“I continue to get further away from the usual painter’s tools such as easel, palette, brushes, etc. I prefer sticks, trowels, knives and dripping fluid paint or a heavy impasto with sand, broken glass and other foreign matter added.”
–Jackson Pollock
In simple terms, abstract expressionism was a post World War II movement in American painting focussing on surrealism and individual expression. The art form won international recognition and influenced artists globally. It went on to produce a variety of technical and aesthetic innovations.
Jackson Pollock: Autumn Rhythm
Origins
Abstraction in art appeared around the 19th century when artists felt a need to portray rapid changes happening in technology, philosophy, and science. Before this art was centered around realism. The artists were supposed to perfect the shapes and shades to give accurate and lifelike scenes. Abstraction came to represent separation from reality. Abstraction uses gestural strokes, geometric shapes, marks, and lines to evoke deep emotions. The idea was developed in post-war America by painters such as Jackson Pollock and Mark Rothko. The movement and the art form became so successful that they robbed Paris as the leader of modern art and established America’s dominance in the international art world.
Abstract Expressionism & Abstract Art: Same or Different
Mark Rothko: Orange and Yellow
Don’t confuse abstract expressionism with abstract art. While abstract art does not try to give an accurate representation of reality rather uses colors, marks, and shapes to give its effect. Abstract expressionism refers to newer forms of abstract art which got developed post WW2. It uses gestural strokes to give the impression of spontaneity. Abstract expressionism was a natural progressor of abstract art.
There are two forms of abstract expressionism in art: action painting and color field painting. The key difference is that the action painter would splash their canvasses (attack) with an expressive brushstroke, giving a feeling of dripping the paint onto it, the color field painter would cover a large area of their canvas with one color and use hard-edged geometry.
Motives
Abstraction seeks to generate an instinctive and emotional response from viewers. Moreover, it focuses on individuality, where each individual’s response is unique and personal. Developed post WW2 in a recession economy, the art intends to symbolize profound emotion and universal themes, with an emphasis on Surrealism. The movement fitted into the war era mass mood of paranoia and trauma. The idea also founds deep resonance with other art mediums such as drawing and sculpture.
Some famous artists and their works
Willem de Kooning: Woman II
The most prominent painters of abstract expressionism were Jackson Pollock, Willem de Kooning, Franz Kline, and Mark Rothko. Others were Robert Motherwell, Lee Krasner, Bradley Walker Tomlin, William Baziotes, Ad Reinhardt, Richard Pousette-Dart, and Elaine de Kooning. ‘Autumn Rhythm’ by Pollock is regarded as one of the finest works in the genre. Women painters, Mary Abbott, and Jay DeFeo among others, though often overlooked at the time also contributed to the art immensely.
