The Poetic Charge Behind Abstraction 📰

What Is a Poetic Charge?

Abstraction and poetry have a deeply interconnected relationship that only a few can understand. When poets arrange words on a paper, they invite our minds to interpret the meaning behind what we are reading. An electrical activity travels our creative mind to boost the process. When we finally comprehend the astoundingly hidden denotations behind the masterpiece, our brain releases pleasure-inducing chemicals, and we feel the beauty and rhythm of what we experienced. That’s referred to as the ‘poetic charge.’

How Is Poetic Charge Related to Abstraction?

Abstract paintings also possess a poetic charge. However, colors, textures, and shapes are used in the art of abstraction instead of words. For example, when we see an apple, light hits its surface, and the image reflects back to our retinas. Our brain analyzes the colors and shape and immediately informs us of the object lying in front of our eyes. 

While optical science is precisely the same when we look at abstract arts, our brains need to put a great deal of effort into understanding what it is seeing. It has to engage with its neurological side to ascertain the conceptual sense of colors, shapes, lines, textures, and many other things. However, once we finally arrive at the message or idea in a painting, our mind gives way to the same poetic charge of rhythm, wonder, and beauty.

The Factors Contributing to the Poetic Charge Behind Abstraction

Whether we are talking about an abstract painting or an abstract print, both can exude a poetic charge in our brain that fills us with happy emotions and a sense of satisfaction. There are a few factors that contribute to these feelings and make our brains respond the way they do:

1- Uniqueness

An artist’s painting can be created in multiple ways, each distinct to others. Because an abstract painting is a one-off, there’s more poetic charge to it than a print. Human minds respond intuitively to rare things. Ergo, if a viewer knows that they can find the same object somewhere else, the excitement and awe vanish. 

An abstract print can be found in multiple places, as the painters remake the same painting repeatedly. Still, it doesn’t lose its authenticity because it is not a reproduction. There will always be inevitable deviations each time the artist reworks his painting.

2- Medium

Human minds also respond differently to various art mediums. The way light interacts with a specific surface coated with ink, paint, charcoal, or any other medium is something an artist thinks about before they start painting. 

Similarly, abstract paintings and prints involve different tools to make a unique statement. A perfect medium and tool need to be chosen to amplify a painting or print’s poetic charge to connect with the viewers.

3- Flatness and Impasto

How the chosen medium is applied to the canvas is another significant factor in how the viewer perceives art. The flatness refers to the quality of paint that sticks to a canvas without making any prominent depth. On the other hand, impasto means that the paint’s texture is thickly layered to give it a more detailed depth. 

Whether a painting is flat upon surface or impasto, abstraction doesn’t lose its poetic charge. Both can be highly desirable qualities, just with a distinct aura that affects viewers’ minds differently.

4- The Edge

When artists paint, they often prefer to go beyond the edge of the canvas. For instance, they may drip paint onto the side of the canvas to express their freedom. This ‘perfect’ imperfection can also cause a poetic charge that magnificently conveys passion, agency, and energy to the audience. 

The way abstract arts involve the viewer’s emotions using different techniques and mediums is impossible to ignore. The poetic charge behind each painting and print open our hearts to new feelings, welcoming the sense of calm, comfort, and fascination simultaneously!