Final answer:
Piet Mondrian's quote relates to the core principles of abstract art, which focuses on line and color rather than representational imagery. Mondrian's 'Composition with Yellow, Blue and Red' exemplifies this, showcasing the non-figurative approach that characterized modernist abstract art. There is no single definition of abstraction due to the diversity of styles and movements under its umbrella.
Step-by-step explanation:
Piet Mondrian's assertion that 'All painting – the painting of the past as well as of the present shows us that its essential plastic means are only line and color' underscores the philosophical foundations of abstract art, which emerged forcefully in the first half of the twentieth century. Abstract art represents a departure from representational accuracy to emphasize geometric shapes, lines, and colors, as seen in Mondrian's Composition with Yellow, Blue and Red (1937-42). This shift reflects a broader modernist movement that sought to express ideas and emotions independent of the visual reality, involving artists like Wassily Kandinsky and moments like Dada, Surrealism, and Cubism.
Abstract art cannot be confined to a single definition as it encompasses various movements and styles, each with unique characteristics and philosophies. Notably, during the 1920s and 30s, and amidst societal upheavals like the Great Depression and the approach of World War II, artists used abstraction to convey complex, often political or emotional content beyond traditional figurative representation. Mondrian, Kandinsky, and others, paved the way with their works that stripped down visual elements to basic components such as color fields, lines, and shapes.
For example, Mondrian's piece employs a grid of black lines and rectangles of primary colors to manifest the purism of abstract art, which focuses on the essential visual elements of form and color without depicting actual objects. The interplay of color and line in these pieces was part of a broader movement towards minimalism and the exploration of visual art that can engage viewers beyond representational content, as seen in the varied practices of Abstract Expressionism and Color-Field Painting