Abstract Art

I have been writing a comparative article on Van Gogh's post-impressionist style in Arles and abstract art in which I discovered that the impasto technique consisting of large brush strokes and even the application of paint directly out of the tube onto the canvas is the main method which Van Gogh and the modern abstract painters use to reinforce the impact of their colours and contrast on the viewers. Look at van Gogh's "Café Terrace at Night" (1880) to see how impasto brings the nocturnal scene alive.