Abstract expressionism was a new and exciting movement. It evolved during the beginning of World War II when a group of artists decided that it was impossible to paint the normal still lifes and nudes of the times. The artists of this movement were opposed to all forms of social realism and wanted to explore their intellectual thought through their art. There were two main types of art produced during this time. Although the artists of this movement were a diverse group, they shared similarities in their technique. Gestural painting or action painting was popular at this time. This is a form of technique where the artist moves with the paint and can feel “in the painting.” The other type of paintings produced were Color Field paintings. These consisted with an abstract statement in terms of a large color shape or area. Three great artists of this movement include Jackson Poll
Mark Rothko was a color field painter. His goal was not to just place colored shapes on the canvas, but to have the viewer gain a deep emotional response. Rothko did not paint about nothing. He went through a long process to get to his final step, which involved only large colored shapes. “There is no such thing as good painting about nothing. We assert that the subject is crucial and only that subject-matter is valid which is tragic and timeless. That is why we profess spiritual kinship with primitive and archaic art.”
ock, Mark Rothko and Adolph Gottlieb.
There was much controversy about why Pollock chose the method of painting that he did. When questioned about this he stated, “My opinion is that new needs need new techniques. And the modern artists have found new ways and new means of making their statements. It seems to me that the modern painter cannot express this age, the airplane, the a
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