Abstract expressionism

Some art does not show real things. It uses big shapes and colors. One artist named Jackson Pollock dripped paint on the floor. This made the art feel very busy. Other artists used large blocks of color. This art was a way to show big feelings. It helped make New York City a famous place for art. Many people love to see these bold works.

Abstract expressionism is a bold style of art. It started in the United States after World War II. This movement helped make New York City a world center for art. Many artists used different ways to show big feelings. Jackson Pollock was a famous painter in this group. He used a way called action painting. He would drip paint onto a canvas on the floor. This made his work look very busy and full of life. Other artists, like Mark Rothko, used large blocks of color. These are often called Color Field paintings. This art was not just about painting. Some artists made art you could touch. They were sculptors.

Isamu Noguchi was one of these important artists. Others, like David Smith, made large shapes out of metal.

This movement was seen as a way to be free. It was a way to show the mind and spirit. Even though it was new, it used ideas from older art styles. It changed how the whole world looked at art.

Abstract expressionism is a bold and rebellious way of making art. It grew in the United States after World War II ended. This movement helped move the center of the art world from Paris to New York City. Artists used this style to show deep feelings and big ideas. Some wanted to show the spirit or the mind through their work. It was often seen as a way to be free and individual. This art was not just about making a pretty picture. It was about the act of creating itself.

There were many different ways to make this kind of art. Jackson Pollock used a famous method called action painting. He would drip paint onto a canvas that lay on the floor. This made his work feel very energetic and busy. Other artists, like Mark Rothko, used large blocks of color. These are known as Color Field paintings. Even though the styles looked different, they all shared a sense of intensity. Many artists used careful planning despite the spontaneous look.

This movement was influenced by many older ideas from Europe. It took emotional energy from German Expressionism. It also used visual ideas from schools like the Bauhaus and Cubism.

Some artists were inspired by Surrealism. This style focused on using the subconscious or automatic ways to create.

Artists like André Masson and Max Ernst helped start these ideas. Even the artist Wolfgang Paalen influenced many young Americans with his unique views on space and art.

Many famous names belong to the New York School. These include artists like Willem de Kooning, Franz Kline, and Lee Krasner. The movement also included talented sculptors. David Smith and Louise Nevelson made important works in this style.

Isamu Noguchi was another famous sculptor in this group.

Critics like Clement Greenberg and Harold Rosenberg helped people understand this new art. They wrote about the artists and helped them become famous around the world.

Abstract expressionism changed how people thought about art forever. It was the first American movement to have a huge international influence. By the 1960s, new styles like Pop art and Minimalism began to appear. These new groups reacted against the focus on the individual. However, the influence of the movement stayed strong for a long time. It led to other styles like Neo-expressionism in Europe and the U.S. The movement proved that art could be an event, not just a thing to look at.

Abstract expressionism is a major art movement that emerged in the United States after World War II. It became widely accepted by the mainstream during the 1950s. This movement marked a massive shift in the global art landscape. Before this era, the center of the Western art world was Paris. Because of abstract expressionism, New York City took over that central role. The movement was known for being rebellious, highly individualistic, and sometimes seen as anarchic. It was not a single style but a collection of different approaches.

To understand how these artists worked, one must look at their specific methods. Many artists used the concept of spontaneity to guide their hands. Jackson Pollock developed a famous technique called action painting. He would lay a canvas on the floor and drip paint onto it. This method had roots in the work of Surrealists like André Masson and Max Ernst. Another approach involved the use of large areas of color. These are known as Color Field paintings, a style used by Mark Rothko. While the work often looked spontaneous, many artists used careful planning. This was necessary because their canvases were often very large in scale.

There were several distinct types of expression within this movement. Action painters, such as Willem de Kooning and Franz Kline, focused on energetic gestures. Their work often felt busy or even violent. In contrast, Color Field painters like Clyfford Still and Barnett Newman used rectangles of color. These works focused more on pure color and space. The movement also included significant work in sculpture and collage. Artists like David Smith and Louise Nevelson created three-dimensional works that were part of the movement. Even the Northwest artist Mark Tobey contributed to this era. His "white writing" canvases anticipated the "all-over" look seen in later drip paintings.

The history of the movement is tied to many different influences. It combined the emotional intensity of German Expressionism with European avant-garde styles. These included Futurism, the Bauhaus, and Synthetic Cubism. The term "abstract expressionism" was used in Germany as early as 1919. In 1946, the critic Robert Coates applied the term to American art. He used it to describe a review of 18 paintings by Hans Hofmann. The movement grew during the 1940s in New York galleries like The Art of This Century. It arose as a departure from the social realism of the 1930s. That earlier style had been shaped by the Great Depression and Mexican muralists.

Art critics played a vital role in making these artists famous. Clement Greenberg was a major proponent who supported Jackson Pollock. He believed painting should become more "pure" by focusing on marks on a flat surface. Another critic, Harold Rosenberg, viewed the canvas as an "arena in which to act." He saw the painting process as an existential drama or an event. Other important critics included Thomas B. Hess and Meyer Schapiro. These writers helped elevate the New York School to international status. Their support helped turn artists into household names.

Many notable figures belonged to the New York School. Painters included Arshile Gorky, Lee Krasner, and Adolph Gottlieb. Sculptors like Isamu Noguchi and David Smith were also essential members. Noguchi's work, such as "The Cry," shows the movement's reach into sculpture.

The movement even included poets like Frank O'Hara and filmmakers like Robert Frank. In 1951, many sculptors participated in the famous Ninth Street Show. This exhibition was curated by Leo Castelli in New York City. These diverse creators all contributed to a shared sense of intellectual rebellion.

Abstract expressionism had a lasting impact on the art world. By the early 1960s, its dominance began to fade. New movements like Pop art and Minimalism emerged as a reaction against it. These newer styles rejected the intense focus on individualism. However, the influence of the movement continued through the rest of the 20th century. It can be seen in European movements like Tachisme and Neo-expressionism. The movement changed the way we view the act of creation. It proved that art could be a direct expression of the human mind and spirit.