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World of Art
Abstract Art
An exceptionally clear, thorough, and well- illustrated introduction to abstract art since 1900.
Since the early years of the twentieth century, Western abstract art has fascinated, outraged, and bewildered audiences. Its path to acceptance within the artistic mainstream was slow. This revised edition traces the origins and evolution of abstract art, placing it in broad cultural context.
Well-respected scholar Anna Moszynska examines the pioneering work of Hilma af Klint, Wassily Kandinsky, Kazimir Malevich, and Piet Mondrian alongside the Russian Constructivists, the De Stijl group, and the Bauhaus artists, contrasting European geometric abstraction in the 1930s and '40s with the emphasis on personal expression after World War II. Op, kinetic, and minimal art of the postwar period is discussed and illustrated in detail, and new chapters bring the account up to date, exploring the crisis in abstraction of the 1980s and its revival—in paint, fabric, sculpture, and installation—in recent decades.
The first edition of Abstract Art, published in 1990, was acclaimed by reviewers. Revised with extensive updates, this book includes new chapters on recent trends and offers fully global coverage of art produced in North and South America, Europe, China, Korea, and the Middle East. Now in full color and comprehensively revised, it will serve as the best introduction to abstract art for a new generation.
Since the early years of the twentieth century, Western abstract art has fascinated, outraged, and bewildered audiences. Its path to acceptance within the artistic mainstream was slow. This revised edition traces the origins and evolution of abstract art, placing it in broad cultural context.
Well-respected scholar Anna Moszynska examines the pioneering work of Hilma af Klint, Wassily Kandinsky, Kazimir Malevich, and Piet Mondrian alongside the Russian Constructivists, the De Stijl group, and the Bauhaus artists, contrasting European geometric abstraction in the 1930s and '40s with the emphasis on personal expression after World War II. Op, kinetic, and minimal art of the postwar period is discussed and illustrated in detail, and new chapters bring the account up to date, exploring the crisis in abstraction of the 1980s and its revival—in paint, fabric, sculpture, and installation—in recent decades.
The first edition of Abstract Art, published in 1990, was acclaimed by reviewers. Revised with extensive updates, this book includes new chapters on recent trends and offers fully global coverage of art produced in North and South America, Europe, China, Korea, and the Middle East. Now in full color and comprehensively revised, it will serve as the best introduction to abstract art for a new generation.
437 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 17, 1990
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199 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
April 18, 2013
I always thought that Mondrian must be good for something
January 7, 2026
The book tries to tackle abstract art in a pretty advanced way, and often reads like a boring art school lecture - somewhat informative, yes, but with nowhere near enough visual support. The author refers to works that aren't reproduced more often than to those that are. The semi-academic style of writing is heavy on terminology and quite dense, although monotonous. While I found parts of it enjoyable, it gives the impression of trying very hard to be serious and not always getting there.
However, one thing that really hurt the book's credibility for me was the author calling Kazymyr Malevych and some others Russian artists in the section on the birth of avant-garde. That is simply false, and seeing that in an edition published as recently as 2020 was genuinely infuriating. It's a careless mistake that is hard to ignore. Makes me question how attentively the book was edited.
Overall, it feels less like a read and more like a “collect them all to look cute on the shelf” token. Fairly, just like the rest of the series.
A bit sloppy inside, and not especially innovative, but still engaging enough and informative, with an undoubtedly pretty cover. All that said, still had a good time with it, even if I'm also annoyed by it.
However, one thing that really hurt the book's credibility for me was the author calling Kazymyr Malevych and some others Russian artists in the section on the birth of avant-garde. That is simply false, and seeing that in an edition published as recently as 2020 was genuinely infuriating. It's a careless mistake that is hard to ignore. Makes me question how attentively the book was edited.
Overall, it feels less like a read and more like a “collect them all to look cute on the shelf” token. Fairly, just like the rest of the series.
A bit sloppy inside, and not especially innovative, but still engaging enough and informative, with an undoubtedly pretty cover. All that said, still had a good time with it, even if I'm also annoyed by it.
March 2, 2025
Anna Moszynska's "Abstract Art" offers a comprehensive and well-structured history of the movement, providing a relatively chronological account that helps demystify a complex artistic evolution. The book’s greatest strength lies in its thoroughness, carefully tracing the development of abstraction and contextualizing its many variations.
However, the book leans heavily into an academic tone, often reading more like a textbook than an engaging narrative. The dense, theoretical discussions—especially the often esoteric justifications offered by abstract artists for their work—can make it challenging to absorb. Unfortunately, the author’s writing style does little to ease this complexity, making the subject matter feel more impenetrable than it needs to be.
While invaluable for scholars or those deeply invested in the intellectual underpinnings of abstract art, casual readers may find it a demanding and, at times, inaccessible read.
However, the book leans heavily into an academic tone, often reading more like a textbook than an engaging narrative. The dense, theoretical discussions—especially the often esoteric justifications offered by abstract artists for their work—can make it challenging to absorb. Unfortunately, the author’s writing style does little to ease this complexity, making the subject matter feel more impenetrable than it needs to be.
While invaluable for scholars or those deeply invested in the intellectual underpinnings of abstract art, casual readers may find it a demanding and, at times, inaccessible read.
January 25, 2016
I like the writing style of Prof Anna, clear and improvising. However, the material can be overwhelming, had to constantly look back to review those detailed info. Overall it is a decent intro of abstract art movement, very informative.
July 15, 2022
I have finally gotten around to reading this book, despite owning it for 32 years.
Although patchy at times, it does provide a good overview on the origins, development, and underlying principles behind 20th century abstract art.
Thanks to the internet, it is easy to research the names and artistic movements quoted throughout the book. This helps bring the references to the artists and their work alive. Unfortunately this feature that was not available when I first used this book for study. Instead, it meant hours of trawling through piles of books in reference libraries to glean the same information.
However, the bibliography is comprehensive enough to roads to provide a deeper examination of the themes discussed in the book.
Although patchy at times, it does provide a good overview on the origins, development, and underlying principles behind 20th century abstract art.
Thanks to the internet, it is easy to research the names and artistic movements quoted throughout the book. This helps bring the references to the artists and their work alive. Unfortunately this feature that was not available when I first used this book for study. Instead, it meant hours of trawling through piles of books in reference libraries to glean the same information.
However, the bibliography is comprehensive enough to roads to provide a deeper examination of the themes discussed in the book.
March 4, 2024
Sufrí un poco leyéndolo porque se me hizo eterno... se siente como si solo escupiera fechas y nombres de artistas. Lo peor, sin duda, es que le dedique media página a hablar del arte de fuera de Europa. Bof.
March 28, 2018
Not as good as I'd hoped, but still enthusiastic.
November 7, 2020
Abstract Art... detailed and well researched guide through art's history, providing reasoning and explanation to why certain works were created and how artists portrayed the works relevant to the times. Would have enjoyed seeing more of the works described in the text.
January 12, 2009
Nothing exciting, but got a general overview of the history of abstract art, and more of an idea about what abstract artists over this century were trying to accomplish.
April 16, 2009
It's a good book to learn about the history and evolution of abstract art. The author has made it very concise and simple to understand.
June 27, 2020
A brilliant introduction to abstract art in the Western tradition. Great for art students or for a general refresher with a generous selection of further reading ideas.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews