14 Questions
What influenced the artists associated with Abstract Expressionism?
Cubism, Dada, and Surrealism
What did the Abstract Expressionists aim to bring into their art?
Spontaneity and improvisation
Where did most Abstract Expressionist artists live during this period?
New York
What was the focus of the art world shifted to after World War II?
New York
What did many European artists do during and after World War II?
Migrated to the United States
Who was part of the New York school group with Jackson Pollock and Franz Kline?
Willem de Kooning
What was Helen Frankenthaler well-known for?
Her innovative soak and stain method of painting
Which artist's work was considered controversial due to the portrayal of female figures?
Willem de Kooning
In what year did Helen Frankenthaler start her innovative soak and stain method of painting?
1952
'Mountains and Sea' was the first large-scale painting by Helen Frankenthaler using which technique?
Soak and stain method
Who defined Abstract Expressionism by its loose, rapid handling and masses that blotted and fused on the canvas?
Clement Greenberg
Which artist aimed to create non-representational impact and be part of the ritual of painting?
Jackson Pollock
Who was inspired by Mexican muralists and European modernism?
Jackson Pollock
Which artist became part of the modernist set of artists in New York and worked for the Works Progress Administration?
Willem de Kooning
Study Notes
Abstract Expressionism and its Key Artists
- Abstract Expressionism, also known as action painting, involved working on enormous canvases not attached to an easel.
- In 1962, Clement Greenberg defined Abstract Expressionism by its loose, rapid handling and masses that blotted and fused on the canvas.
- Action painting focused on the destruction of the figure, with the image being secondary, and encompassed a variety of application methods, such as dripping and pouring paint.
- Abstract Expressionism supported non-representational art, mingled colors, and shapes formed through emotion.
- Jackson Pollock, a key figure in Abstract Expressionism, was inspired by Mexican muralists and European modernism.
- Pollock revolutionized art by laying canvases on the floor and dripping and splattering paint around all sides of the canvas.
- He aimed to create non-representational impact and be part of the ritual of painting.
- Pollock's emergence as a significant artist was solidified when art critic Clement Greenberg declared him the mastermind of the new American art.
- Pollock's synthesis of mythology and ceremonial practices is reflected in his painting "Guardians of the Secret."
- "The Key," part of Pollock's "Accabonac Creek" series, maintained his interest in spontaneous, unplanned painting.
- "One: Number 31" is considered Pollock's masterpiece based on the innovative drip technique, with somber colors on an off-white background.
- Willem de Kooning, another influential Abstract Expressionist, became part of the modernist set of artists in New York and worked for the Works Progress Administration.
Test your knowledge of the Abstract Expressionism art movement, which emerged in New York City during the late 1940s. Learn about the radical new directions in art, the influence of earlier movements, and the concepts of spontaneity and improvisation.
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