Abstract Art: The Map of the Invisible and the Fictional Architecture of the Mind - Prof. Gülten İmamoğlu

Abstract Art: The Map of the Invisible and the Fictional Architecture of the Mind

Abstract art is not a deliberate departure from the representation of the visible world; on the contrary, it is an attempt to uncover the structural, emotional, and existential layers beneath it. Transcending the boundaries of the figurative, this approach — shaped within the mental and intuitive realm of the artist — is not merely an aesthetic preference but also an ontological inquiry. In this context, abstract art centers not so much on the question "what do we see?" but rather on "how do we perceive?" and "what do we feel?"

            Abstract art, which emerged at the beginning of the 20th       century, can be read as a practice of resistance and reconstruction in the face of modernity's accelerating reality. With the dissolution of representation, art ceases to be an imitation of the external world and begins to produce its own language and its own reality. At this point, the artist is not merely an observer; they are also a founder, a systems designer, and an architect of thought.

It is possible to trace this rupture all the way back to Immanuel Kant's distinction between the "thing in itself" and the "thing as perceived." As Kant pointed out, the world does not appear to us as it is, but through the way our mind processes it. The abstract artist works precisely at this threshold: in the gap between what is seen and what is perceived. This gap is where representation dissolves and a new language is constructed.

Yet a critical question arises here: How does the abstract artist perceive the external world? This perception is not limited to the processing of visual data alone. From a neuroscientific perspective, the abstract artist's mind does not operate through a sharp division between the brain's left and right hemispheres, but rather through a continuous fluidity and interaction between them. The left hemisphere — associated with analytical, discriminatory, and linguistic functions — and the right hemisphere — which governs holistic, intuitive, and relational perception — work simultaneously and alternately throughout the creative process. This enables the artist both to construct a structure and to sense the flow within that structure.

When the abstract artist looks at the external world, they do not perceive objects within fixed and defined categories as most people do. A tree, a building, or a human figure gains meaning for them not primarily through "what it is," but through "how it looks" and "how it feels." Light refractions on surfaces, color transitions, rhythmic repetitions, and voids become more determining than the object itself. For this reason, the abstract artist's perception is not descriptive but transformative. The external world is not taken as it is; it is decomposed into its potential forms and reconstructed in the mind.

This approach also aligns with Henri Bergson's concept of intuition. According to Bergson, reality is grasped not through static objects but through continuity and flux. The abstract artist's perception of the external world is similarly oriented toward this flow. What is seen is not a frozen image but a network of relations in constant change.

The abstract artist's creative process is rarely linear. On the contrary, it is recursive, layered, and experimental in nature. The first gesture or the first mark is often merely a starting point for the final outcome. From that point on, the artist enters into a kind of dialogue with the work. Each intervention both covers and transforms the previous layer. This process also aligns with Martin Heidegger's definition of the artwork as a space of "unconcealment." Here, the work is not merely something that is made; it is also a process that discloses itself and comes into being.

The surface that emerges through this creative practice is not merely an aesthetic space but also a map of thought. Colors, lines, and marks — when brought together — do not simply form a visual whole; they also create a sense of energy flow, rhythm, and direction. At this point, Wassily Kandinsky's concept of "inner necessity" becomes decisive. According to Kandinsky, the artwork is not the result of the external world but of the artist's inner vibrations.

In this respect, abstract art forges a connection between individual experience and a broader sense of existence. When the viewer looks at a work, they do not simply see a composition; they also confront their own mode of perception. This encounter can also be linked to Maurice Merleau-Ponty's theory of embodied perception. According to him, seeing is not a passive act but an active relationship between the body and the world. Abstract art makes this relationship visible.

From a psychological perspective, abstract art plays an important role in making unconscious processes visible. At this point, Carl Gustav Jung's concept of the collective unconscious comes into play. Abstract forms frequently transcend individual experience and produce archetypal images.

In the economic and sociological context, abstract art is one of the most contested yet most influential domains of the art market. This is a field in which value is determined not by objective criteria but largely by contextual, historical, and conceptual references — and when considered alongside Theodor W. Adorno's critiques of the culture industry, it renders visible the nature of art as something that simultaneously resists and is incorporated into the system.

In conclusion, abstract art is not merely a type of art; it is a mode of thinking, a regime of perception, and a practice of existence. While making the invisible visible, it simultaneously reminds us of how limited the visible truly is. The abstract artist does not transmit the external world as it is; they construct a mental architecture that deconstructs, transforms, and rebuilds it. For this reason, abstract art does not offer definitive answers — but it teaches us how to ask the right questions. And perhaps most importantly, it invites the viewer not merely to look, but to truly see.

Prof. Gülten İmamoğlu