What is Abstract Expressionism?
Installation view of Jackson Pollock’s Number 1, 1949: A Conservation Treatment, March 4–September 3, 2018 at MOCA Grand Avenue, courtesy of The Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles, photo by Brian Forrest
Definition: Abstract Expressionism is a mid-20th-century American art movement defined by gestural brushwork, monumental canvases, and a focus on emotional and psychological expression. Emerging in postwar New York in the 1940s and 1950s, it represented a radical break from European traditions and helped position the United States as a new center of modern art.
Artists associated with the movement emphasized the act of painting itself as a vehicle for inner experience, favoring spontaneity, abstraction, and large-scale formats. Though stylistically varied, they shared a commitment to subjective expression and the belief that art could communicate universal human emotion through form and gesture.
The movement is broadly divided into two tendencies:
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Action painting, exemplified by Jackson Pollock and Franz Kline, emphasized dynamic, physical brushwork.
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Color field painting, seen in the work of Mark Rothko and Barnett Newman, focused on vast areas of color and meditative intensity.
Notable figures include Willem de Kooning, Helen Frankenthaler, Lee Krasner, and Clyfford Still.
Key Characteristics:
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Gestural abstraction
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Monumental scale
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Emphasis on spontaneity and psychological depth
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Non-representational imagery
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Physicality of process
Art Historical Context: Abstract Expressionism was the first American movement to gain international influence, supported by critics like Clement Greenberg and institutions such as the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA). Art historian Irving Sandler and critic Harold Rosenberg helped define its intellectual framework.
The movement’s emphasis on individual vision and emotional truth laid the foundation for later developments in Minimalism, Conceptual Art, and performance-based practices.
Related Foundations & Resources:
