nonrepresentational
nonrepresentational — adjective
- nonrepresentationalpositive
- more nonrepresentationalcomparative
- most nonrepresentationalsuperlative
1. used to describe paintings, sculptures, and other artworks where the artist does
used to describe paintings, sculptures, and other artworks where the artist does not try to realistically show real-world people, places, or objects — instead, the work focuses on colors, lines, shapes, and textures for their own visual effect.
Eri prefers nonrepresentational art because she enjoys shapes and colors more than familiar scenes.
collocation: nonrepresentational art
The gallery's new wing features nonrepresentational canvases filled with bold geometric patterns.
attributive use: nonrepresentational + noun
Beatriz found the nonrepresentational sculpture confusing until she focused on its textures.
Tunde's early paintings were realistic, but his later murals became completely nonrepresentational.
The art professor showed slides of famous nonrepresentational painters from the 1950s.
- abstract
broader term — includes nonrepresentational works but also includes simplified or distorted versions of real objects
- non-figurative
near synonym, more common in British art criticism
- non-objective
more specific — refers to art with no reference to any object, not even as a starting point
- representational
art that aims to show recognizable people, objects, or scenes
- figurative
art that depicts real-world forms, especially the human figure
- realistic
art that tries to look true to life
文法句型
nonrepresentational + noun
be + nonrepresentational
用法筆記
Primarily used in art-historical and critical contexts. Unlike abstract — which can include works simplified from real objects — nonrepresentational specifically means the artwork contains no reference to recognizable subjects at all.