"Abstraction can require just as much planning as traditional styles of painting." - Veronica Stensby, California.  Not all no-figurative work is that demanding!

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Stuart Davis has noted that there was a call for more figurative art in our world as early as the 1960s. An abstractionist, he responded by saying: "I will be frank in admitting that I never knew it had been omitted. I always thought the painting was a "Figure."" Linguistically, this is correct, but  the content of such a figure can be absolutely non-representational or non-objective. Abstract art, by contrast, is essentially figurative, but these figures are not realistic.  Abstractionists try to distill reality into its "essence" having little regard for what they actually seein the natural world.

The expression "contemporary art" further confuses the issue. It includes all of above,  as well as realist works which happen top be a product of the present, as opposed to past,  time. Not all artists begin their careers attempting realism, but the majoroity do!  Some can't manage that, lacking good eye-hand coordination.