What is Abstract Realism?

Abstract Realism is the infusion of the elements of design with the depiction of real life
in visual art.

Abstract Realism is an art movement that is not easily defined because it is a marriage
of two contradictory terms, Abstract art and Realistic Art. Abstract art has no reference
to real objects. The abstract artist uses lines, shapes, colors, textures and patterns to
create a rhythm. They will look for balance color value and sizes of shapes and lines.
Their focus is on the elements and principals of design to give a visual sensory
impression of feelings, thoughts or experiences. Realism attempts to capture real life
moments in time, an image and the personality of individuals or objects who resemble
real life.

After the invention of the camera artists moved away from realism and experimented
with depicting feelings and concepts in their works. Those first playful and emotional
experiments were called Expressionism and Impressionism. Artists infused their
thoughts, feelings, emotions, and inner thoughts into their paintings of real life objects.
This was the birth of the current term Abstract Realism. The idea of infusing design
elements while referring to the real world has grown and evolved throughout the
history of visual art and has founded many different movements.

There was no longer a need for an artists to capture the image of a beloved person or
the history of the time. The photographer was taking over that market and also
inspiring the creative and innovative 19 th century artist. Photographers are no longer
just interested in just capturing a moment in time, they want to emote and inspire.
Their choice of compositional angles and the editing process creates a new image or
piece of art out of the real life image, abstracting reality.

 Although all of his paintings have a very similar technique to them Farewell to Anger stands-out
from the rest . Afremov’s use of the one point perspective really draws the viewer’s eyes down
the the one pathway of the painting. It makes you want to know what is down the the rest of the
path. The two people walking in the painting, seem to be walking away from a past life, that may
have been filled with anger or unpleasent memories. It appears now the two people seem to
walking towards the light at the end of the pathway, and entering into a future filled with
positive hopes.