Abstract Expressionism is one of the earliest art movements in the history of art. When analyzed from a technical point of view, it is a vital predecessor is surrealism with its unique and spontaneous nature of creation. Many prominent artists like Max Ernst, Mark Tobey and Jackson Pollock tried to come up with a diverse field of art.
It was actually an post World war 2 movement which is often referred to as an American art movement. By this experiment, New York city transformed into the center piece of Western art. This role was formerly crowned by Paris. The term “abstract expressionism” was first used in a German magazine in 1919 and later in 1946, the art critic Robert Coates used this term in American art.
Abstract Expressionism was outlined in the context of different ideas and inspirations. Most of the budding artists had made their artistic entry in the 1930s. The Great Depression
resulted in two great art movements-Social Realism and Regionalism, but these two failed to impress and satisfy the artists of that time. They were trying to figure out a content rich in every manner, free of politics and provincialism. and explicit politics.It also triggered the development of relief programs initiated by the Government, which eventually helped many artists to to establish a sound career.The movement lost its impact by 1960s and it was no longer prominent.
Action Painting (late 1940’s -late 1950’s)
It was an important stream of Abstract expressionism. The paintings of Jackson Pollock was first called as ‘action painting’. The driving force was life energy as well as the psyche of the artist. Some of the action painters are:
- Jackson Pollock (1912-1956)
- Willem de-Kooning
- Franz Kline
Abstract Expressionist Paintings
Lovely art, very intriguing. It’s so interesting to see how abstract art portrays different feelings and emotions, especially since the art’s meanings isn’t always obvious to begin with. Love this post!