Abstract art does not usually depict recognisable figures, landscape or objects. Its effects are created through the use of shapes, forms, colours and textures which are often used to represent intangible subjects such as ideas, emotions and time.

Since the beginning of the twentieth century, varying concepts of abstraction have emerged. Representatives of early abstract painting were Wassily Kandinsky, Kazimir Malevich and Piet Mondrian.

There is a strong history of artists exploring abstraction in Britain, and pioneering artists such as Victor Pasmore and Terry Frost feature in this collection.

Image: Balance, 2013 © Beth Nicholas. All Rights Reserved, DACS/Artimage