The New York School
Abstract Expressionism is more an attitude than a style. Originated in New York City in the mid 1940's, it involved artists from many different parts of the United States and Europe. Although frequently described as the first truly American art style, it has joint European and American roots and probably wouldn't have emerged without the extraordinary influx of European artists and intellectuals who emigrated before and during World War II. The artists used painting to explore the depths of their own psyches and the so-called “collective unconscious”. Because craftsmanship is deliberately sacrificed, universal standards by which to judge the work are missing. The movement was popularized through articulate advocates and critics who promoted the notion of free, individual expression as a fundamentally American style.
*** Keep in mind that Abstract Expressionism deals with ideas not facts. Don't look for familiar landmarks from the outside world to help you understand this style.
The Liver Is the Cocks Comb, 1944
kathleen_grisham@westvalley.edu
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