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Representational and Abstract artPiet Mondrian, Composition in red yellow and blue, 1921

Caravaggio, Supper at Emmaus, 1601

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In the Caravaggio painting the composition consists of the arrangement of people and recogniseable objects.The painting clearly represents people sitting around a table things that we could find in the real world.Works like this are called representational or figurative.

The Mondrian painting also involves a composition process, but in this case it is a composition of shapes, lines and colours.The picture seems not to directly represent anything which we would find in the real world.

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Film stills from the film La Jetee.Abstract or representational?

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Photogram by Lazolo Maholy-NagyAbstract or representational?

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Whilst some works are clearly representational and others clearly abstract, many photographs or artworks seem to be representational (figurative), and yet also have an abstract qualityPhoto by Paul Strand

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Photo by Andreas GurskyThis is a photograph of a motor race track in Bahrain.The pattern created by the track produces an abstract quality to the image do you agree or disagree?

Sometimes, the secret to creating a true abstract image is in the cropping what do you leave out and why?7

8When you view a completely abstract image it is usually meaningless to ask what is it of?

Many people today still believe that to qualify as Art, an image or artwork must be representational it must be of something found in the physical world.

In the second half of the 19th century some artists began to break free of this constraint, attempting to produce art which was less of and more about the subject.

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JMW Turner, Rain, steam and speed, 1844

10Claude Monet, Water Lillies, 1915-26

11Photographers in the 1920s started experimenting with the cameras ability to see in new and exciting ways (using startling viewpoints, close-ups, radical framing and so on).They allowed photography to revel in those aspects of the medium which made it different to other artistic media, rather than trying to make their photographs appear like other forms of art, such as painting.

Photo by Steichen

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Photographs by Edward Weston

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Photo by John BaldessariAbstract or representational or . a bit of both?

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Photo by Shomei Tomatsu

How would you describe this image Is it of anything?Is it representational or abstract?

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Photographs by Wolfgang Tillmans

16What are the essential differences between representational and abstract art/photography?

What might abstract photographs be good for? What response do you think they require or ask for?

Abstract Photography

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There are no rules!Abstract photography is unlike most other types of photography - rules, such as composition and accurate focusing hold no values.

The abstract photographer uses his/her creative imagination to create stunning works of art.

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Abstract photography is not necessarily going to mean the same thing to everyone.

Abstract photography leaves more to the imagination and helps us concentrate on texture, pattern and colour rather than the whole subject.

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Abstract photography is a process of using colors and patterns combined to create an image, with no true meaning or no clear subject involved.

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Things to think about:SubjectLighting and shadowsPerspective or point-of-viewFocusShapes and patternsColoursCropping - if you cant get close enough with the camera you can crop in Photoshop later

We all know the importance of light when taking a photograph, but how can we use it creatively?

When your focus is contrast edit into black and white to add a more defined dimension.

Change your perspective and the world looks very different!

Using a slow shutter speed while shooting will change a regular image into abstract .

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The trick to keeping abstract photography attractive when using your cameras' shutter is to crop tightly. Fill the view finder with the blur image.

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Macro abstracts should be cropped tightly and the image could have a theme of colour or texture.

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ObjectiveLook at objects in detail by eliminating backgrounds and focusing on the essence of a subjectStudy and analyze composition, lighting, focus, shapes and patterns to create exciting and unusual imagesBreak down your subjects capturing only the details and end with images that no longer represent the original form