ABSTRACT EXPRESSIONISM

Abstract expressionism was specifically American post-World War II art

movement. The movement originated in New York’s Greenwich Village in the

mid- 1940’s. The movement name’s is derived from the combination of the

emotional intensity and self-denial of the German Expressionists. The movement

was put into motion by Arshile Gorky whose paintings was derived from the art of

Surrealism, Picasso, and Miro. I t was the first movement in America to spread

worldwide and put New York City on the map as center of art world, taking the

place of Paris. Although it spread throughout the United States, it was mostly

centered around New York City and the San Francisco Bay area. After WWII,

images of the Holocaust were everywhere. Since photographs of the Holocaust

were more powerful, socially aware artists began to explore shape or color. Most

painters of the movement favored large canvasses, dramatic colors, and loose

brushwork. Paintings usually contained a lot of orange or blue. Not only painters,

but sculptors, photographers and filmmakers were apart of the movement. I t

had two streams which are Action Painting and Color Field and Hard-

Edge Painting. Action Painting is the term used for the first time in 1952.

The life energy and the psyche of the painter were the driving forces

behind the paintings. The canvas was seen as an arena. Moreover, the

painting was irrational and impulsive, conveying fast movement and

action. There are some famous action painters which are Jackson

Pollock, Willem de- Kooning, and Franz Kline. Color Field and Hard

Edge Painting are two formal trends in American abstraction. Color

field paintings consisted of large colored areas. The shades of color

were usually diluted to sink into the canvas. Hard-Edge describes

geometric abstract works, and had clearly defined outlines and edges.

There are some famous Color Field and Hard-Edge Painters which are

Helen Frankenthaler, Barnett Newman, and Mark Rothko.

Untitled by Franz Kline

The moon woman by

Jackson Pollock

Who's afraid of red,

yellow, and blue by

Barnett Newman

White Center by Mark

Rothko