Abstract Expresionism
Abstract expressionism was inspired by the ideas of surrealism and by the teachings Hans Hofmann. The style originated from New York. The term abstract expressionism was developed in the 1940’s and 50’s. The term was meant in a relatively broad sense but was defined by the purpose; expressing social alienation in the wake of World War II and making art that was both moral and universal. Abstract expressionism eventually developed two smaller subgenera; Action Painting and Colour Field Painting. Action painting is defined by the physical handling of the paint.
Jason Pallock used action painting to create a series of very popular artwork. One of them, Autumn Rhythm, is a full linear abstraction. This painting demonstrates a very effective colour palate. He painted this one by standing over it and throwing paint downwards onto the canvas, as he often did with many of his paintings. Pallock was a big drinker and would often be drunk when doing this. He also used objects such as bottles to paint by dipping the bottle into the paint and using it to through paint onto the board. Some describe Pallock’s painting technique to be “dance-like”.
Helen Frankenthaler visited Pallock’s studio. She also used action panting and painted on the floor. She was inspired by his “dance-like” painting techniques and began to use them in her own art work after her visit. Like in her painting Mountains and Sea, she often used light and bright colours in her work. Frankenthaler poured her diluted oil paints onto raw canvas allowing it to soak into the canvas and take on its own characteristics. Her colours in this one are so diluted that it almost resembles a water colour painting. Some say her dark contour lines in this painting resemble the mountains in Nova Scotia but altered slightly in an abstract dream-like way.
-Lauren Oliver
http://www.wikiart.org/en/helen-frankenthaler/mountains-and-sea-1962
http://www.jackson-pollock.org/