There is no mystery as to why figurative painting revived in the late 1970s  People want to look at recognizable images  Sorting out art theories reflected in abstract paintings is no substitute for the sense of empathy that comes from looking at a realistic painting of a figure in a landscape
Perhaps members of the art-viewing public resented abstract art because they felt that its lack of realistic subject matter was a rejection of the viewers and their world
Abstract paintings often include shapes or forms that are suggestive of real objects or emotions.