Term Papers on ABSTRACT EXPRESSIONISM

Term Paper Title	ABSTRACT EXPRESSIONISM
# of Words	1235
# of Pages (250 words per page double spaced)	4.94

ABSTRACT EXPRESSIONISM

     Abstract Expressionism is a radical style of art with which artists outdistance their models, adding
full, violent colour, and bold distortion.  It was created by artists who felt uneasy expressing themselves
with conventional styles of art that could not correctly convey their visions; artists like Jackson Pollock,
Hans Hofmann, and Willem De Kooning, were all greatly involved in shaping Abstract Expressionism into
what it is today.
     Like many other modern movements, Abstract Expressionism does not describe any one particular
style, but rather a general attitude; not all the work was abstract, nor was it all expressive.  There are two
main types of Abstract Expressionism: Calligraphic, and Iconic.  Calligraphic paintings are composed of
freely scribbled marks that cover most of the work surface, while Iconic paintings are usually composed of
one main, centralised form.  Jackson Pollock's painting "Number Thirty Two" is a perfect example of
Calligraphic Abstract Expressionism, while Barnett Newman's "Achilles" is a typical Iconic Abstract
Expressionist work.  Most Abstract Expressionist paintings have, to a certain extent, the same
characteristics:  The paintings are usually rather large; they are an expression of thought through the use of
gestural or "action" painting; they are commonly painted with strange objects; they are usually filled with
vibrant, shocking colours and many other things not normally!
associated with other "classical" forms of art - these artists are trying to paint raw emotion, not pretty
pictures.
     The painters who came to be known as "Abstract Expressionists" shared a similar outlook rather
than a style - an outlook of revolt and a belief in the freedom of expression.  The main thing these artists
had in common was that they valued, above all, individuality and almost instinctive improvisation.
     With Jackson Pollock, the art of the United States freed itself for the first time from the European-
dominated art society and took a leading part in adding to the history of art.  Jackson Pollock was born in
Cody, Wyoming, in 1912.  He began to study painting at the Art Students' League in New York, in 1929,
with Thomas Hart Benton.  During the 1950s, he was strongly supported by most critics, but was also
subject to abuse and sarcasm as the leader of a style still rather new (in 1956, TIME magazine called him
"Jack the Dripper" because of his "Drip Paintings").  By the 1960s, however, he was generally recognized
as one of the most important figures of the 20th century in American painting.  His unhappy personal life
(he was an alcoholic) and his premature death in a car crash also contributed to his famous status.  He
thought of paint as energy waiting to be released.  He did not work the paint; he splattered it, threw it,
spilled it, and dripped it.  The resulting art woul!
d then rely on the way in which he applied the paint and what materials he used.  With this method, the
surface obtained was outstandingly rich, vibrant, and eye-catching.  However, Pollock did not leave
everything to chance; he was extremely involved throughout the whole process, from beginning to end.
Pollock himself had this to say about his "unusual" style of painting:
"On the floor I am more at ease.  I feel nearer, more a part of the painting,  since this way I can walk round
it, work from the four sides and literally be in the painting."
     Pollock created "Convergence (Number 10, 1952)" using his famous "drip" style of painting.  All
at once, we are exposed to reds, blues, yellows, blacks, and whites that all jump out of the painting to the
observer's eye demanding attention.  The coarse surface of the painting...

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