Abstract Expressionism

By: Christy Balewski

&
Sam Bush
 What it is…
• Abstract Expressionism is a painting
movement in which artists typically
applied paint rapidly, and with force to
their huge canvases in an effort to show
feelings and emotions.
– non-geometrically, sometimes applying paint with
large brushes, and looks as if to be an accident
but is really quite planned.
 History…
• European artists began
moving to America
during WW II.

• The main result of the new

American fascination
with Surrealism was the
emergence of Abstract
Expressionism.

Jackson Pollack • Produced in New York

Ocean roughly between 1940-1960.
Greyness 1953
• Made New York the center
of the art world, and was
often called the “New York
School”.
• Artists wanted to establish their
independence from European surrealists
and other art trends.
•Abstract Expressionism was the first
art movement to influence artists
over seas, rather than vice versa.
• Arshile Gorky was the artist to put this
movement into motion, because his art
ideals were obtained from Surrealism,
Picasso, and Miro.

• Emphasized the depiction of emotion’s rather

then objects.

• Paintings consisted of shapes, lines, and forms

meant to create a separate reality from the
visual world.
 Hans Hoffman
Rising Moon

“What was to go on the canvas was not

a picture, but an event.”

Critic- Harold Rosenberg

 European Influence
• European Surrealists obtained their notion of the
unconscious mind, from Sigmund Freud.

• Many Americans at this time, derived Carl Jung’s theory-

the “collective unconscious” holds that beneath ones
private memories, is a store house of feeling and symbolic
thoughts.

• With all the European influence, Abstract

Expressionists sought universal themes within
themselves.
 Action Painting
• One of the two techniques
for Abstract
Expressionism was
known as Action Painting.

– A style of painting
which paint is
spontaneously dripped,
splashed or smeared
onto the
canvas, rather then being
carefully applied.

Willem de Kooning- Paris

Review 1979
 Jackson Pollock
(1912-1956)
• Influenced by Mexican muralist painters, and
Surrealism.
• Canvases were usually on the floor, or the wall where
he dripped or poured on the paint.
• Used knives, sticks, or towels instead of brushes.
• Occasionally putting sand, broken glass, or other
matter, into his paintings.
• Resulted in direct expression and “Action
Painting”.
Jackson Pollock
Shimmering
Substance
1946
Jackson Pollock
Enchanted
Forest 1947
Jackson Pollock
Lavender Mist
1950
“I have no fears about
making changes,
destroying the
image… because the
painting has a life
of its own.”
Jackson Pollock
 Arshile Gorky
(1904-1948)
• 3 Factors in work of
the 1940’s
– Intense childhood
memories of
Armenia, prime
subject matter.
– Growing interest in
Surrealism.
– Many discussion with
colleagues about
Jungian ideas.
•The unstructured
shapes, and drips of paint
hint at the fluidity of the
Waterfall.

Waterfall-
Arshile Gorky
(1943)
Arshile Gorky - One Year the Milkweed
1944
Willem de Kooning
• A pioneer in
Abstract
Expressionism.
• Tried to capture energy and
emotion through Action
Painting.
• Alternated between
abstract
and figural painting.
• Blended traditional forms,
with a sense of uncertainty.
Willem de Kooning
Woman I
1950-1952
Willem de Kooning
Pink Angels
1945
Willem de Kooning
Black Friday
1948
Willem de
Kooning
Women III
1952
Willem de Kooning
Excavation
1950
 Franz Kline
(1910-
• His works around1962)
1946
had a Cubist structure,
or were abstract.
• Around 1950, he made
large calligraphic
paintings in black and
white.
• In 1958, Kline
introduced color in
some of his
works.
Franz Kline
Figure Eight
1952
 Franz Kline
New York, N.Y.
1952
Franz Kline
Untitled
1958
 Color Field Painting
• The Second Type of Abstract
Expressionism paintings.

• Paintings with solid area of color covering

the whole canvas.

• Meant to be seen up close, so the viewer

is immersed in color.
Mark Rothko
(1903-
1970) • Asymmetrical blocks of
color, and painted the
edges of his canvases,
then displayed them
without frames.

• Titles were
unimaginative leaving
the interpretation up to
the viewer.
 Mark Rothko
Red, Orange, Tan and
Purple 1949
 Mark Rothko
Orange and Red on Red
1957
Kenneth Noland
(1924-2010)
• First to stain canvases
with thinned paints.
– Appeared as pure and
saturated color.
• Made concentric rings,
and parallels, in relation
to the size of the
canvas.
Kenneth Noland
Heat
1958
Kenneth Noland
Back and Front
1960
 Sculptures
• David Smith is one of the most famous
Abstract Expressionism sculptor’s
• He created large, steel geometric
sculptors
• His motivations were similar to that of the
painters
• His most famous sculptors are his Cubi
series
David Smith
Cubi XIX
1964
 What it Influenced
• Created a whole new way to look at
art

• Influenced later art movements

– Pop Art
– Minimalism
– Tachisme