Abstract art is one of the most interesting and controversial forms of art. Abstract art is detached from reality. It is all about the atmosphere it creates using gestural marks, forms, shapes, and colors. Abstract art can be made with many materials, and it can be viewed from different perspectives. Striving to express the truths behind the material world, it touches the emotions and communicates to each one of us in different ways. Much can be said about abstract art, and that is one of the reasons drawing people to purchase it more than realism or portraiture.
Abstract art is highly popular among seasoned collectors, with many pieces being sold for millions of dollars. “No. 6 (Violet, Green and Red)” by Mark Rothko ($186 million), “Le Reve” by Pablo Picasso ($155 million), “No. 5” by Jackson Pollock ($140 million), and “Woman III” by Willem de Kooning ($137.5 million) are just some of the most notable examples of abstract paintings sold at auctions and private sales worldwide. These works have literally changed the way people think of abstract art, bringing this distinctive form of art to a whole new level.
As for the works by a younger generation of contemporary artists, they are, in many ways, no less impressive. Today, many talented painters around the world choose abstract art as their preferred art form, following the tradition of the famous masters. So what are the most remarkable rising stars of contemporary abstract art you should know?
1. Alejandro Mendez
Alejandro Mendez is a Chilean artist who received his Bachelor of Arts from the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile in Santiago. Alejandro Mendez works in different genres and styles, but his abstract paintings deserve special attention. The artist perfectly combines ambiguous and enigmatic elements with characters, dreams, and interior landscapes to create his colorful works that are full of meaningful images and signs. Each of his paintings is an entire world in itself, filled with hope and passion.
2. Sophia Chizuco
Sophia Chizuco is a Japanese-born multidisciplinary artist living in Brooklyn, NYC. She earned her Bachelor of Arts from Tokyo Gakugei University and later received a certificate in painting for her studies at the prestigious Art Students League of New York. Sophia Chizuco develops her career in different fields, from sculpture to performance and installation art, but her major specialization is abstract painting. Her beautiful works represent a gorgeous combination of geometric shapes, forms, and lines, offering a fresh view on contemporary abstract painting.
3. José M. Fontaiña
José M. Fontaiña is a Spanish-born artist based in Fairview, New Jersey. He received his Bachelor of Arts from William Paterson University and was mentored by André Teabo, the same person who assisted the well-known African-American artist Romare Bearden. José M. Fontaiña is largely known for his amazing oil and acrylic abstract paintings inspired by a variety of geometric forms and shapes. His works are dynamic and appealing, each distinguished by the perfect mix of design elements, space, and colors.
4. Merrill Steiger
Merrill Steiger is an American artist living and working in NYC and Woodstock, New York. She earned her Bachelor of Arts from Lehman College of the City University of New York and also received a certificate in painting from the Art Students League of New York. Steiger began painting abstract images in the mid-1970s, developing her artistic skills in many different styles, from architectural abstraction to pointillism. Today, the artist has several remarkable series of works, each with its own idea and story to tell.
5. Vladimir Nazarov
Vladimir Nazarov is a Brooklyn-based artist who has a studio in Dumbo. A pioneer in the use of layering, color, and space in symbolic abstraction, he creates absolutely mind-blowing paintings that catch the eye and fire the imagination. Nazarov’s works are large in size and monumental in feeling. Each of them is a somewhat emotionally-charged treatise aimed at dissecting the eternal mysteries of what it means to be human. His abstract paintings are filled with the healing energy of art, which is very powerful and deep.
Abstract art can take any form and be formless as well. If you want to understand it, you need to feel it first. Check out the works by talented contemporary artists to start your journey into the amazing world of abstract art!