Printables to Teach Kids About Abstract Artists
Published:
January 1, 2020
Contributor:
Jeannette Tuionetoa
Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, meaning if you decide to make a purchase via my links, I may earn a commission at no additional cost to you. See my disclosure for more info.
Out of all the different types of art, abstract art is the most interesting to me. Abstract art can have different and varying meanings to those who are observing, as well as the artists who created the work. It is all about perspective. If you want to explore an eccentric type of artistry with your kids, these printables to teach kids about abstract artists will help.
[series_meta]
Unlike learning about other types of art like realism or impressionism, kids can actually create something totally unique to them and the world. It doesn’t have to make sense or fit in a certain box.
Abstract art, a 20th-century invention, is absolutely modern and has no roots in any earlier art form. It also originated in New York, and that is where I am from. Of course, I am slightly biased.
Pablo Picasso summed up abstract art perfectly in this statement:
“Everyone wants to understand art. Why not try to understand the song of a bird? …people who try to explain pictures are usually barking up the wrong tree.”
We can try to “teach” abstract art all we want, but it truly has to be a personal journey for our kids. Trying to explain abstract art will be nothing short of inadequate. What a piece may make one person feel, may be precisely the opposite of what another person feels.
I am particularly intrigued by that dichotomy. Instead of trying to understand the art, it can be a reflection of your own views – no matter what piece it is. Abstract art dissects what the eye sees as a norm into the not so normal.
It allows kids to explore their assumptions and come up with meaning or conclusions. Art is an experience rather than something we have to do or task to complete.
I read on ArtistFun.com, this wonderful idea of how we, as spectators, should see abstract art:
Look at abstract art in the same way that you would listen to a symphony. When you listen to music, you don’t try to hold on to the notes – you let them wash over you. Let your eyes wander over the painting the way the notes of a symphony wash over your soul. Let your eyes play with the painting, slipping around corners, following the twirls, twists, and turns, dipping in and out of the surface. Let your eyes dance around the piece.
An abstract artist takes us through a journey very much his own and very much our own and none of which has to be the same. To me, this is a perfect description of how we should view art. We also need to be okay with some people not “getting” it. It isn’t for everyone, yet it is worth exploring in your homeschool.
I love the idea of letting the details a painting, allow a viewer to come up with a diagnosis, a remedy, an answer, a question…
Most abstract artists could have drawn anything they wanted, yet they chose to draw what came to their mind – no matter whether people would “understand” it or not. It is creativity at its finest.
Here are a few FREE activities you can do with your homeschool to explore abstract art from TeachKidsArt.net:
An Abstract “Musical Composition”
Recycled Assemblage Sculptures Inspired by Louise Nevelson
These printables will help teach your kids about abstract artists:
Roll & Draw Pages Abstract Art and Picasso Face Roll & Draw Activity | Expressive Monkey-The Art Teacher’s Little Helper
Art Lesson Bundle Abstract Art For Kids Inspired by Chagall, Kandinsky, Matisse | Renee Goularte Creating Art With Kids
Hey Kids, Meet Pablo Picasso FREE Resources | Making Art Fun
Mary Blair Abstract Art and Alexander Calder Abstract Art | Deep Space Sparkle
Henri Matisse Curriculum & Art Projects for Kids | Meet the Masters
Henri Matisse for Kids | Smart Kids Worksheets
FREE Mini Art Cards and Worksheets (Matisse) | Artsy Craftsy Mom
Wassily Kandinsky Coloring Sheet, Word Search, Worksheet | Sarah Munter Creative Educator
Kandinsky Inspired Apple Art | Arty Crafty Kids
Abstract Artists- Famous Artists Art Unit- Mondrian – Picasso – Pollock BUNDLE | Magic Spells for Teachers
These printables will allow your kids to practice abstract art at home:
AP Art or Advanced Art: Abstract Acrylic Painting, What Is Abstract? | Look Between the Lines
Draw an Abstract Self Portrait | Art Projects for Kids
Art Lesson: Abstract Portrait – Sub Plans, Early Finishers, No Prep | Party in the Art Room
Cubist Clover: St. Patrick’s Day Abstract Art For Kids | Woo! Jr. Kids Activities
Art Abstract Coloring Pages {FREE Kids Printable} | Kidsactivities.com
Abstract Art Mini-Unit | HappyRock Creations
FREE Sample Abstract Art Coloring Page
Books about Abstract Art and Abstract Artists:
Creating Abstract Art: Ideas and Inspirations for Passionate Art-MakingAbstract AmericaAbstract Painting and the Minimalist Critiques: Robert Mangold, David Novros, and Jo Baer in the 1960s (Routledge Advances in Art and Visual Studies)Art That Changed the World: Transformative Art Movements and the Paintings That Inspired ThemAbstract Art (World of Art)Abstracts In Acrylic and Ink: A Playful Painting WorkshopAbstract Painting: Concepts and TechniquesThe Joy of Art: How to Look At, Appreciate, and Talk about Art
Abstract art can leave some of us scratching our heads. That is a certainty. It also can leave us with feelings we will never forget. The beauty or lack thereof is genuinely in the eye of the beholder. Abstract artists almost make the viewers a part of their work.
I wish I would have been exposed to more art when I was growing up in New York. What I wouldn’t have given to experience art galleries in my youth. If your family doesn’t get the opportunity to visit a live abstract art gallery, then do the next best thing. Study abstract artists and art with your kids and allow them to at least learn about abstract art right from home.