To abstract is to draw out the essence of a matter. To abstract in art is to separate certain fundamentals from irrelevant material which surrounds them.
Ben Shahn (1957). “The Shape of Content”, p.63, Harvard University Press
![To abstract is to draw out the essence of a matter. To abstract in art is to separate certain fundamentals from irrelevant material which surrounds them.](http://cdn.myquotes.org/images/ben-shahn/to-abstract-is-to-draw-out-the-essence-of-a-matter-to-abstract-in-art-is-to-separate-certain-fundamentals.jpg)