a. In your own words how would you describe Formalism?

Formalistic work to me, is non-objectionable and abstract. Its main compositional emphasis lies in the way it’s made, its purely visual aspects, and its medium. A Formalistic work is composed of the basic elements: color, line, composition, and texture. These elements constitute the fundamental language of the piece itself. I don’t see there being any ulterior thoughts behind the work, what you see is what you get.

b. Kandinsky, Mondrian and Malevich are all considered to be early Modern Abstractionists. After looking at their art, which artist do you think best fits into your own definition of Formalism and why.

I can really appreciate the way Kandinsky uses color and what seems to be lack of negative space in his works because I feel I tend to do work the under the same guidelines. Kandinsky’s pieces really push the limits of abstraction to their maximum capacity. Compared to realism, I feel as if abstract art is more enjoyable to create. Even though Mondrian and Malevich are both Formalistic artists, I, personally, would rather observe/create art that displayed more freehand and intentional, yet purposeful marks rather than that of the geometric persuasion.

c. Pick one of the aforementioned artists and discuss how their artwork fits into Formalism.

With direct and obvious emphasis on the basic elements of Formalism such as line, color, and composition, Piet Mondrian’s work would probably best represent Formalism. Although I’m not partial to his work, his style almost directly fits what formalist art critics use to examine and analyze works of Formalistic art.

d. Find an artist on The Drawing Center’s Viewing Progam web site that relates to your drawing for this project. How does their art relate to your concept, subject and style?

Travis LeRoy Southwork’s art, as mine, is conceptually driven. I based my candle wax drip art on how much time I waste during the day waiting for the clock to hit an interval of a 5 or 0 in order for me to be productive. Southwork’s art has a minimalist bend to it as they tend to use a limited amount of materials.