Abstract Expressionism (abi)

ABSTRACT EXPRESSIONISM (Abi)

Abstract Expressionism began in the early 1900’s, post WWII. Within the movement, artists express themselves mainly through color and form. The paintings that were created were most commonly non-representational, and lacking geometric shape, although Abstract Expressionist have roots from the Surrealists and Cubists movements. This caused viewers to be hostile and unappreciative at first, but like several other prior art movements, Abstract Expressionism and the artists involved eventually became successful . There were considered to be two groups from the Abstract Expressionism movement- the Color Field painters (Marc Rothko) and the Action painters (Jackson Pollock).

The styles of the movement usually consist of the look of “accidental chance”, which seems as if the artists were unconscious of where they were applying the paint. Through this style, the artists usually applied the paint with haste and spontaneity to their over-sized canvases to avoid any sort of representation. They sometimes used large brushes, and sometimes did not use brushes at all.

An example of this would be Jackson Pollock, who believed that the paint should never leave the quality of form that it is. Pollock would pour, drip, and throw his paint onto his canvases that were laying on the floor of his studio.




Other artists that were involved in the Abstract Expressionism movement included Marc Rothko, Hans Hoffman, Franz Kline, as well as many others.

Marc Rothko.

Hans Hoffman.

Franz Kline.

Bibliography:
http://www.artlex.com/ArtLex/a/abstractexpr.html
Gardner's Art Through The Ages Twelfth Edition, Fred S. Kleiner, Christin J. Mamiya, 2005 Wadsworth