Understanding Abstract Expressionism: Key Artists and Methods
Understanding Abstract Expressionism: Key Artists and Methods
Abstract Expressionism is probably one of the more important art movements of the 20th century. It was first developed in the 1940s and 1950s in New York City. The outstanding mark is its manifestation through the expression of spontaneity and the emotional level together with abstracted forms. Abstract Expressionism has a very powerful history, which continues to echo within the art work today. This blog delves into some key artists and techniques that define this revolutionary movement.
Origins of Abstract Expressionism
Abstract Expressionism came after World War II as a postwar reaction of artists wanting to free themselves from traditional forms of art for outward expression of inward emotional and psychological states. Influenced by the Continental avant-garde movements of Surrealism and Cubism, American artists started to find importance in the process of painting itself-to wit, focusing on the materiality of the medium and the spontaneous gestural act of the artist. Thus, the movement represented not only uncertainty and chaos but also profound shifts in global consciousness in the post-war period.
Important Artists
Though there are many artists credited with founding Abstract Expressionism, some of the more notable contributors of their unique style and vision into the movement include:
Jackson Pollock: One of the most famous Abstract Expressionists, Pollock is known for his "drip paintings." His style, often referred to as "drip painting," involved placing a canvas on the floor and allowing paint to drip or fall onto it in intricate, web-like patterns. His work, including No. 5, 1948, is famous for its energy, chaos, and the raw emotional power of its execution.
Mark Rothko: For Abstract Expressionism, Mark Rothko used bold, vibrant blocks of color. Minimalist in style yet meditative in application, the artist created paintings of a kind, similar to No. 61 (Rust and Blue), that are meant to evoke an emotional response from the viewer through a mix of color with the space that it occupies.
Willem de Kooning: In works like Woman I, de Kooning's aggressive brushwork often combines distortion of human form with abstraction for a tense, dynamic energy.
Abstract Expressionist Techniques
The techniques of Abstract Expressionism were very broad-ranging, but a few key approaches stand out:
Action Painting: This method places an emphasis on the actual painting act. Pollock, de Kooning, and other artists who followed them's well-known works were heavily based on sweeping brushstrokes, splatters, and drips to invoke emotions. Often, the process equaled the end product.
Color Field Painting: Large areas of color were used by artists like Rothko to create mood and to induce introspection. Thus, the Color Field painter's work tended to be more contemplative and less frenetic than the Action Painting.
Gestural Marks and Brushstrokes: The energetic, emotive brushstrokes of so many Abstract Expressionists give the energy and emotion in their subject matter. In addition, one often finds an uncertainty in their gesture marks that reveal much about the subconscious mind of the artist.
Legacy of Abstract Expressionism
Although Abstract Expressionism was in decline by the late 1950s, when Pop Art was rising, one can find still some signs of the remnants of this movement in modern art. The movement's orientation toward personal expression and refusal of the traditional forms of art along with giving significance more to the activity of creation has left a permanent imprint on modern art.
Abstract Expressionism changed the world of art. Its tendency to shift from representational art towards an even more inner, expressive form allowed the emergence of new ways of presenting concepts and ideas. It was through these giants of art and innovative techniques that Abstract Expressionism transformed the way people perceive art even as it established New York City as the center of the world's art scenes in the 20th century.
Understanding Abstract Expressionism: Key Artists and Methods
