Geometric Abstraction

Geometric abstraction emerged as a pioneering art form that defied traditional conventions of representation by employing elementary geometric shapes within nonillusionistic spaces, forming nonobjective compositions. It evolved as a natural progression from the Cubist movement, which was initiated by Pablo Picasso and Georges Braque in 1907–8. This art movement revolutionized the depiction of reality by rejecting the imitation of the visual world in favor of a flat, planar approach characterized by overlapping frontal surfaces held together by a linear grid. This Analytic Cubist phase was followed by Synthetic Cubism in 1912–14, introducing flatly painted synthesized shapes, abstract space, and constructional elements.

Geometric abstraction became a hallmark of modern art, emphasizing the exploration of form, materials, and spatial relationships. This artistic transformation took on distinct stylistic expressions across Europe and Russia. In the Netherlands, Piet Mondrian and the De Stijl group aimed to convey “absolute reality” through pure geometric forms, straight lines, and primary colors, while in Russia, Kazimir Malevich introduced Suprematism with nonobjective compositions. Vladimir Tatlin pioneered three-dimensional geometric abstraction using industrial materials in his painterly reliefs, which influenced the Russian Constructivist movement. The Bauhaus in Germany played a pivotal role in promoting geometric abstraction across various disciplines, including painting, architecture, and design. In France, geometric abstraction influenced Art Deco during the 1920s, while in the United States, it found a home with groups like the American Abstract Artists and artists like Josef Albers and Piet Mondrian, ultimately shaping the Minimalist art of the 1960s.