ABSTRACT EXPRESSIONISM

By: Joe Wafer

WHAT IS IT?

Started in New York City during the mid

1940’s

Applied paint rapidly to huge canvases

Looks as if accidental but is highly planned

No effort to show subject

Drew from Surrealist methods of unconscious

generation of ideas

Expressive method of painting was as

important as painting itself

TYPES OF PAINTINGS

Two different types of paintings Action painting and Color field painting

o Action Painting• Wanted to show texture in the paint• Showing movement of the artists hand

o Color Field Painting• Concerned with color and shape• Wanted to create peaceful and spiritual paintings• No representative subject matter

ACTION PAINTING TECHNIQUES

Used large brushes & dribbled or splashed paint onto

canvas

Used Large Canvases

Wanted to achieve spontaneous effect

Vigorous, sweeping brushstrokes to show emotion

Work placed emphasis on painting process itself rather

than the finished piece

No representative subject matter

Believed spontaneity could be drawn from unconscious

mind (Surrealism)

JACKSON POLLOCK

Began to study paint in 1929 at the Arts

Students’ League

Fixed canvas on floor or wall

Dripped or splashed paint onto the canvas

Manipulated canvas with sticks, knives or

towels

Used Surrealist methods, generating ideas

and creativity through the unconscious mind.

JACKSON POLLOCK, GUARDIANS OF THE SECRET (1943)

JACKSON POLLOCK, BLUE (MOBY DICK) (1943)

JACKSON POLLOCK, LAVENDER MIST: NUMBER 1 (1959)

JACKSON POLLOCK, BLUE POLES: NUMBER II (1952)

POLLOCK VIDEO

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vy6Omz1bDPg

WILLEM DE KOONING

Studied art from 1916 until 1924 at

Rotterdam Academy of Arts

Moved to U.S. shortly after where he worked

as a painter and carpenter

Devoted himself entirely to painting in 1935

Started first “Woman” paintings in 1950

Did abstract landscapes from 1957-1961

WILLEM DE KOONING, ASHEVILLE (1948)

ASHEVILLE-DEPICTED

WILLEM DE KOONING, WOMAN AND BICYCLE, (1953)

WILLEM DE KOONING, WOMAN I (1952)

WILLEM DE KOONING, WOMAN V (1953)

ARSHILE GORKY

No formal training, studied the work of Cezanne,

Picasso and Miró

Influenced by Surrealist ideas and Surrealist painters

Moved to America by 1920 and had his first solo art

showing in 1931

Successive tragedy; studio burning down and

destroying work, surgery, car accident; led to his

suicide in 1948

Tragedies had effect on work

ARSHILE GORKY, THE ARTIST AND HIS MOTHER (1936)

ARSHILE GORKY, THE LIVER IS THE COCK’S COMB (1944)

COLOR FIELD PAINTING TECHNIQUES

Broad areas of low contrast color on shallow picture plane

Solid areas of color cover entire painting Interested in effects of vast color filling the

canvas “beyond infinity” Paintings are very large Meant to be seen up close so viewer is

immersed in color environment. Used color to create different effects on

canvas

MARK ROTHKO Visited Arts Students

League of New York where

he began art career.

Instructed by Arshile Gorky

Influenced by Clyfford Still

1928 had own showing with

other young artists

MARK ROTHKO, UNTITLED (1949)

MARK ROTHKO, NO. 61: RUST AND BLUE (1953)

MARK ROTHKO, UNTITLED ORANGE AND YELLOW (1956)

MARK ROTHKO, RED ON MAROON (1959)

CLYFFORD STILL

First solo show in San Francisco Museum of

Art

Taught at California School of Fine Arts

Worked with Mark Rothko

Stayed away from the influences of

Surrealism

Didn’t give names to his paintings to prevent

any association with a specific subject

CLYFFORD STILL, UNTITLED 1947

CLYFFORD STILL, UNTITLED 1948

CLYFFORD STILL, 1948-C

CLYFFORD STILL, NUMBER 2 (1949)

WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW

Action painting and Color Field painting

Artists were influenced by Surrealist principle of

developing unconscious ideas

Paint applied by rapidly with force using wide brushes,

splattering, or dripping onto huge canvases

Used wide sweeping brush strokes—easy to follow

hand movement

Spontaneous look was highly planned

Used color to show texture and other effects on canvas