This movement of post WW2 artists have been tied together into a group which is what we now call the ‘Abstract Expressionists’. The label was coined by the writer Robert Coates in 1946, despite the artists’ ‘defiance’ at being known under the same name collectively because of their contrasting styles and techniques. (Abstract Expressionism exhibition, 22/9/2016) Willem De Kooning once said, ‘it is disastrous to name ourselves’ as he and his fellow artists believed it would ‘suffocate’ their individual ‘aesthetic’ if put into the brackets of a targeted name (Grosenick and Hess, 2005, page 6). Although there are some shared influences and ideas, the presence and look of the work is completely diverse as there was not one message that was purposefully being portrayed (Abstract Expressionism exhibition, 22/9/2016). Clement Greenberg even named his 1955 essay, ‘American-type painting’ highlighting that this was the first body of work that was created in America after the immigration of many modern European artists during the war (Greenberg,1955). They are known to be the ‘first generation’ of artists from the New York school of Art. (Abstract expressionism exhibition). Those who hold the legacy of this movement are Jackson Pollock, Mark Rothko and Willem De Kooning, however this investigation aims to expose and analyse the works of those who are less well-known and compare them with the most acclaimed of the ‘movement’ to see the connections and discrepancies between them.
Considering the ‘movement’ spanned from 1939 to the late 1980’s it is important to understand whether their ideas, influences and style remained the same throughout the whole period given the range of events that occurred such as WW2, the Spanish Civil War and the great depression in America. The question that has been raised for decades is whether we can label the art produced during this busy period as a movement. In order to complete my investigation, I will firstly talk generally about style and influences throughout the movement, considering the many different Abstract Expressionists. By then comparing the artists Mark Rothko and Franz Kline and focusing on two of their works I will be able to understand the principle concepts of the art created in this period of time and see whether they were all interlinked. I will include experiments to show my interpretation of Mark Rothko and Franz Kline’s work which I hope shows a simplified approach to their work.
Style and technique
Abstract Expressionism aimed to break ‘away from conventions’ by resisting a ‘stylistic categorisation’ through a variety of representations. The main reason for such uncertainty surrounding the movement was because ‘there were no manifestos’ meaning there was a lot of variation in style and technique. Unlike other artistic movements like surrealism which had a comprehensive manifesto written by André Breton for example which dealt with the process of thoughts (Greenberg, 1955). When viewing a selection of Abstract Expressionist pieces, it is difficult to detect similarities between them because of the variation in subject matter, appliance of paint and style of work. These artists developed their work over a long period of time, becoming more and more abstract; artists such as Jackson Pollock who began painting with geometric or baroque shapes, very much reflecting the cubist movement. However, after 1946 he began to use the technique of pouring paint over the canvas which he was standing on, using a ‘stick or dried paintbrush.’ (Abstract Expressionism exhibition, 22/9/2016) (Greenberg, 1955). These paintings are what he is most well-known for, however I think it is interesting that he moved from work with very fixed shapes and lines to a technique which enabled him to have complete freedom over the piece as he viewed the act of creating a piece as a performance so he would stand on the canvas ‘as if it were a stage’. This is where the ‘expression’ part of the name is highlighted and many artists’ work fits into this bracket. Another Gestural artist would be Joan Mitchell who was part of the second wave, a less well-known female abstract expressionist whose work was very experimental and highly colourful. Her work could be compared to that of Jackson Pollock as they both use a very gestural technique highlighting that there were clear correlations between the first and second wave. Another way in which this movement is extremely diverse is through the range in rejection of subject matter and interpretation of using the canvas not to portray an object or figure. While for the most part, there was a heavy emphasis on Abstraction using colour and shape, Willem De Kooning also painted the female form. He did this using harsh lines making them disappear into the background. Due to a lack of distinction between background and foreground there is a balance throughout the piece. De Kooning would use very vivid, bright colours and gestural brushstrokes alluding to the idea of movement. The expressive gestural technique of Jackson Pollock, Willem de Kooning and Joan Mitchell is probably what the term ‘Abstract Expressionism’ to a modern audience is best at describing. Gestural painting was first developed by De Kooning and Pollock consisted of laying canvas on the ground and thickly applying paint or in Pollock’s innovative method of dripping paint onto the canvas. Artists like Franz Kline and Lee Krasner were also elemental in the production of this ‘fully charged way of working’ (Paul, 2017). Harold Rosenberg coined the term ‘Action Painting’ which supports the energetic philosophy behind their gestural technique. Rosenberg once said ‘What was to go on the canvas was not a picture but an event’ which essentially emphasises Pollock’s idea of viewing his creation as a performance (Paul, 2017). It was not necessarily the final outcome that mattered but the process that he went through in order to achieve his product.
