Abstract art is art that does not attempt to represent an accurate
depiction of a visual reality but instead uses shapes, colours, forms and
gestural marks to achieve its effect. The style evolved throughout the
1900s, giving way to sister movements such as Expressionism, Abstract
Expressionism, Cubism, Orphism, Suprematism, Constructivism, Automatism,
Colour-Field Painting, and more still. Prior to the 20th century these
abstract elements were employed by artists to describe, illustrate, or
reproduce the world of nature and of human civilization—and exposition
dominated over expressive function. Abstract art in its strictest sense
has its origins in the 19th century.
