The dichotomy of abstract sign and structuralism: The myth of "pure" abstract art

In art history, pure abstract art is widely regarded as a formal reduction of nature. According to these common approaches defined as formalist views, pure abstract art; is a logical reduction that has a geometrical formality, shaped by modern man with positivist and materialist views, and applied to natural forms by Enlightenment mentality. According to these historical classifications, aesthetic image in abstract art; following in the footsteps of Paul Cézanne, Georges Seurat and Pablo Picasso, moves away from narrative, content and definable forms. According to the studies that examine pure abstract art by focusing on its conceptual aspects in response to formalist views; Abstract art is the artist's interpretation of the metaphysical universe, and instead of being without content, it has narratives based on theories developed in a metaphysical context. This cumulative collection of narratives is considered the language or theory of abstract art. The dichotomy between structuralism and abstract art, on the other hand, becomes clear only, in line with formalist views, when abstract art is accepted as having no content, when it is analyzed with an analysis that is independent of historicity and based only on plastic elements. This dichotomy is conceptualized by Rosalind Krauss's term silence within the scope of the thesis. The reason that created the silence or the dichotomy with structuralism was determined as the formalist approaches leaving theory aside and thus creating the myth of abstract art in the social field. In this context, the myth of abstract art has been examined with a historical reading in order to analyze the language problem of abstract art or its dichotomy with structuralism. For the reading of the myth; The metaphysical roots of abstract art were examined in depth and the views of artists and critics were compared. In addition to the theoretical literature compiled through the definition of art and myth within the framework of structuralist views and by questioning the methods of analysis, thanks to the research carried out by compiling the metaphysical relations of abstract art; This thesis tried to analyze the language of pure abstract art by examining the pure abstract art myth and metaphysical/materialist dichotomies. Keywords: Pure Abstract Art, Semiology, Structuralism, Myth, Metaphysics