For someone with no education in art and only a smattering of knowledge, I yet still manage to be an art snob. One definition of art that I absolutely love is that "Art communicates with other people. And great art communicates something universal about the human condition." If you look at the greats of painting, you understand their works without needing words. That's why I don't consider abstract art to be "real" art. Each person perhaps - perhaps! - can find meaning in it for themselves. If they want to. If they bother. But there's nothing universal about it. There's nothing about squiggles and lines that speaks to all people equally. There's no substance there that is capable of moving people emotionally.
The attraction of abstract art, then, is that it's tremendous fun to create! It's playtime, an unabashed return to the childhood joy of finger-painting. The fun is all for the painter, and not so much about the viewer.
And that's all right. Nowhere is fun actually against the law. (Although, a toilet displayed in a museum??? Ick. That should carry a substantial fine, at the very least.)
So in the spirit of fun, I dabble in abstraction myself. I'm a great believer in fun. To my mind, there's far too little of it around today. So whatever I can do to find it, and even spread it about, I'm game. May I suggest that you dabble too? Doodle, splash, whatever. There is a lot to be said for spending some quality time with yourself, quietly indulging your creative side. And there's no down side. So have at it. Create. Seek joy. You won't be sorry.
