the best PPT explaining Abstract Art.

1. FD 402
CONTEMPORARY ART
APPRECIATION

2. AIM OF SUBJECT
• CONTEMPORARY Means “within the same
period” , “ Samkaalin”
• Compare art within various period of history,
realize the link between art and daily life, and
recognize the traditional art and its modern form.
• Centuries* (The 20th century ended December
31, 2000. The 21st century started January 1,
2001.)

3. UNIT -1 Art Styles of Forties & Fifties
• Abstract Expressionism
• Action Painting

4. Abstract Expressionism

6. • Abstract expressionism is an American post–World War II art
movement in American painting, developed in New York in
the 1940s.
• Abstract - means theoretical, conceptual , notional,
intellectual .
• Expressionism - refers to art that emphasizes the extreme
expressive properties of pictorial form in order to explore
subjective emotions and inner psychological truths.

7. Abstract Expressionism
• Period: Late 1940s , early 1950’s
• Locale: New York, East Hampton
• Aim: Express inner life through art
• Technique: Free application of paint, no
reference to visual reality
• Theory: Image not result of a preconceived
idea , but of creative process
• Motto – artist want people to “feel” their art

8. Jackson Pollock

9. Eyes in the Heat, 1946 by Jackson
Pollock

10. Portrait and a Dream, 1953 by
Jackson Pollock

11. Full Fathom Five 1947
• The work is loosely based
on a Shakespeare line from
the Tempest.
• Oil Paint, nails, combs,
cigarette butts, buttons,
keys, matches, etc.
• Fathom - Find the cause or
measure of depth 6’
• Van Gogh without imagery,
Picasso without space

13. Pollock
• The paintings act as a visual metaphor – matter (the paint
mark) is energy.
• The paint surface contains a sense of constant struggle.
Paintings often appear unfinished due the loose technique.
• The works are equally spontaneous and deliberate.
• The process (method used to create the work) is as important
as the finished product.
• The viewer is meant to be aware of the process; it is
important to imagine the artist in the act of creation.
• Paintings are done on a heroic scale.

14.  Pollock’s paintings are experimental. He was interested in
developing new techniques (dripping, splattering, etc.) as well
as forms.

15.  In Pollock’s most famous works the process involved laying
the canvas on the floor and walking on and/or in the work
while painting it.

16. Mark Rothko

17. • Colour Field Painting–
The paintings contained
two elements
1) Colour – Meant to have
emotional impact on
the viewer.
2) Field – Large surface
area meant to envelop
the viewer.

18. Magenta, Black , and Green on Orange 1949

19. Earth and Green 1955

23. Colour Field Painting
• Rothko’s style contains soft edges and blended colours.
• Hazy edges on the colour areas create the effect of
foreground shapes floating on a background.
• The expressive qualities are subtle and serene, not violent like
De Kooning and Pollock.
• This is art stripped to its purest form with maximized visual
impact & minimized imagery.
• The subject of the painting changes according to the viewer’s
experience. In other words, the meaning is subjective.

24. Hans Hofmann
“The ability to simplify means to eliminate the unnecessary so that the
necessary may speak".

26. The Gate and Golden rectangles

27. Droste Effect
The Droste effect is a specific kind of
recursive picture
• http://www.gogeometry.com/geometric_abst
raction/hans_hofmann_the_gate_golden_rect
angle_droste_effect.html

28. Action Painting
• Action painting sometimes called "gestural abstraction", is a
style of painting in which paint is spontaneously dribbled,
splashed or smeared onto the canvas, rather than being
carefully applied.
• Creativity is done with the material they posses at the time of
painting
• Action painting is a branch of abstract expressionism
• In action painting the theme depend upon the subject

30. Jackson Pollock was called an “action painter” because his work shows movement
and rhythm.

31. Born in Wyoming, he moved to New York to study under Missouri artist Thomas Hart
Benton. He began by painting realistic pictures but quickly decided to try his own
type of art.

32. Pollack believed all parts of a painting were important, and nothing should stand out.

33. The lines in this Pollock painting suggest movement. You can also see a “web effect” in
his work.

34. Pollack was considered an abstract painter because there is nothing realistic in his
paintings.

35. Jackson Pollack at work in his studio.

36. Jackson Pollack used “earth colors” in many of his paintings.

37. Jackson Pollock died in a car crash in 1956. His work will be remembered by his
technique of dripping paint onto his canvas.
Created by L. Welling

38. "Winter Time" by Mira Lisa Schiratis

39. "Mind Meditation" by Karen Feuer-
Schwager

40. Assignments
• Study Abstract Expressionism and Action
Painting Collect different visuals interpret
them and submit with their write up.
• At least 7 visuals with minimum 30 words of
write up per visuals