Abstract_Expressionism

In the 20th century there was very interseting artistic movement. It was called Abstract Expressionism. Some of the most outstanding artist of this time period were Jackson Pollock, Rothko, Hans Hofmann, and Kandinsky, to name a few. Abstract Expressionism dealt with an entirely different subject matter than traditional and reputable methods of painting. The artist of this era were primarily focused on the or emotion of his art rather than the subject matter itself. The works of this time disregarded traditional painting conventions such as perspective and dynamic composition, but was rather primarily concerned with the emotion conveyed by a certain affiliation of colors or shapes. Abstract Expressionism emerged from the turmoil and strife of the Great Depression and World War II. Many artists were seeking for a subject matter that was non political and lacked social responsibility, such was most of the art of the time period. They wanted a subject that still held great meaning which they could explore and make a statement without focusing directly on rather large dilema that enveloped them. A fresh way of thinking arose from this, which changed the way that people percieved the artistic world. The focal point for most of the action of this movement was in New York City, durning about 1929. There, the Museum of Modern Art opened, featuring the collection of Alfred H. Barr, Jr. Here, American artists were exposed to the unique works from European Modernist artists. Many other exhibitions in New York had great influence over this artistic movement. A few of these exhibitions include: Cubism and Abstract Art (1936), Fantastic Art, Dada, and Surrealism (1936–37). Artist drew inspiration from other established artists who were displaying their work in New York. A few of these artists were: Matisse, Leger, and Picasso. All of whom produced radically different works of art than what was commonly seen. These artists influenced the way other artists approached their work. Examining the works created by Jackson Pollock, one can really see what the Abstract Impressionism movement was. In Cody, Wyoming in 1912, Jackson Pollok was bor. His father was a farmer and later a land surveyor for the government. He grew up in Arizona and Chico, California, studying at Los Angeles' Manual Arts High School. In October 1945, Pollock was married to Leee Kraner, another important American painter, then moved to Long Island, New York. There he refined and perfected his technique of working with fluid paint. He was first introduced to the use of liquid paint earlier in 1936. After hr moved to Long Island, he began painting with his canvas laid out across the floor, and developed what was later called his "drip" technique. By disregarding the convention of painting on an upright surface, he added a new dimension, literally, by being able to view and apply paint to his canvases from all directions. The drip technique needed to be done using very fluid paint, however. Therefore Pollock used alkyd enamels (synthetic resin-based paints). He began to use household paints instead of traditional paints. He claims he did this out of need for the medium. He used hardened brushes, sticks, and even basting syringes as paint applicators. Pollok moved away from figurative representation, and challenged the Western tradition of using paint brush and easel. He also used more than just the hand and wrist, as he used his whole body to paint. In 1956, Time magazine dubbed Pollock "Jack the Dripper" as a result of his unique painting style. His technique was a mixture of controllable and uncontrollable factors, it combined the movement of his body, which he controlled, the fluidity of paint, the force of gravity, and the absorption of paint into the canvas. While flinging, dripping, pouring, and spattering paint, he would move vigorously around the canvas, and would not stop until he saw what he wanted to see. Studies on Pollock's work showed that there may have been some kind of mathematical predictability with his work. His work chronologically began to be more and more fractal like. Some even speculate that Pollock may have had an intuition of the nature of chaotic motion, and attempted to form a representation of mathematical chaos, more than ten years before "Chaos Theory" itself was proposed. A photographer by the name of Hans Namuth records his experience when he went to photograph Pollock in his studio: “A dripping wet canvas covered the entire floor. . . There was complete silence. . . Pollock looked at the painting. Then, unexpectedly, he picked up can and paint brush and started to move around the canvas. It was as if he suddenly realized the painting was not finished. His movements, slow at first, gradually became faster and more dance like as he flung black, white, and rust colored paint onto the canvas. He completely forgot that Lee and I were there; he did not seem to hear the click of the camera shutter. . . My photography session lasted as long as he kept painting, perhaps half an hour. In all that time, Pollock did not stop. How could one keep up this level of activity' Finally, he said 'This is it.” “Pollock’s finest paintings… reveal that his all-over line does not give rise to positive or negative areas: we are not made to feel that one part of the canvas demands to be read as figure, whether abstract or representational, against another part of the canvas read as ground. There is not inside or outside