Established in Paris in 1931, Abstraction-Création functioned as a flexible artists' collective, primarily aiming to counterbalance the Surrealist movement spearheaded by André Breton.
The group was initiated by its founders, Theo van Doesburg, Auguste Herbin, Jean Hélion, and Georges Vantongerloo, with the objective of promoting abstract art, particularly after the artistic trends of the 1920s had shifted towards representational styles.
Abstraction-Création encompassed a diverse and non-dogmatic assembly of artists, whose artistic philosophies and methodologies exhibited considerable variation. Notable members included Albert Gleizes, František Kupka, Piet Mondrian, Jean Arp, Alexander Calder, Marlow Moss, Naum Gabo, Alberto Magnelli, Barbara Hepworth, Ben Nicholson, Kurt Schwitters, Wassily Kandinsky, Wolfgang Paalen, Théo Kerg, Taro Okamoto, Paule Vézelay, Hans Erni, Bart van der Leck, Katarzyna Kobro, Henryk Stażewski, Leon Tutundjian, and John Wardell Power.
Between 1932 and 1936, the association published five Cahiers (yearbooks), titled Abstraction-création: Art non-figuratif. A reprinted edition of these Cahiers was subsequently issued by Arno Press in New York in 1968. Additionally, art exhibitions were organized across various European locations.
References
Fowler, Alan. Constructivist Art in Britain 1913 - 2005. PhD Thesis, University of Southampton, 2006.
- Alan Fowler. Constructivist Art in Britain 1913 - 2005. University of Southampton. 2006. PhD Thesis.
- Abstraction-Création, Agence photographique de la réunion des Musées nationaux