I just saw an artist inviting people to join his free class on the six principles that set artists apart from those who don’t know what they are doing. Or as he puts it ‘How can you tell the difference between real artists and imposters in abstract painting? The formers systematically use these 6 principles..”
So I googled for the six principles and the first entry says “Abstract art has a unique voice that provokes interest, permitting both artists and viewers a distinct sense of freedom and expression. Despite its often chaotic and spontaneous appearance, it possesses a structure that is composed of six key elements: colour, shape, form, texture, line, and value.”
And I am thinking, when art is abstract – how would you possibly know whether it uses the six (or sixty) key elements in a meaningful way?