to Pollock’s line or the space through which it moves…. Pollock has managed to free line not only from its function of representing objects in the world, but also from its task of describing or bounding shapes or figures, whether abstract or representational, on the surface of the canvas.” At the peak of his career and fame, Pollock abruptly changed his method and ditched his “drip method”. Also, he started numbering his paintings, instead of titling them, which was the conventional way of doing things. Pollock had this to say on the subject, "...look passively and try to receive what the painting has to offer and not bring a subject matter or preconceived idea of what they are to be looking for." By just numbering his pictures he forces people to look at a picture for what it is. Jackson Pollock’s died in 1956. His death was caused by a car accident that occurred because of drunk driving. However, his influence on the art world lasted long past his death. He has influenced numerous Abstract Expressionists, and his work will influence contemporary artists for years to come. Hans Hofmann was another very influential artist during the Abstract Expressionism movement. Hofmann studied at Moritz Heymann’s art school in 1898. There, Hofmann was introduced to Pointillism and Impressionism. His earlier works show the influence that these popular styles of painting had on him; they also show that he had amazing promise as an artist. Hofmann showed so much potential that Willi Schwartz, one of his instructors, recommended that he travel to France to continue his studies. He lived in Paris for ten years during one of the most revolutionary periods in the history of Western art. Hofmann befriended many of the leaders of the Modernist movement. Hoffman became acquainted with pioneering artists like Matisse, Picasso and Bracques. In 1908 and 1909, Hofmann exhibited his work with the New Secession in Berlin. In 1930, Worth Ryder invited Hofmann to teach a summer session at the University of California at Berkeley where he was the chairman of the Department of Art. He donated 45 paintings to the University on the condition that the school promised to construct an art museum on campus. It wasn’t until later in Hofmann’s career that his reputation as an artist finally began to catch up with his reputation as a teacher. At the age of 64, Hofmann’s first exhibition in New York was organized by Peggy Guggenheim and held at the Art of This Century Gallery. Hofmann's work was original because of his use of spatial and color alliances. Hoffman’s work is distinguished by a concern with pictorial structure, spatial illusion, and color relationships "The ability to simplify means to eliminate the unnecessary so that the necessary may speak," was a famous quote b Hoffman. Aside from being a famous teacher and thinker in the art community, he is most famous for his process for creating space in a painting. Hofmann proved that the illusion of space, depth, and even movement on a canvas could be created abstractly using color and shape, rather than representational forms, by establishing a technique that he call “push and pull”. His works were often brilliant in color, and had a sense of depth and field to them. Hans Hofmann's paintings were unlike Jackson Pollock's in feel, in look, and in the way that he created them. Despite these two artist's differences in process, their works were identical in the purpose. Through their manipulation of color, and form, the artists try to capture a “feeling” or create an emotion with their work. Both artists contributed much to the Abstract Expressionism movement and to the entire Art World. The works of Abstract Expressionist artists also influenced the development of psychology. Many works of art during this time period draw inspiration from the unconscious part of the mind. Including works by Pollock and others, the philosophies of Freud and Jungian Psychology were exemplified. Jackson Pollock told an interviewer two months before his death, “I'm very representational some of the time, and a little all of the time. But when you're painting out of your unconscious, figures are bound to emerge. We're all of us influenced by Freud. I guess, I've been a Jungian for a long time.” While painting, whether by chance or by artistic intention, figures tend to emerge from the canvas and the human mind constructs what it thinks it sees. This type of art and psychology come together as shown by the work of Herman Rorschach. Rorschach created the famous “ink blot” tests. Abstract Expressionism, in my opinion was one of the most interesting artistic movements of the 20th century. Influential artists and thinkers of the time yearned for meaning in the unconscious mind. They used atypical methods to achieve their work. Their works had long lasting impacts on the world of art, and the way that people perceive art. Abstract Expressionism, Anfam, David, (New York & London: Thames & Hudson, 1990). ISBN 0-500-20243-5 American Abstract Expressionism of the 1950s An Illustrated Survey, Marika Herskovic, (New York School Press, 2003.) ISBN 0-9677994-1-4 Handbook of Personality Assessment, Weiner, I.B., Greene, R.L., (John Wiley and Sons, 2007) pg. 402. ISBN 0471228818 Jackson Pollock: Key Interviews, Articles and Reviews, Karmel, Pepe, (Abrams, Harry N Inc. 1999) ISBN 0-87070037-5 Reframing Abstract Expressionism: Subjectivity and Painting in the 1940s, Michael Leja, (Yale University Press, 1997) ISBN 0300070829