.