Abstract art is not a difficult genre to understand and, although some critics might disagree, it usually has a point to express. It's just more symbolic than straightforward.

One of the artists who best understood the abstract style was Jackson Pollock. As a young man, Pollock was drawn to symbolism from a variety of sources, such as Native American culture and Jungian psychology. In 1943, he received a commission from art collector Peggy Guggenheim to create a mural for the collection in her future museum in New York. Around the time of his marriage to fellow artist Lee Krasner, Pollock developed his famous "drip" technique for applying paint onto a canvas. This style allowed Pollock to create several paintings that are now part of the abstract expressionist style.

In his 1956 book My Painting, Pollock describes his own style as being, "I'm not aware of what I'm doing. It is only after a sort of 'get acquainted' period that I see what I have been about. I have no fear of making changes, destroying the image, etc., because the painting has a life of its own. I try to let it come through... there is pure harmony, an easy give and take, and the painting comes out well."

To appreciate abstract art like the kind Pollock created, you have to think outside the box. Instead of being shown a scene or a clear image, what you're seeing on the canvas is an impression or a mood. Try to imagine the mood of the artist as they painted. Examine your own feelings when you look at the painting. Instead of being shown a particular subject, an abstract work of art is a chance to have a dialogue with the art itself. Much like how Pollock immersed himself into the act of painting, you have the chance to immerse yourself in the finished product.

To learn more about abstract art, visit the American Abstract Artists website. You can also find some of Jackson Pollock's paintings in museums like the Museum of Fine Art in Boston, and the Guggenheim Museum and Museum of Modern Art in New York City.

Image by rocor on Flickr