"The more horrifying this world becomes, the more art becomes abstract"

Ellen Key’s statement draws a deep connection between the state of the world and the evolution of artistic expression. As society experiences greater turmoil, trauma, or horror, art increasingly moves away from realistic depictions and trends towards abstraction. When the world is harmonious and stable, artists might feel more inclined to represent reality as it appears, capturing its beauty or everyday moments in recognizable ways. However, as the world becomes more chaotic, violent, or distressing, comprehending and representing reality in art can become overwhelming, even unbearable.

Abstraction offers a path for artists and audiences to process or escape the horrors that direct representation would force them to confront. When historical events or current realities are too painful or complex to depict realistically, abstraction provides a way to express emotions, ideas, or turmoil through color, shape, and form without referencing specific, literal subjects. It enables deeper psychological and emotional responses, both for artists creating the work and those experiencing it. As the external world becomes less comprehensible or more nightmarish, abstraction becomes a language for feelings that are difficult or impossible to articulate directly.

Moreover, abstract art undermines the comforting certainty that comes with easily recognized figures or narratives. In relation to horror or crisis, reality itself can come to feel fragmented or distressed, mirrored in the splintered, ambiguous elements of abstract art. This turn towards abstraction can be an act of resistance, an attempt to reclaim agency when the world feels uncontrollable, or a safe space to experiment with meaning when the literal world is inadequately equipped to provide answers.

Key’s insight remains relevant in turbulent times, explaining why artistic movements that favor abstraction, Dada, Abstract Expressionism, often emerge in response to periods of widespread conflict or upheaval. As horror grows, abstraction becomes both shield and conduit, reflecting and reshaping a world that defies straightforward representation.