Final answer:
Alfred Dove took a significant risk by pioneering early American abstraction, moving away from figurative representation, and inviting personal interpretation of his abstract works, departing from the narrative clarity and realism of early American art.
Step-by-step explanation:
Alfred Dove took a risk with his art by being one of the few American artists who embraced abstraction at an early stage. This transformation included moving away from the traditional easel and brush and using his whole body to paint, which challenged the conventions of figurative representation and Western artistic traditions. Moreover, Dove implicitly invited viewers to form their own personal interpretations of his abstract works, thus participating in the creative process themselves. This approach was a significant departure from the narrative clarity and realism that were emphasized in early American art.
Artists like Dove were part of a broader movement in which experimentation with the idea of art became prevalent. They used various materials and pursued innovative artistic expressions, such as collage techniques and assemblages, reflecting a criticism against existing power structures. Such experimentation also included the use of bold colors and geometric forms, as seen in the works of Ellsworth Kelly, who sought to find pure forms derived from his visual experience of the world around him.
Summing up, Alfred Dove took a risk with his art by:
- Experimenting with creating the visual equivalents of phenomena,
- Being fascinated by the internal expression rather than the external world,
- Being one of the few to explore early American abstraction.
Therefore, the best answer to the question is 'C' - he was one of the few American artists to experiment with abstraction early on.