On the other hand, artists like Mark Rothko and Ad Reinhardt oppose this looser style of working because of their use of ‘Colour field painting’. Ad Reinhardt layers dark tones with simple shapes creating a very calming aesthetic. With some of his paintings it can seem as though it is a canvas of only one colour however if you look closely you are able to see tonal variations creating clean cut geometric shapes (Abstract expressionism exhibition, 22/9/2016). His brushstrokes are ‘almost’ visible after layering paint very thickly onto the canvas. In my opinion, what is most striking about the work of these two artists is how the impact that the space around the painting can influence our interpretation or opinion of it, and how it can have a calming effect due to the use of cool colours. The lighting and the colour of the walls can affect the way in which it makes the audience feel which was the aim of the artists, for their work to be emotional or thought provoking. These artists were having ‘a more direct relationship with colour in its purest form’ than the other Abstract Expressionists who were using analogous colours that complemented each other. Reinhardt wanted to reduce the texture and shape to a ‘minimum’ to give his audience an extremely ‘pure experience’ (Abstract Expressionism exhibition, 22/9/2016). Joseph Kusuth once said in his 1969 essay that Reinhardt’s work was ‘Art as Art’ because it could not be reduced to a simpler form that it is on his canvases. What could be interpreted as a rejection of subject matter, these two artists prefer to immerse the viewer in shape and colour to create emotion rather than preoccupying them with subject matter. Rothko intended his large impactful pieces to be hung in relatively small spaces in order to ensure an intimate or psychological interaction with the viewer (Paul, 2017).
Most of these painters completely changed their way of working over the course of two decades. However, there is one artist who continued to paint in the same way and, in some people’s eyes he is known as the pioneer of this movement because he was the first gain recognition under this bracket when Robert Coates reviewed his exhibition at the Mortimer Brandt Gallery in 1946. His name was Hans Hoffman. He was heavily influenced by Henri Matisse and would squeeze paint directly from the tube onto the canvas creating extremely raw and vibrant paintings. Even from an image in a book you can see the dense texture that he achieved by using a palette knife
Women and Black Abstract Expressionists were completely marginalized during the period due to extreme repression and consequently are much less well known. The Soul of a Nation exhibition highlighted the variety of socio-political current affairs at the time that were affecting these artists. For African-American artists, this was once again an outlet of Expression and emotion for them. Norman Lewis, a black American artist from Harlem used geometric shapes and natural forms with emotion in response to urban black struggles at the time. Abstraction was important for him to have freedom in the face of adversity. He worked with linear abstraction and figurative paintings but it is obvious that he was also influenced by Cubism because of his angular lines above expressive colour. In addition, female artist Lee Krasner, who lived in the shadow of husband Jackson. Krasner tried to distance herself from the work by artists like Mark Rothko and Barnett Newman because she found their work too ‘rigid’ and ‘repetitive’. She wanted to express her inner self so in this respect she had similar motifs to that of Mark Rothko however her art was individual to her whereas Rothko wanted to focus on the inner self as a concept for mankind which is similar to the subconscious ideas of surrealism. She would adopt techniques previously used by artists such as cutting up old canvases and collaging them. This was first done by Henri Matisse. We can also compare this to the work of Sculptor David Smith who would collage aspects of landscapes to create an abstracted environment. The period did not only consist of painters. Despite a dominance of painters within the movement, there was also sculpture. David Smith, who used metal to create landscapes, an unusual subject for a sculptor. Despite beginning in the realms of Painting and Drawing he was influenced by the wrought metal sculptures of Picasso and Julio Gonzáles. He cleverly combined various elements of landscapes such as ‘bridges, steps, waves’ and animals (Grosenick and Hess, 2005). Collage was very influential for him as he worked with architecture and figure again emphasizing the development that these artists went through. He could transform the concepts and ideas of Abstract Expressionism into sculpture through ‘drawing in space’ (The Art Story, 2017).
Influences and Inspirations
I think it is important to understand which Art movements came before and even after Abstract Expressionism and the context of the art to know its place at the time. The artist’s managed to consider the movements before it with an individuality that ‘perhaps even exceeds the intricacy and diversity’ of Cubism, Surrealism or, even Pop Art (Royalacademy.org.uk, 2017). The word ‘intricacy’ is an interesting word to portray the period of art because it was not refined or detailed to the naked eye however I would say that the technique that they used and the effect that they were trying to achieve was intricate but the energetic or peaceful effect was individual to each artist and not characteristic of them all.
As Clement Greenberg states, this movement was ‘revolutionary’ and very important for the ‘vitality of art’. This was because it paved the way for expressive art. It took the techniques inherited from the Cubist masters like Picasso, Léger and Baroque and started to tackle mark-making with a less rigid approach. This does not mean to say that Abstract Expressionists were not influenced by Cubism. (Greenberg, 1955) Pollock combined the style of Picasso, Miró and Orozco making more allusive paintings, however keeping to baroque shapes. Pollock altered Cubism in his work in order for it to work with his ‘own vehemence.’ (Greenberg, 1955) Up until 1946 when he started to experiment with his famous drip paintings he remained within the realms of Cubism. His most famous ‘Picassoid’ painting was ‘She Wolf.’ (1943).