Tate glossary definition for figurative art: Any form of modern art that retains strong references to the real world and particularly to the human figure.
"The term has been particularly used since the arrival of abstract art to refer to artists that retain aspects of the real world as their subject matter, though in a general sense figurative also applies retrospectively to all art before abstract art.
Modern figurative art can be seen as distinct from modern realism in that figurative art uses modern idioms, while modern realists work in styles predating post-impressionism (more or less). In fact, modern figurative art is more or less identical with the general current of expressionism that can be traced through the twentieth century and on" - The Tate Gallery.
So what does that actually mean??
Figurative art here at Cliodhna by Cliodhna is all about embracing the human form in expressive ways that can be tied to both impressionism, expressionism and abstract art. It is understanding the human body from a female perspective and expressing ourselves through raw, emotional, famine strokes. It is combining the old with the new. But it is also any reference to the world we live in, whether that is an Ireland map or simply a landscape sketch.
Art is what you make it. It is obscure, opinionated and other worldly.
You can take bits of everything to make it your own and form your own opinion. We here at Cliodhna by Cliodhna fiercely believe that.