Appreciating Abstract

Art. What is it, really?

In my visual dialogue class today, we started discussing about sculpture as a form of art.  We had the pleasure of looking at photocopied pictures of several well-known and famous sculptures from the past by great artists like Michaelangelo and Rodin but our discussion focused around and gave an analysis of Michaelangelo's "David," which is a sculpted representation of the biblical hero of the same name.

I can discuss in great lengths why the particular version of David by Michaelangelo (which was carved out of marble stone) is very disproportionate in terms of its anatomy and on why we think (as discussed by our instructor) that marble may not be an ideal material to work on for this heroic sculpture.

Looking at art in a particular way is very relative- in a way that it is very subjective and quite personal. I like looking at sculptures and simply admiring the details put on by the artist, to best emulate the real thing. In paintings, you can see a lot of different subjects being used by the artists. From human portraits to skyscraper buildings, the choices are simply endless. But not all paintings or even sculptures depict their original subjects the way they are actually seen by our naked eyes. Abstract paintings for one relies on the interpretation of the artist. This doesn't simply fall under surrealism, but abstract paintings is categorized on its own. Look at the great artist Picasso's work, and you'll know what I mean.

In our exhibit "Colours of Hope--an art exhibit & auction event to benefit Siloam Mission," one of our Winnipeg artists by the name of Lana Winfield will show a few of her abstract artworks. Her paintings delve into  topics like women's issues, body image, global warming, depression, religion, and even history. A graduate from the University of Manitoba with a diploma in art, Winfield shows her compassion to our city's homeless by being part of this exciting event.

Winfield's untitled paintings can be interpreted in various ways. Just because that it doesn't give you a full picture of an actual thing, doesn't necessarily mean that her paintings don't depict actual life itself. In fact, I am challenged to look at abstract art in a different level and try to bring out the emotions and thoughts depicted through  the artwork.

If you are interested to have a look at a couple of Winfield's paintings, come to the "Colours of Hope" and experience our interesting array of original artworks from our different artists.