Abstract Expressionism

Explore the work discussed in the video below. Click the thumbnail to expand.

Abstract Expressionism, born in New York City in the late 1940s, was the first homegrown American modernist style.  There is no single Abstract Expressionist style; the artists associated with the group worked in his or her own “signature style,” drawing on earlier modernist movements including Cubism, expressionism, and Surrealism as well as their deepest feelings.  Artists like Emil Bisttram took inspiration from a variety of sources, including philosophy, spirituality, and Native American painting. Helen Frankenthaler, on the other hand, developed a method of staining unprepared canvas that resulted in rich harmonies of pure color.