Art that is not representational, containing no recognizable figures or objects. The term has become less popular, but was originally used to describe a type of
abstract art, influenced by
cubism, that eliminated the idea of depth, and instead concentrated on composing a harmonious arrangement of grids, shapes, and colour. The nonobjective neoplasticism of Piet
Mondrian's rigidly geometric paintings, such as
Composition in Blue, Yellow, and Black (1936; Kunstmuseum, Basel), are an example.
© RM 2009. Helicon Publishing is division of RM.