Should Art Be Realistic?

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Realistic art depicts or represents the visual world as closely as possible. Since the Renaissance in Europe until the beginning of the modern era, art has been valued for qualities that create an illusion of reality, such as light and shadow, proportion, and perspective. Many artists during this period were trained according to these ideals. Most people admire the work of a highly skilled artist in the traditional sense: one who faithfully reproduces realistic scenes. This ability was a major source of artistic success in the past, particularly before the invention of photography. Even today, many judge art by its true-to-life quality, which can make appreciating artwork that
is nonrepresentational more challenging.

The idea of abstraction, in which artists alter the visual qualities of a subject, was a major development in modern art. There are many degrees of abstraction in art.
Some artists made small changes in the look of their subject matter by simplifying or exaggerating colors or shapes. In these works, the subject can often still be recognized. Others created images that do not realistically represent any object. This type of abstract art may be called nonrepresentational or nonobjective art. It may be composed of basic geometric shapes and forms or a complex arrangement of colors, shapes, textures, and lines.

From the Walker Art Center's website "So, Why is this Art?" http://schools.walkerart.org/swita/switaact4.html

Which work above do you think is Representational? Abstracted? Non-Objective? Why?

“All works of art are by their very nature abstract.”
Do you agree or disagree with this statement? Why or why not?

Do you think it takes more or less artistic skill to create abstract art? What type of art do you think requires more creative ability?

Reply to these questions in a comment. Make sure to put your first name and hour.