The term “abstract” art stereotypically applies to art that significantly departs from the actual appearance of things. It is a vague, sliding scale genre. Picasso, for example, thought there was no such thing. Some art critics say all art is abstract, because no art is more than an abridgement of what an artist sees. Nevertheless, this conversion of reality into a work of nonconcrete forms can be appreciated for its own sake. Many would argue that the formal qualities of a painting (shape, line, color, shading, texture) are just as important as the genuine appearance of something–or even MORE significant.