Definition

1. Adjective:

   • Relating to or characteristic of abstract art: Describing a style, method, or philosophy that does not attempt to represent external reality or recognizable objects from nature, but instead uses shapes, colors, forms, and gestural marks to achieve its effect.

2. Noun:

   • An artist who creates abstract art: A painter or other visual artist whose work is characterized by abstraction, focusing on non-representational forms and ideas rather than depicting the physical world.

Examples of Usage

• Adjective:

  • The gallery featured an abstractionist exhibition that challenged traditional perspectives.
  • Her abstractionist approach uses color and texture to evoke emotion rather than depict scenes.

• Noun:

  • Wassily Kandinsky is considered a pioneering abstractionist.
  • The abstractionists of the early 20th century broke away from representational conventions.

Advanced Usage

• "Abstractionist movement": Refers to the collective trend or school of thought in art focused on abstraction.

  • The abstractionist movement gained momentum in post-war America.

• "Abstractionist tendencies": Describes the inclinations or characteristics in an artist's work that lean toward abstraction.

  • Even in his figurative work, one can detect strong abstractionist tendencies.

Variants and Related Words

• Abstract (adj/n): The core concept; not concrete or based on specific instances. As a noun, it can refer to a summary or an abstract work of art.
• Abstraction (n): The process or result of considering something independently of its associations or attributes; in art, the style itself.
• Abstract Expressionist (n): A specific movement within abstractionist art, particularly mid-20th century American painting characterized by spontaneous, gestural application of paint.

Synonyms

• Non-representational (adj): Not depicting recognizable objects.
• Non-figurative (adj): Another term for art that does not represent figures or objects.
• Abstract artist (n): A direct synonym for the noun form.

Related Phrases

• To work in an abstractionist mode/vein: To create art in a style characterized by abstraction.
  • In her later years, she began to work in a more abstractionist vein.

Related Idioms

(Note: As a specific artistic term, "abstractionist" is not commonly used in idiomatic expressions. Idioms are more likely to be formed from the root word "abstract.") - In the abstract: Considered theoretically or separately from concrete existence. - The idea sounds good in the abstract, but the practical details are challenging.

Adjective

1. not representing or imitating external reality or the objects of nature
   • a large abstract painting

Noun

1. a painter of abstract pictures