subject: Defining Meanings from Abstract Paintings [print this page] Where To Go From Here Abstract paintings are not something to be taken lightly, nor are they something to over-complicate. You don't want to understate a painting, nor do you want to overstate it. What's important is to recognize that there is much more going on than an artist merely throwing paint at a canvas. There are rules and guidelines that true abstract artists follow. But, like in music, those rules can be bent and adjusted to various degrees to suit the purposes of the artist. And, at the end of the day, it is we lowly viewers who end up having all the power to determine meaning for us. What a beautiful thing that is!
