Abstract Expressionism is a mid-20th-century American art movement characterized by spontaneous, intuitive creation and emotional intensity. Artists prioritized the act of painting itself, creating large-scale, gestural works that expressed inner emotional landscapes. This movement represented a radical departure from representational art, emphasizing the artist's emotional and psychological state through abstract visual language. Iconic artists include Jackson Pollock, Mark Rothko, Willem de Kooning, Helen Frankenthaler and Franz Kline.