Abstract Art might be one of the most emotionally direct forms of expression.
“Anyone could do that.”
“It doesn’t mean anything.”
“Abstract art is just… random.”
If you’ve ever heard (or secretly thought) any of these things, you’re not alone. Abstract art gets misunderstood more than any other style, not because it lacks meaning, but because it resists easy interpretation. It doesn’t hand you a story. It gives you space.
And that space? It’s where real feeling happens.
Let’s clear the canvas and look at what abstract art really is, and what it’s definitely not.
Myth #1: It’s easy.
On the surface, it may look effortless. But creating strong abstract work requires a balance of chaos and control. There’s no subject to fall back on, only energy, movement, and emotional honesty.
If the composition fails, there’s nothing to distract you from it. If the brushwork is off, the piece collapses.
Abstract art is a study in restraint, in risk, and in knowing when to stop. Every mark is exposed. That takes real skill, and even more trust.
Myth #2: There’s no meaning.
Truth: abstract art might be one of the most emotionally direct forms of expression.
It doesn’t tell you what to think. It asks what you feel.
Think of Ruben’s Haarlem, a piece where texture meets a burst of colors. It isn’t about a place. It’s about impact. Gratitude. Bold belief. The painting doesn’t explain itself, but it doesn’t need to. You feel it.
Good abstract art doesn’t hand you a narrative. It gives you a mirror.
Myth #3: It doesn’t belong in serious collections.
This one’s easy to disprove.
From Rothko to Hilma af Klint, abstract art is front and center in some of the world’s most respected collections.
In fact, if you walk into the Moco Museum in Amsterdam, London or Barcelona, they are one of the cities’ most iconic spaces for modern and contemporary art, you’ll see rooms full of abstract, expressive, and non-representational work.
These pieces aren’t treated as novelties, they’re treated as revolutionary. Because they are.
Moco’s mission is to make modern art accessible and emotional, which is exactly what abstraction does best.
“Abstract art evolves every time you look at it. It doesn’t just live in your space. It lives in your emotional landscape.” – Ruben
Ruben’s own work follows that tradition. He paints not what you see, but what you carry. His paintings aren’t static. They grow with you. They change with light, mood, and memory.
Final Thought
If you’ve ever dismissed abstract art as random or empty, look again. Stand in front of it without needing to “get it.” Let it work on you. Let it ask questions you didn’t know you were ready to answer.
That flutter in your chest? That chill on your skin? That’s meaning.
That’s the real message.
