Source of inspiration for artists to express themselves has been nature, and this is not any different for abstract art. Abstract art may not represent nature or depict elements from it directly; its essence and energy have often been translated into color, form, and texture. The result is a foundation that marries the purity of the natural world with abstract expression to produce complex emotional and spiritual relationships with the environment.
Probably, one major influence of nature on abstract art is through the use of organic shapes and fluid lines. Flows of rivers, contours of mountains, or the detailed and complex patterns of plant life serve as a basis of inspiration for most abstract artists. This has all been translated into their work, but instead of reimagination in a traditional, representational manner, they are distorted or stylized to evoke a greater degree of movement and emotion. The product is a dynamic interplay between form and emotion, which is the visual representation of the living world that starts existing beyond the realistic depiction.
The second major aspect of how nature influences abstract art is color. The greenery of the outside world-through its blues as reflected in the oceans, to the reds and oranges in sunsets-becomes a fundamental point of inspiration for artists who strive to express a particular mood or a definite kind of atmosphere. For instance, Wassily Kandinsky and Georgia O'Keeffe utilized colors as signifying emotional and spiritual liaisons with nature, aside from aesthetic appeals. With bright, vivid colors of the natural palate comes energy and animation for abstract works, as well as a sense of beauty and harmony.
Texture and composition also play a very important role in abstract art channeled by nature's influence. Abstract artists who begin with the raw, unbridled quality of nature turn to textured surfaces that replicate the feeling of the actual world. Brushstrokes thick enough to raise your fingerprints on it, layered paint, or even mixed media like sand and fabrics can elevate smooth two-dimensional matter into surfaces that look like the bark of a tree, the softest petal passageway, or wind-kissed gesture. Such a surface speaks to intimacy and vastness all at the same time, as does the natural world.
Abstract art lets artists express deeper sometimes almost intangible conceptions of nature: the progression of time, cycles in life, and interconnectedness. The abstract style lets the artist paint what he or she feels and is thinking, but not necessarily so much a concept about how it should look. It is that freedom which makes abstract art transcend the literal limit of interpretation and experience nature in a more personal and contemplative manner.
In conclusion, the influence of nature on abstract art is profound and multifold. It served as a source of rich inspiration that allowed artists to explore organic connections for emotions and the spirit that hold us to this world around us. Shapes, colors, textures, and compositions in abstract art allow for a new perspective on the natural world, inviting one into its beauty and complexity in a new, creative manner.
