Santhy Shetty - Abstract Art Therapy

Every human is an artist.
The dream of your life is to make beautiful art.
Don Miguel Rui

Contents

I am grateful to the public art displayed in TATE gallery London for its amazing work and collection of artists and endless human creativity with its purest form and simplicity. You are my inspiration.

Same goes to TATE gallery St. Ives, Cornwall- England a hidden gem of UK, for its collection of British modern art from its local artists. My frequent visit to south east coast of Cornwall engulfed my passion in Abstract Art. I also would like to express my appreciation having bump into many artists and having discussed with them about their collection and inspirations in Polperro and St. Ives. Some artists express Appreciations of my art and ideas, whereby I found encouragement whilst on my own journey in discovering of my own perspectives about abstract art.

Finally, I would like to mention Vincent Van Gogh museum, Rijksmuseum, and Stedelijk museum - Amsterdam.

I couldnt agree more the fact that they are interesting art museums. Rijksmuseum with its unparalleled collections of paintings and objects of material culture prints and classic photography collections, in my opinion there are one of the finest museums for abstract art, not to miss Stedeljik museum, surprises us with 90 thousand modern painting, and other modern art collections.

Abstract art is art that does not attempt to represent
an accurate depiction of a visual reality but instead
use shapes, colours, forms and gestural marks to
achieve its effect
TATE London

Abstract, the word means to separate or withdraw something from something else.

The term can be applied to art that is based an object, figure or landscape, where forms have been simplified or schematised.

It is also applicable to art that uses forms, such as geometric shapes or gestural marks, which have no source at all in an external visual reality. Some artists of this pure abstraction have preferred terms such as concrete art or non-objective art, but in practice the word abstract is used across the board and the distinction between the two is not always obvious.

Abstract art is often seen as carrying a moral dimension, in that it can be seen to stand for virtues such as order, purity, simplicity and spirituality.

Since the early 1900s, abstract art has formed a central stream of modern art.

Examples of Abstract ART
illustrations by TATE and Concepts
developed by Abstract Artists

Such examples are:

Wassily Kandinsky

Cossacks 19101

Tate

Expressionism (early twentieth century): Expressionist artworks involved highly intense colour and non-naturalistic brushwork, often based on the artists inner feelings. Kandinsky saw his abstract paintings as an alternative pathway to spirituality.

Juan Gris

Bottle of Rum and Newspaper 191314

Tate

Cubism (from 1907/8): Cubist artworks always began with a subject from reality (often objects and figures), with its elements then broken down into distinct areas or planes, showing different viewpoints at the same time. Cubism directly influenced other forms of abstraction including constructivism, neo-plasticism and orphism.

Theo van Doesburg

Counter-Composition VI 1925

Tate

De Stijl/Neo-plasticism (c.1919): The movement, which aimed to create paintings in their purest state, was a direct response to the chaos of World War I. Only primary colours and non-colours were used in the form of squares, rectangles, straight, horizontal or vertical lines in order to stick to the core elements of painting: colour, line and form.

Joan Mir

Painting 1927

Tate

Succession Miro/ADAGP, Paris and DACS, London 2020

Automatism (c.1920): Inspired by Freuds idea of free association (the desire to reveal the unconscious mind), artists such as Joan Miro and Max Ernst created automatic paintings. This free way of creating art led to simplified organic shapes, which Miro developed into his own personal sign language.

Mark Rothko

Red on Maroon 1959

Tate

Kate Rothko Prizel and Christopher Rothko/DACS 2020

Colour field painting (19401950s): Another form of abstract expressionism, the colour field painters produced simple compositions made out of large soft-edged areas of colour with no obvious focus of attention, with the aim of producing a meditational response in the viewer.

Morris Louis

Alpha-Phi 1961

Tate

The estate of Morris Louis

Post-painterly abstraction (1950s): This form of abstraction focused more than ever before on the basic elements of painting: form, colour, texture, scale, composition and were ruthless in their rejection of mysticism and of any reference to the external world.

ABSTRACT Art Therapy can be healing and life-enhancing and uses the creative process you adopt in the making of art. Through creating art and talking about it throughout the process, you can increase self-awareness, cope with symptoms of stress, traumatic experiences and also enhance cognitive abilities to enjoy life-affirming pleasures of artistic creativity.

What is Abstract art therapy?

Abstract Art Therapy is a form of Holistic treatment. This is also a form of psychotherapy that uses art as a tool. Using this therapy, it can be used mainly for focusing thoughts for expression and communication.

Abstract Art therapy is not used as a diagnostic tool instead it is used to address emotional issues which can be confusing and distressing to a person.

Art therapy can be used for children, young people, adults and the elderly whether they have a range of difficulties, disabilities or diagnoses. These can include emotional, behavioural or mental problems, learning or physic disabilities, life-limiting conditions, neurological conditions and physical illnesses.

Art Therapy can be a process within groups or individually depending on the clients needs. The therapy combines traditional psychotherapeutic theories and techniques with an understanding of the psychological aspects of the creative process. The therapy can use a mixture of materials. Chalk, paint and markers are all idea o produce art. Professionals will then work with you to dive into the underlying messages communicated through the art.

The therapy is generally used as a treatment whether its to improve ones emotional state or mental well-being. We can also use Art Therapy to relieve stress or tension, or as a mode of self-discovery.

Health Issues Treatment Plan
by Abstract Art Therapy

Art therapy had benefited people of all ages and from different social backgrounds. There are findings to indicate art therapy can improve communication and concentration which can to lead to increases in self-esteem, confidence, and self-awareness as well as mental well-being.

Evidently, art therapy enables people to express feelings through creative work, such as Abstract Painting especially it is helpful for those who feel out of touch with their emotions or feelings. Individuals experiencing difficulty discussing or remembering painful experiences may also find art therapy especially beneficial.

Recent research suggests art therapy may help individuals diagnosed with Schizophrenia see improvement of some of their symptoms, although further supporting research and findings needed trials are still being conducted.