Big shapes.

Big shapes, hardy colors and intriguing textural surfaces--these are just a certain of the characteristics of abstract art. nevertheless nowadays, there is an uncharacteristic tend in abstract art sales. In years past, skittish collectors have shied away from abstracts during economic slumps

"That's not real right now," said Cynthia Shinn, vice president of Atlantic Arts. "When the market is tough, representational work usually exchanges well. Considering the tough times, the demand [for abstracts] has been steady." Amy Wesson of Bruce McGaw Graphics agreed, as do several other publishers, dealers and artists around the land Changes in home decor and an increased public understanding and acceptance of abstracts have made this art genre a stable vender they said.

"We carry other works, moreover abstracts are up, especially with the corporate market," said Terry Sproull co-owner of Contemporary West Fine Art, "though we papal court some [abstracts] going into homes" Sproull reported this upon a day when he had sold pair 4- by 6-foot abstracts to J Lowak Fine Art, an Austin Gallery. proprietor Janie Lowak purchased the art to journey into a client's home in southern Texas.

Abstract artist Simone DeSousa reported "phenomenal" sales this last year. equal though a friend told her that her big, audacious architectural-influenced abstracts were more fitting for corporate than residential settings, "every single sale has been private," said DeSousa about sales this past year. "They were all at least 4 through 4 feet or bigger."

Abstracts for Everyone

Abstraction began in the latter part of the 19th hundred years as artists ventured further away from straight representation. Artists stylized their figures and landscapes, provoking speculation through line, form and color. by dint of the mid-20th century, Willem de Kooning, Mark Rothko and Jackson Pollock among others, left representation behind, expressing their ideas completely in consequence of shape, texture and color.

a people applauded their efforts and rest the work intriguing. Others fix it pompous and ludicrous, creating a rift between those following contemporary art and hearthstone styles and those who continued to cling to more traditional art and dwelling environments. One can't make similar generalizations today. Thumbing through any fresh issue of Architectural Digest, the same sees abstracts going into traditional family circles and vice versa. "Abstracts can travel in traditional or contemporary homes" said Peter Clough of Arts Alive! "Actually, they can fit in just about anywhere."

passing from hand to hand trends in home environments make it easier for art buyer to mix and match forms "At High Point, some of the greatest in number popular furniture was big, dark brown leather couches," said Joanne Chappell of Drybrush Graphics, a division of Editions Limited. Big abstracts fare perfectly over them, she added. When you corrupt a big simple piece, you can perfection it with an abstract. Abstracts are easy to use in the dwelling environment--they're dean, and they're colorful."

Exactly who purchases abstracts? "Obviously, corporate [clients]" said Chappell, "but I'm seeing them sold across the board." Many dealers describe abstract buyer as young, affluent, upwardly-mobile business executives, on the contrary Chappell said that's not necessarily to such a degree She sold one recently to a next to the first grade teacher in Sacramento.

"They're highly big in corporate sales," said Clough "In doctor's and lawyer's offices, you don't find a allotment other than abstracts, particularly in hallways and public areas. For decorative meanings it's what architects and designers pick."

What's Selling

In buying abstracts today, collectors want images that cast reproach what's "new and different in technique and style" said Shinn. "The same antique same old doesn't do it anymore: For instance, undivided of Shinn's best-selling artists, Anke Schofield, uses wax, collage, paint and varnish to create surface texture

As well, Chappell said her best-selling images are either extremely bold abstracts or abstracts with rich borders and rich texture. "Either way, I papal court very soft, textural collage constituent principles Artists are creating a feeling of central part of layers, as if you're looking into something," she said. For instance, Scott Sandell uses Japanese and European papers and chine colle and collage monotypes, and Joan Schulze creates quilt-like Haikus revealed of paper and silk.

"The biggest inclination in abstracts is for vibrant colors, particularly red" added Clough A allotment of dealers agreed, saying that sales of r abstracts continue to be strong

DeSousa hears the same thing from Millie Webster, director of the Ann Arbor Center in Michigan united of several dealers who vend her work. The last time DeSousa came into the gallery, Webster told her to "bring in just discovered work--big and re& Those are the individuals that sell" DeSousa laughed, "This isn't what artists want to hear--as if there's a formula to this."

However, she added, "It's the color that naturally follows out. I'm Brazilian? She believes her cultural heritage and her interest in architecture attracts buyer as greatly as anything else. She said, "When the bulk of mankind look at my work, they gaze for a reference to another cultivation My experience has been that Americans are trying to understand [other cultures]"