Understanding life through abstract art the concept will help you correlate these two concepts that seem unrelated at first glance.
Abstraction is not a lack of form, aesthetics, or meaning. Abstraction is before any given attribute. What is beautiful, meaningful, and impactful are all attributes that the mind gives to the different phenomena. When we say something is abstract, it is synonymous with abstract art, but it’s present in many fields. From psychoanalytic, painting to music. Some artists saw abstract art as equivalent to life. A Soviet constructivist painter Vladimir Tatlin saw his art as: “no longer something remote, but life itself.” Although some may see a lack of form or predetermined rules in abstract art as chaotic, the lack of restraints gave Tatlin the freedom to express his ideas, free of worries to conform to any rules.
To be abstract is to alter the standard forms and concepts we encounter in our lives. We depart from so-called reality into the realms of the unknown, which is our true home. Because the unknown is infinite and contains all that is known. That is the reason why when something is abstract, it contains a part of the infinite in itself.
Besides visual arts, music and poetry can be abstract too.
Abstract music is also known as atonal music - it's a composition that lacks a tonal centre and doesn't utilise diatonic harmony but focuses on the free flow of music. It relies more on the atmosphere than on the conventional song structure. This type of music usually falls under the category of trippy, dreamy, and psychedelic.
In abstract poetry, the function of the words is not to convey the message. Focus isn’t on the meaning of the words, it’s on the sound, and the impact of the words on the reader or listener. Abstract poetry is used as an instrument to set an atmosphere or trigger certain feelings rather than a tool for communication.
Abstract visual art distorts concepts and ideas and changes their conventional meaning. Usually, the abstract presentation of the shape doesn’t represent the visual reality but distorts it, highlighting certain aspects overlooked at first glance. Seeing things from a distorted perspective can help us attain a holistic picture of our surroundings.
Can our everyday lives be abstract?
In everyday life, to be abstract is not to go off but to see beyond the myopic vision of ego. What the ego perceives as abstract is only seemingly so because the ego is interested in self-centeredness, identification, comparison, and the illusion of duality.
When we break free from our conditioning, depart from our old way of being, and lean towards our true nature, we may get confused because the ego will do its best to put us back on the old path.
In reality, we haven’t changed the path at all, a shift of focus has occurred, and we see that we are where we always have been. In the indefinite space that contains everything, we perceive to be.
It’s the place we all come from. As Jesus said, “You are in this world but not of this world.”
As beings in this world, our senses are limited. Our senses form our perception, and our perception influences our focus of attention and set of actions. Considering the limits of our senses, If we don’t accompany logic with intuition or sixth sense, we may end up misled.
On the other hand, the psychic realm has a limitless potential to expand when our mind is not absorbed in the self-obsessed ego mechanism. Living by our true nature is possible.
Sometimes the missing piece, an idea or an opportunity, may appear in our minds as abstract with no parallel in the physical realm, but if it is in our minds - it can also manifest in our lives.