The Effect of Abstract Expressionism on Modern Art

The Effect of Abstract Expressionism on Modern Art

Abstract Expressionism was a revolutionary movement in the 1940s and 1950s. The spontaneous emotionality and denunciation of representation in forms surprised and rattled the art world. This movement was originally based in New York City, and it distanced itself from all the historical forms of art -- that is, realism and representation. Abstract Expressionism is well-known through strong brushstrokes, bright colors, and strong articulation of the personal expression. The impact on modern art is humongous, and it inspires many artists later to bring in different movements.

Abstract Expressionism itself was built on the quest for the search away from academic professionalism of art. Artists were trying to present emotion and mood and inner experiences rather than reproducing a reality around. Such a transformation encouraged more freedom in the expression of art, and individuals like Jackson Pollock, Willem de Kooning, and Mark Rothko were among those who led the forefront. For example, Pollock's "drip painting" technique could be considered revolutionary in the interpretation of the creative act: letting his paint droplets materialize into chaotic yet somehow controlled brushstrokes was for him a plunge into the subconscious. Such an interpretation would later flourish into further movements such as Surrealism.

Abstract expressionists were also concerned with the materiality of painting as a practice. The act of laying on paint was as valid as the picture that resulted from it, something taken up in later styles such as Minimalism and Postmodernism. The raw and immediate quality of Abstract Expressionism ushered in the idea that the artist's process was as valuable as the finished product.

This art movement acted as a catalyst in promoting the growth of institutions of contemporary art within New York. As such, it transformed New York into becoming the hub of the global art world. In this sense, the spirit of Abstract Expressionism still reverberates in the minds of artists producing work that exercises freedom of expression concerning the relationship between the artist and the medium and the emotional possibilities of an abstract form.

This has ensured the lasting influence of Abstract Expressionism on modern art, with its stress on spontaneity, emotion, and the subconscious. The Effect of Abstract Expressionism on Modern Art