What's in a Name

Since my last post, I have received a comment which encourages me to think that I have "followers" who provide intelligent and constructive critiques which is exactly what I want. In the last post, I spoke of my diptych painting as non-objective and then proceeded to give it a very descriptive title. The comment was as follows: "If the end result is to be non-objective, then you cannot give it a title that points to a recognizable object or objects. If you were thinking “sea” or “waves” while painting and you choose to name it thus, then it is an abstract."  Very well put and so true!

What's in a name???I like this very all-encompassing  definition - abstraction indicates a departure from reality in depiction of imagery in art. Abstraction exists along a continuum; abstract art can formally refer to compositions that are derived (or abstracted) from a figurative or other natural source. It also can refer to non-representational art and non-objective art that has no derivation from figures or objects. 

This discussion points to the importance of knowing what your objective (forgive the choice of word)  is before you begin to paint and to reflect on the impact of the title, if you choose to use one.  Titles of course are another whole topic for another post.
To add clarity to the concept of "non-objective", here is a very clear and colourful example from Kadinsky:

Yellow Red and Blue  1925

Circus 7

Another example of non-objective painting by the painter and author of the comment - Tony Cook.

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A Dip Into Diptychs and More

I am continuing my exploration of  non-objective  paintings.  Below is my first diptych. One advantage of this approach is that it allows for greater ease of handling a larger painting because it is in two sections. This painting is composed of two size  24 x 24" canvases. Another advantage is that hopefully the two paintings can be separated and can stand alone if that is the preference.
The challenge is to maintain continuity and harmony between the two sections of the painting and yet have section work as a separate composition.

Sea

Older diptychs were often of a religious nature and were attached together by a hinge. Modern diptychs may not be hinged and simply intended to be hung together. A famous modern painting of Marilyn Monroe in this format was by Andy Warwhol.

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