Abstract Expressionism
● Clear explanation of the historical context, considering any relevant course
themes
● Selection of 3-5 works of art that represents the artist or movement
● Text providing brief explanations of the works and/or artist/movement
● An analysis of its impact or role in the period or the arts more generally
(George)
Historical context
- Post-war trauma
- Used art to convey personal and universal emotions, such as trauma and anxiety
felt after the war
- An outlet for expression collective psychological experience of the time
- New York City
- NYC became the birthplace of abstract expressionism
- Many artists fled to the US because of political instability
- European Modernism (Cubism)
- Abstract Expressionism drew from the innovations of Cubism
- Use of geometric forms
- Exploration of color and form
- Abstracting reality
- Surrealism
- Drew on the psychological exploration of surrealism
- Exploration and expression of the unconscious mind
- Rebellion/revolution
- Rebellion against the restraint of traditional art forms
- Shift away from representational art and towards more expressive forms
Historical context: - Max
Abstract Expressionism was an American art form that flourished in New York City from the late
1940s to the early 1960s, as many European artists fled to the US to escape political instability.
The trauma of post-war conditions and suffering led to the creation of an art form that drew on
previous movements and developed as a rebellion against the restraint of traditional art forms,
shifting away from representational art towards more expressive forms. Abstract Expressionism
was influenced greatly by European Modernism, especially Cubism, which explored color, form,
abstraction, and perspective, and Surrealism, which expressed the unconscious mind. Abstract
Expressionism depicts a shift towards expressive, nonrepresentational forms, such as lines and
splatters, becoming an outlet for the collective psychological experience of the post-war period.
Artwork (4)
Mountains and Sea by Helen Frankenthaler - Elyse
The Mountains and Sea painting represents the era of expressionism as well as
abstractism because of Frankenthaler's use of technique and emotion. The artist used
the soak stain method, which was very important at the time of expressionist art. This
technique consisted of pouring oil paint on an unprimed canvas to create a saturated
watercolor-like effect. The painting also expresses a dream-like state, a theme common
throughout expressionist art. Also, the piece is seen as the bridge between color field
painting and Jackson Pollock's drip painting style. The painting was meant to represent
“a realm where colors dance, forms shift, and emotion intertwine.”
Woman I by Willem De Kooning (1950) - Amber
Willem De Kooning's “Woman I” is a work that displays a woman who is drawn very
chaotically and messily. This is a work that opposes and rejects how women are viewed
traditionally through aggressive brush strokes in a chaotic style. Through Koons’ use of
aggressive and harsh brush strokes, the woman in the art is shown to be distorted and
weird-looking. The work incorporates paint that seems to be scraped away, and has a
slightly darker palette with grays, yellows, pinks, and greens. Also, there are black
outlines that are messy and rough. The woman in this artwork has distorted features,
which also raised controversy, as people thought that it was misogynistic. Not only is it
aggressive, it also does not align with traditional views of women.
Ocean Greyness by Jackson Pollock(1953) - Demetra
Jackson Pollock embodies abstract expressionism in his painting Ocean Greyness by
focusing on true raw emotion as well as nonrepresentational imagery. The way the
ocean is depicted prioritizes movement, color, and texture rather than accurately
portraying the physical characteristics of the sea. Pollock uses his signature drip
technique that allows for spontaneous movement and creates a sense of energy and
emotion in the piece. This abstraction also suggests deeper themes like the vastness of
nature. He shows the vastness and power of the ocean, which can symbolize
formlessness and chaos. This painting also represents the ideas of exploration, the
unknown, and the connection humans have with the sea.
Analysis of its impact - George
Abstract Expressionism had a strong impact on the art world in its time between
the 1940s and 1960s, and for contemporary art history up to now. First, it diverted the
global art center from Paris to New York, which allowed America to gain cultural
dominance in the art world. Abstract Expressionism liberated itself from traditional forms
of painting by emphasizing concepts such as process over product, favoring emotional
intensity, and abstraction. In addition, techniques like Pollock's drip painting and
Rothko's color field painting became more popular due to Abstract Expressionism.
Minimalism and Conceptual Art were a few of the resulting art movements as a
response to the evolution of Abstract Expressionism. Abstract Expressionism's
popularity also cemented art as a form ofxpression. This new art form shattered
previous restrictions, paving the way for museums to embrace modern and
experimental art taking nonrepresentational forms.
Convergence by Jackson Pollock (1952)
“Convergence” by Jackson Pollock represents the Abstract Expressionist era in
how it is removed from normal artistic conventions at the time–primarily in how it lacks
any discernible object or figure in the painting. This is a result of Pollock’s technique of
pouring and dripping paint across the canvas, putting a focus more on how the work
was made in the first place, rather than the piece itself. In the context of post-World War
II, abstract approaches like this shifted the focus of art from real-world situations or
events, to more human-emotions and internal feelings. After the devastating conflicts of
the time, civilians had as much conflict on the inside in terms of their emotions and
feelings as there was destruction and devastation on the outside in the battlefield.