Thursday 9

"Abstract art is a genre with facets that have developed a keen rapport that plays wonderfully into all of the established interior design plans--from the extreme minimalism offered by such prestigious firms as Minotti to the relaxed formal interiors of the Kreiss collections to the more traditional interiors of say, perhaps, Baker or Ethan and Allen," - Deljou

"It's an exciting time to be in the abstract market," says Steve McKenzie, CEO of Artaissance, an online art publisher that represents more than 110 artists. "All things modern are really resurging with all of the mid-century furniture and clothing. Abstraction is a part of that trend." Today, the market for abstract art is increasing and Mackenzie believes that Generation X is part of the reason for the popularity. He says that those born in the 60's and 70's generally dont like to be told what to do and how to think and this style of art allows them their freedom. Cristi Smith, President of Ford Smith Fine Art believes abstract art is growing in the corporate world too becuase, "Most abstract art is androgynous, not committed to a subject matter and most often not controversial," she says. "This is a huge appeal to this audience."
Trends are hard to distinguish becuase the abstract market is so broad. Randy Hibberd, an abstract artist represented by Third & Wall Art Group has noticed a few trends himself. He has seen more abstracted landscapes being created and he has also pointed out the trend of oversized work. The palettes for abstracts are changing to more sophisticated, muted tones. He believes that peoples understanding for this style of art will continue to expand.

This article was entirely about painting but the same issues exisit in my work dealing with photography. Its good to know that abstract art is continuing to grow in the marketing world. Its hard for a lot of people to understand the meanings behind abstract art. These types of images deal more with light, space, and shadows rather than content. Its not a style thats appreciated by everyone but its something im really attracted to and I think my work will stay in this direction.

Hilary Masell Oswald "Into Abstraction : Abstract art crosses new boundaries". Art Business News. FindArticles.com. 24 Oct. 2008. http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0HMU/is_3_35/ai_n24940802