The Art Paintings: Abstract Expressionism - Essay Example

Library and Museum Studies 27 November Art Tour Essay First of all, it is necessary to stress that this tour is an exploration of abstract expressionism. The art paintings we shall discuss have much in common; that is why they make up one collection and cannot be exhibited separately. This tour will help you to learn more about abstract expressionism and the artists belonging to this trend. You will notice that all the painters under consideration are Americans. Moreover, all of them created their works in the second part of the nineteenth century. Thus, the first art painting under consideration – Untitled – was created by Clyfford Still in 1956. We shall start our tour from it and then move to the next four works of art. So, you will have an opportunity to watch Philip Guston’s The Light (1964), Adolph Gottlieb’s Apoquogue (1961), Sean Scully Catherine (1982 and 1991). All the above-mentioned art paintings present American abstract expressionism. This term was firstly used by Robert Coates in 1946. The art movement we shall observe today takes its roots from an American post-World War II art movement. It should be noted that the name of this notion appeared from the combination of European abstract schools (Synthetic Cubism, the Bauhaus and Futurism) and the emotional intensity expressed by the German expressionist artists. You will see that Clyfford Still, Philip Guston, Sean Gottlieb and Sean Scully used abstraction to create their works. It seems that their purpose was to impart mood and inner state, not exact form of the object. It is necessary to stress that these artists tried to pay more attention to the colors they applied to create an art painting. Very frequently they worked with psychological and a highly articulated use of color. This feature is the most evident sign of abstract expressionism. During our tour you will see that all the five works are related to each other. It is easy to see that the artists belong to the same movement and pay practically no attention to the form of their works. Sometimes it is even difficult to guess what is demonstrated on their canvas. However, all the art paintings deserve attention as they appeal to both human mind and feelings. Clyfford Still’s Untitled. As you enter the main entrance of the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth, the first thing you will see is Clyfford Still’s Untitled.1 Although all the five paintings under consideration are made on canvas, this one is the biggest. It is not by chance because Clyfford Still tried to demonstrate the enormity of the county’s landscape. Critics frequently call this person one of the most influential American artists. According to Clyfford’s point of view each painting is just an instrument of human thought. Perhaps, that is why he did not give a title to some of his art paintings. This one is also untitled. Maybe he wanted to appeal to the audience’s imagination and give everyone an opportunity to connect this picture with some idea. You also may create your own title for this art painting. An artistic process was a journey for this artist. It helped to understand his self and the world around him. That is why each work created by Clyfford Still has its purpose. As for this one – Untitled – here texture was used as a central element. The author of the painting tried to relieve color and hide its traditionally “pleasant, luminous, and symbolic” characteristics. On the contrary, he wanted to stress the expressiveness of the image by means of selection, method of application and juxtaposition. That is why the works created by Clyfford Still are non-objective. It is seen by means of the masterpiece you are looking at now. This artist is also known as a celebrated Color Field painter. Still never put colors in a simple way, like for instance, Rothko. When we are watching his art paintings, we may see that here the colors seem to be “torned” off the canvas. This gives the impression that all colors are revealing underneath. This technique makes the works of this artist recognizable and so interesting for the viewers. Philip Guston’s The Light. Now let us turn around and have a look to another art painting. It is opposite the previous one – The Light by Philip Guston. This work also may tell as a lot of interesting facts about abstract expressionism. This artist did not use pure abstraction in his works. Instead of this he tried applying more cartoonish description of various objects and symbols. The art painting you see is not the only one of this style in Guston’s works. There are several such paintings belonging to abstract expressionism. In The Light we can see that the artist made his work of several blocks.2 He applied the marks of color in the middle of the painting. The art paintings like that were frequently called the “plus and minus” compositions by Piet Mondrian. In such works Philip Guston resorted to the use of the following colors: reds, greys, blacks, whites. This palette was applied in the artist’s later works. Thus, in Light you also see this palette. Here we can notice that Guston used four colors. They are red, grey, black and white. There are also three spots in the middle of the painting. They are different in size and are not ideal in form demonstrating that this work really belongs to abstract expressionism. Philip Guston did not devote all his life to abstract expressionism. However, the Light is one of the most famous paintings belonging to this movement. The artist uses a limited palette, but this does not minimize the value of the picture under consideration. Adolph Gottlieb’s Apoquogue. Now it is high time to discuss another art painting. Just go ahead and you will see Adolph Gottlieb’s Apoquogue. You should know that this work is a part