As an art historian with a keen interest in the development of modern art movements, I am delighted to delve into the origins of abstract expressionism, a pivotal movement that emerged in the mid-20th century. Abstract expressionism was not the creation of a single individual but rather the collective effort of a group of artists who shared a common vision and approach to art. These artists sought to express their inner emotions and psychological states through non-representational forms, breaking away from the traditional confines of representational art.

The movement can be traced back to the 1940s in New York City, where it flourished as a response to the horrors of World War II and the cultural shifts of the time. It was a time when artists were looking for new ways to express themselves and to make sense of a world that had been profoundly changed by the war.

Jackson Pollock was one of the leading figures of abstract expressionism. Known for his innovative "drip paintings," Pollock revolutionized the way art was made by dripping and splattering paint onto the canvas, creating a new visual language that was dynamic and expressive. His work was a reflection of the subconscious and the primal, offering a stark contrast to the structured and ordered world outside.

Franz Kline was another prominent artist within the movement, known for his bold, gestural brushstrokes that conveyed a sense of raw power and emotion. Kline's work was characterized by large, sweeping black lines on white backgrounds, which were meant to evoke the feeling of the brushstrokes themselves rather than depicting any specific subject matter.

Willem de Kooning, yet another key figure, was known for his fluid, almost sculptural paintings that combined elements of abstraction with hints of figuration. De Kooning's work was a testament to the complexity of the human condition, often depicting distorted figures and faces that seemed to be in a state of flux.

Critics like Clement Greenberg played a significant role in shaping the discourse around abstract expressionism. Greenberg, a highly influential art critic, was sympathetic to the movement and focused on the "objectness" of the artworks, emphasizing their physical presence and the materiality of the paint itself. He believed that the essence of art lay in the medium's inherent qualities and the act of creation, rather than in the representation of external reality.

Abstract expressionism was a movement that valued the process of creation and the artist's personal expression over the final product. It was a time when the boundaries between artist and artwork were blurred, and the act of painting became an extension of the artist's psyche. The movement had a profound impact on the art world, paving the way for future generations of artists to explore the depths of abstraction and the possibilities of self-expression.

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While abstract expressionists such as Jackson Pollock, Franz Kline and Willem de Kooning had long been outspoken in their view of a painting as an arena within which to come to terms with the act of creation, earlier critics sympathetic to their cause, like Clement Greenberg, focused on their works' "objectness."read more >>