Final answer:
Abstraction in art signifies the simplification of complex subjects, departing from realistic depictions towards a more conceptual representation of forms, colors, and lines.
Step-by-step explanation:
Abstraction in art can be defined as simplifying complex subjects. Abstract art uses a visual language of form, color, and line to create compositions that may or may not have a degree of independence from visual references in the world. It is a style that departs from the precisely configured, employs a variety of techniques, and is sometimes referred to as non-representational art. Unlike representational art, which seeks to recreate our visual experience closely to reality, abstract art exaggerates or transforms visual elements to present a reality that differs from our typical expectations. Movements such as Color-field painting and Abstract Expressionism revolutionized the use of paint and techniques, moving away from traditional methods and focusing on the emotional and aesthetic potential of abstraction.