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	Abstract art. Term applied in its strictest sense to forms of 20th-century Western art that reject representation and have no starting- or finishing-point in nature. As distinct from processes of abstraction from nature or from objects (a recurring tendency across many cultures and periods that can be traced as far back as Palaeolithic cave painting), abstract art as a conscious aesthetic based on assumptions of self-sufficiency is a wholly modern phenomenon. See also ABSTRACTION.
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	Abstract art Arp, Hans Colour, §I, 4: Western world, 20th century: Abstract art Concrete art Industrial scenes, §2: Depictions of industrial landscape Metamorphism Monochrome Science and art, §2(i): Mathematics and visual harmony Symbolism, §3: Characteristics of Symbolism art forms drawings Eggeling, Viking painting De Kooning: (1) Willem de Kooning, §2: Mature work, c 1945 and after Representation, §1: Intuitions about representation Representation, §5: Representation and perception Still-life, §3: 18th century and after Australia Australia, §III, 2(ii): Painting and graphic arts, after c 1900 Johnson, George Henry Maistre, Roy de Wakelin, Roland Bolivia Bolivia, §III, 2: Painting and graphic arts, after 1825 Canada Macdonald, Jock Denmark Lundstrøm, Vilhelm England England, §III, 6: Painting and graphic arts, after c 1914 Pasmore, Victor Finland Finland, §III, 2: Painting and graphic arts, after c 1840 France Delaunay (ii): (1) Robert Delaunay, §2: `Constructive’ phase, 1912–14 Dubuffet, Jean, §3: Themes and techniques Gleizes, Albert Hartung, Hans Mathieu, Georges Matisse, Henri, §5: 1910–17 Matisse, Henri, §8: 1940–54 Poliakoff, Serge Soulages, Pierre Tachism Villon, Jacques Wols Germany Expressionism, §1(i)(b): Origins and developments in Germany: Artists’ groups Hölzel, Adolf Kandinsky, Vasily, §1: Early years and Munich, before 1914 Kandinsky, Vasily, §3: The Bauhaus period, 1922–33 Kandinsky, Vasily, §4: Paris, 1934–44 Music and art, §4: 20th century Nay, Ernst Wilhelm Japan Kim Hwan-gi Jordan Durra, Muhanna Mexico Felguérez, Manuel Netherlands, the Moderne Kunstkring Netherlands, the, §III, 7(i): Painting, video film and photography, after c 1900 New Zealand New Zealand, §III, 2: Painting and graphic arts, 1900 and after Paraguay Paraguay, §IV, 2: Painting, graphic arts, sculpture and pottery, after c 1811 Russia Goncharova, Natal’ya, §1(iv): Life and work, 1929–62 Goncharova, Natal’ya, §2: Working methods and technique Switzerland Giacometti: (2) Augusto Giacometti Klee, Paul, §1(iv): Last years in Switzerland, 1933–40 United States of America Albers: (1) Josef Albers Avery, Milton Diebenkorn, Richard Dove, Arthur Kelly, Ellsworth Mondrian, Piet, §I, 3: Later career, after c 1924 Post-painterly Abstraction Reinhardt, Ad USA, §III, 3: Painting and graphic arts: Modernism, to World War II prints Russia, §IV, 2(iii): Painting, graphic arts and sculpture, c 1900–1916 sculpture Australia Australia, §IV, 2: Sculpture, after c 1900 Austria Austria, §IV, 5: Sculpture, after c 1900: Modern developments Belgium Belgium, §IV, 5: Sculpture, after c 1900 Bolivia Bolivia, §IV: Sculpture England Caro, Anthony Japan Japan, §V, 6(iii)(b): Sculpture: Late Showa period Norway Haukeland, Arnold Norway, §IV, 3: Sculpture, after 1814 Spain Oteiza, Jorge Switzerland Switzerland, §IV: Sculpture United States of America Newman, Barnett, §3: Later work and influence, after 1955 collections Rebay, Hilla exhibitions Zwemmer, Anton regional traditions Denmark Bille, Ejler Germany Expressionism, §1(ii): International developments and legacy Zen 49 Iceland Ágústsson, HörEur Russia Malevich, Kazimir Spain Miró, Joan Uruguay Taller Torres García

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