Why should I bother you with the extremely boring piece of reading about the even more boring history of the 20th century's art? If you think that the abstract painting of Jackson Pollock is just a compilation of several spots and paint splashes, you should at least know that the abstract expressionism is the first purely American movement that achieved an international popularity and is now regarded as an important brick in the whole wall of the American art.
Jackson Pollock: Portait and a Dream, 1953
Jackson Pollock, Number 34, 1949
If I'm still not convincing enough, and you're staring at these pictures wondering What the heck did the author mean by it?, maybe the earlier painting of Pollock will gain more of your sympathy.
Jackson Pollock, Going West, 1934-1935
Yes, that looks a little bit more realistic, but let me start once again.
In the 40's of the 20th c. in New York City, there was created an artistic movement highly inspired by innovative European painters as Max Ernst (pictures below). In the painting we can clearly see that Ernst was a surrealist and what is worth mentioning - a dadaist, representative of the movement praising the freedom of expression and breaking with the tradition.
The name of the created movement was first used in 1949. It is of course abstract expressionism.
It is claimed to be born in the city of New York and derived from German expressionism, with the greatest emphasis put on the artistic self-expression or even subconscious and spontaneous act as dripping paint onto canvas spread out on the floor. So the movement conjoined an emotional depth with anti-figurative aesthetics of European schools of surrealism.
Action painting
James Brooks, 1957, Tate Gallery
Action painting or in other words the art of action and gestures was the one of two directions that the School of New York took. It is based on the randomness and spontaneous action, the act of creation plays here the main role. It refers to the artist's subconsciousness, and a reflex action as the only authentic way of creating.
The most known representatives are Jackson Pollock, Franz Kline or Willem de Koonig.
Color field painting
Mark Rothko, Untitled, 1964
On the other hand, in the Color field painting, the most crucial is - as you can imagine - the color. The attention of the artist is focused on carrying the message and emotions through the color and its shades. The act of creation, though, is strictly controlled.
Why I find this topic interesting and corresponding to the subject of our blog? Because, it is the first originally American artistic movement. It has proved that the U.S. are still creative and vigorous after the Second World War. It also cought the attention of the world, showing America's ability to the artistic development, independent from Europe.
Task:
If you still don't like abstract expressionism, find the movement you actually like with its history and representatives. If you like it, keep searching and get inspired.
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