ABSTRACTION

art by Libby Mewing

What is non-represenational abstract painting?

All painting is a series of marks on  a 2-D surface,  so in this sense,  all painting is abstract. 

David Hornung, a well known teacher and artist, shares that it is impossible to make a shape or color that does not have a story so that a narrative is implicit in all paintings.  As a viewer we assign qualities and attributes to shapes and color…. ie, an all blue canvas creates an atmosphere of quiet or calm, etc.,

He goes on to say, there is a distinction between subject matter and content.  Subject matter is for pictorial painting (representational).  If the painting is pictorial or referential, it takes the viewer out of the image and into the fictional narrative.

The content of a painting with no subject reference relies on the quality of the experience the viewer has of it (non- representational). If the painting is non-pictorial or non-referential, it takes the viewer inward to their own experience and response. 

In non-representational art, meaning exists in the experience of the doing, namely in the maker.  How the artist responds to the tools, the paints, shapes, colors, and application while creating the marks on the canvas is the artist’s internal experience, a dynamic process of unfolding as choices and responses are made. 

David states that a painting consists of  Subject Matter and Content. and Form.

Form is the structure which is in all paintings.  It is the underlying complexity and formal relationships that hold the painting together which gives it integrity and authenticity.   All enduring paintings have strong form.  Non-referential painting comes alive and gives a strength and clear visceral response when the form is imbued with the painter’s truthfulness.  And, form conveys the subject matter and content with clarity.

In summary, non-representational art is like music without words.  It is an experiential resonance on the psyche that is richly translated into personal engagement with the object. 

The artistic experience of making art is stated so well by another well known artist, Philip Guston:

“When you're in the studio painting, there are a lot of people in there with you - your teachers, friends, painters from history, critics... and one by one if you're really painting, they walk out. And if you're really painting YOU walk out.”

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WANDERING AND WONDERING

Ana Pollak, Siblings , clay wash, oxides & ink with binder on plywood, 24 × 48 inches, 2026

Ana Pollak is an Australian artist who is currently exhibiting her work at Defiance Gallery. Her passion is the Australian landscape where she spends time wandering in the arid land. Her focus for her exhibition is her love of the Desert Oak found in the mid section of her country.

She writes:
“The ancient Desert Oaks of Central Australia are remarkably resilient, capable of living for over 1,000 years. They endure extreme droughts by effectively shutting down, extending their roots up to 15 metres deep in search of water, reducing evaporation with their needle-like foliage.”

Her images reflect her passion, her curiosity, her discoveries and her personal connection to these special trees and landscape.

As the viewer, I am drawn into and fall in love with the dusty diffuse lighting, the interconnection of forms and shapes and the sense of being enveloped in the mystery of a sacred space.

My experience of life and the world is enriched and expanded by her wanderings, her wonder and how she comingles these into personally deep and meaningful art.

Australian Desert Oaks

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BE BRAVE, STAY KIND, MAKE ART…

A photograph from Sundance Ranch, Utah. Photographer, unknown.

”Be brave, stay kind, make art…”  Robert Redford (1936 - 2025)

These were the last words Robert Redford said before he passed away on September 16, 2025.  And, these words is how he lived…..

Robert Redford believed that art is a powerful, essential tool for storytelling, social change, and the expression of the human soul.  He believed that art and nature are deeply interconnected, creating a space for artistic creation that is influenced by the environment.  He believed that taking risks is essential to the creative process and that failure is a part of that journey.

He prioritized authentic self-expression and emotional honesty over the mere factual, using the creative process to convey personal, subjective experiences, inner realities, or deeper, often emotional, truths and giving it a voice. 

Robert Redford’s belief in making art was rooted in the idea that art is a "language of the soul" that has the power to lead social and environmental change. He viewed creativity not just as a profession, but as a vital tool for human connection and cultural stewardship. 

To Redford, the "joy" was found in the "making of something". He believed that once a work is finished, it no longer belongs to the artist but to the audience,

Robert Redford continues to be an inspiration to me as a man who lived through image but sought meaning in invisibility.

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WHAT GOES INTO THE MAKING OF A PAINTING?

One of the most important elements of my painting practice is what I call “ softening.” It is a state of kind and gentle openness.  It is a space where I simply “be”, pure and simple.

It takes time to “soften.”  Daily chores cannot be nagging at me.  The chaos of the outer world must fade knowing it is time to let go.  Then my mind starts to relax so that something larger, something deeper more true can come forth. 

This openness is crucial for me in my work for it is where I connect with the paints, the process, and curiosity.  The outer world drops away and I am only in this moment, the moment of seeing, the moment of doing, the moment of wholeness and oneness. 

I cannot rush the process of creativity but I can relish it and commune with it.  I can respect the materials and let them speak.  I can honor the undeniable strength and the vulnerability of my life as I soften. 

As I soften, there is a surrender to something more powerful, to something larger more encompassing.  When this comes into my work, the art feels more alive and richer and with a voice of its own. 

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Suzanne Jacquot Art