ABSTRACT EXPRESSIONISM
American post World War II art movement of the mid 40’s. The first time an American Movement achieved world wide influence.
A style of painting that combines abstract form and expressionist emotional values.
Influences come from surrealism and cubism.
Artists include
Mark Tobey who was influenced by
Jackson Pollock who was influenced by
Max Ernst.
Also Willem de kooning and
Mark Rothko,
Franz Kline, Archile Gorky, Hans Hofmann, Robert Motherwell, Philip Guston, Clyfford Still.
Emphasis on spontaneous, automatic or subconscious creation.
Term given to any number of artists mainly working in New York – with quite different styles.
Similar in style to Russian artists of eary 20th century such as Wassily Kandinsky (Blue Rider).
Most paintings involved careful planning as they were of such huge size.
There are 3 general approaches within the movement.
1st – made famous by Jackson Pollock. His work was colourful, large and free flowing. Linked to “action” painting all paint drops are deliberately “loose, rapid sweeping brushstrokes make this style reminisceent of the surealists”.
2nd – Abstract Impressionism – less spontaneous than action painting. Manipulated towards a preconceived notion of an end esult.
Philip Guston – notable of stylee.
3rd – well defined abstract images or large scales of pure colour. Artists of this style of paint include Robert Motherwell, Mark Rothko, James Brooks.
Willem de Kooning April 1904 – April 1997, Rotterdam
Post WWII Action painting abstract expressionism.
Influenced by John D Graham, Arshile Gorky.
He supported himself through early Depression by commercial jobs. Used b&w household enamels to paint large abstracts.