of Gottlieb’s Burst series. The latter consists of several paintings depicting imaginary landscapes. At first glance, there may seem nothing extraordinary in this painting. However, its message is to demonstrate the set of the sun. If we divide this art painting into two parts horizontally, we shall see three glowing orbs in the first part of Apoquogue. They symbolize the set of the sun. The artist used three colors to depict this wonderful part of the day; they are pink, orange and red. Each of the color stands for a certain period of sunset. The second part of the picture is a graffiti-like combination of black forms. This stands for sea waves and the shore. So, in Apoquogue Adolph Gottlieb applied simple images in order to demonstrate the beauty of the natural process people see every day. The artist liked to experiment with elemental and basic symbols. It is seen through this very art painting. He began doing that under the influence of exiled surrealists. He tried to use only original symbols to make an enormous effect on the viewers of his art paintings. If Adolph considered some symbol not original, he did not use it in his works. The Burst is his last series. Here he simplifies his images. Practically all the art paintings of his belonging to this series include two shapes discs and winding masses. Each one presents these elements in different combinations. Apoquogue you are watching now is just one of these combinations. Sean Scully’s Catherine 1982 and 1991. The next two art paintings should be viewed together, because they belong to one artist and have practically the same message. To watch them let us leave Adolph Gottlieb’s Apoquogue and turn to the left. Here you may see Sean Scully’s works. They have the same title, but were created in different years. They are Catherine in 1982 and 1991. The artists applied the same colors to create these art paintings. He used bright colors attracting attention to both Catherines. Unlike the previous artists, Sean Scully used stripes and geometric forms to create his works. That is why sometimes he is called a minimalist artist. He also resorted to the use of various media to create such art paintings. Thus, Scully applied oil, watercolor and pastel. The works you see in this hall belong to so-called Catherine Series. Bright colors make the canvas share energy with the viewers. You may feel this moving closer to the art paintings. The series give us an opportunity to understand the artist better because he created these works during the most significant events of his life. For example, Catherine 1986 was made after the death of the artist’s son. That is why the series are so powerful and energetic. In both the art paintings under consideration Sean Scully used stripes. However, Catherine 1991 seems to be darker and more melancholic than Catherine 1982.3 This hints that the author produced these paintings in different mood and they have different meaning, although belonging to one series. According to Sean Scully’s own words, he wanted to do something special during all his life. Perhaps, that is why he chose this very style to follow during his career. Here we have only two art paintings produced by Sean, but all his works belonging to the Catherine Series can be found in the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth (Texas). You will always easily recognize this artist’s paintings due to the elements found only in them. For example, Sean uses architectural constructions of panels and abutting walls. This is the major characteristic of his. He also deployed a mode of compositional pattering. Many his works are devoted to Ireland, his motherhood. Once he even said that everything in Ireland was chequered, even the fields and the public. He tried to show these changes in his works. Scully was sure that the style he used depicted the way Ireland changed for a more chequered society. Stripe stayed Sean’s the most favorite image. This is easily proved by the art painters you are watching now. To conclude, it is necessary to stress that although the art paintings we have watched today (Philip Guston’s The Light, Adolph Gottlieb’s Apoquogue, Sean Scully Catherine 1982 and Catherine 1991) may seem to be different to you, all of them refer to the same genre – abstract expressionism. They were created by American artists and are closely connected with each other. All the artists we have discussed today did not pay much attention to the form of the objects they depicted. They used colors in order to give sense to their works. From my perspective, this feature adds mystery and exclusiveness to all five pictures in this hall. This gives an opportunity for each viewer to decide himself/herself what the message of the work is. It is necessary to stress that this tour is of high value. It encourages the viewer to search for sense and feelings in the works that seem to have nothing except stripes and spots on them. It turns out that all the things presented on these paintings were important for the artists. They shared their mood and soul by means of their works. That is why the collection of these pictures belonging to abstract expressionism will be useful for those who know nothing about this movement. This tour is a good starting point for further investigation and study of modern art. The information gained in this hall is very useful for people who are eager to become all-rounders and broaden their scope, especially in arts. Moreover, participating in such tours is a good way to develop analytical and independent way of thinking. Works Cited http://hedyobeil.com/philip_guston.html http://www.easyart.com/art-prints/Adolph-Gottlieb/Apaquogue-6288.html http://www.artcyclopedia.com/artists/still_clyfford.html http://www.modernblog.org/?p=181 http://www.modernblog.org/?p=266 Read More