Abstract Thinking

June 23-August 1, 2011

Abstract Thinking is defined as a level of learning about things that are removed from the facts of the ‘here and now’ and from specific examples of the things or concepts being thought about. It involves the ability to reflect on events, ideas and perceived analogies and relationships that others may not see and to apply these reflections to solve problems and test solutions. 

This definition of abstract thinking is an apt one for the process of abstraction as it is expressed in the visual arts. Beginning in the late 19th century the sources of inspiration for many artists shifted from the external world to their personal internal visions and to concerns with the actual material of paint and the act of painting itself rather than the story a painting told. 

While abstraction in the visual arts was and continues to be championed by many artists and the art establishment, however, many viewers have been left scratching their heads, wondering what it is all about. The exhibition Abstract Thinking confronts this perplexity ‘head on’. Featuring the paintings and drawings of Edmonton artists Allen Ball, Jim Corrigan, Scott Cumberland, Nicole Galellis, and Ruby J. Mah, this exhibition examines some of the aims and inspirations behind abstract art production, and the processes used by these artists, in order to gain some understanding of abstraction itself. Through the art works presented in this exhibition, viewers are invited to investigate the origins of this genre of artistic expression and some of the contemporary directions abstraction in the visual arts embraces.