Geometric Abstraction
幾何学的抽象 / 1910s–present / Style / Geometric Abstraction
An abstract style composing with circles, rectangles, lines, grids, repetition, and proportion instead of depicting natural objects. It is an umbrella across De Stijl, Suprematism, Concrete Art, and Hard-Edge, united by geometry and clear boundaries rather than gesture.
Circles, rectangles, lines, and grids as primary forms / Clear boundaries and surface relations over illusionistic depth / Ratio, repetition, rotation, and displacement as rules / Focus produced by relations of color and form without a figurative protagonist
Dictionary entry
- Best used for
- Unifying several media through form, ratio, and repetition · Visualizing relations in science, music, or architecture without figurative illustration
- Type
- Derive type size, leading, and space from the base dimension of the geometry.
- Composition
- Choose one unit and build the surface with no more than two operations among repetition, rotation, and proportional change.
- Material
- Start with flat fields and hard edges; allow paper, paint, or light to vary without breaking the geometric rule.
- Caution
- Scattered shape assets make a generic modern look. When a narrower movement is identifiable, do not use this umbrella to erase its history.
- Further study
- De Stijl, Suprematism and Constructivism / Concrete Art and Hard-Edge painting / global geometric abstraction beyond a single European lineage
Related entries
- Hard-Edge Painting (ハードエッジ・ペインティング)Same Geometric Abstraction lineage.Compare Geometric Abstraction and Hard-Edge Painting
- Concrete Art (コンクリート・アート)Same Geometric Abstraction lineage.Compare Geometric Abstraction and Concrete Art
More from Geometric Abstraction
Continue through styles in the same Geometric Abstraction family, prioritised by shared effects.
- De Stijl (デ・ステイル)Shared effects: Trust / Calm / Technique.
- Neo-Impressionism (新印象主義)Shared effects: Technique / Trust / Calm.
- Unism (ユニスム)Shared effects: Calm / Trust.
Browse all Geometric Abstraction entries
Cite this entry
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- Link
- https://indexstyle.org/styles/geometric-abstraction
- Markdown
- [Geometric Abstraction — IndexStyle](https://indexstyle.org/styles/geometric-abstraction)
- HTML
- <a href="https://indexstyle.org/styles/geometric-abstraction">Geometric Abstraction — IndexStyle</a>