Abstraction

Last night I watched a very interesting documentary on BBC Four entitled The Rules of Abstraction.  It was a fascinating insight into the history of abstract art and also a showcase of contemporary British Abstract artists.

There's a great short film of designer Peter Saville discussing 'Abstraction and Design' on the BBC website.  

I've never thought of my work in terms of Abstract Art, but there are certain principles described in both films that ring true to how I approach making glass.

In the film, Peter Saville, on describing Kasimir Malevich (pioneer of abstract art) he says:

"The important thing about it, it's no longer a painting of anything.  It's of itself.  So this is the point at which the art object is no longer representational. it's an art object in it's own right and this … reductive formula is what goes on to inform how we think about architecture, how we think about design, how we think about products, how we think about making things…"

'Aeroplane Flying', Kasimir Malevich, 1915

Peter Saville, Joy Division Album Cover, 1979