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Movements in Art > Abstract Expressionism

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message 1: by Heather (new)

Heather | 8548 comments What is abstract expressionism? by Sarah Rosenthal

"If you visit a museum with a collection of modern and contemporary art, you’re likely to see works that sometimes elicit the response, “My cat could make that, so how is it art?” But is it true? Could anyone create one of Jackson Pollock’s drip paintings? Sarah Rosenthal dives into the Abstract Expressionist movement in hopes of answering that question."

http://ed.ted.com/lessons/could-just-...


message 2: by Haaze (new)

Haaze | 131 comments Hmm, a good question since my cat is very talented. I will check out the Ted lesson for sure. Thanks for posting it. Overall, I'm not a fan of expressionism although some pieces are quite enticing.


message 3: by Heather (new)

Heather | 8548 comments Haaze, you literally just made me laugh out loud sitting here by myself. Thank you.
And thanks for your post.


message 4: by Haaze (new)

Haaze | 131 comments :)

I actually like expressionism overall, but the abstract kind doesn't do much for me. Alienation perhaps.... feeling perplexed...thinking about my cat!

This is a silly article, but I still found it interesting:
https://argumentsworthhaving.com/2013...


message 5: by Rebecca (new)

Rebecca (rmtb) | 17 comments Not sure where're you're based but a major exhibition of Ab Ex has just opened at the RA (in London). It's well worth a visit, I'm not the biggest fan of the style either but seeing so many of these paintings together, and the scale and colours of some individual paintings, was really impressive - the Rothko & Still rooms were especially good :)


message 6: by Haaze (last edited Oct 30, 2016 12:34AM) (new)

Haaze | 131 comments Thanks Rebecca!
I haven't been in the UK for a few years, but if I went I would definitely take advantage of its exhibits. I guess that is one of the boons of living in the London metropolitan area. I lived there for six months, but had to digest its museums room by room. Several rooms at once made my senses shut down. Besides, on a slightly different note, the concept of museums and exhibits is a very interesting topic as well! Heather?
; -)


message 7: by Heather (new)

Heather | 8548 comments It is a wonderful topic, Haaze. Check out this folder and maybe we can open up and continue those discussions. There are various threads already started, I'm sure you, Rebecca, and others would have more to add!

Art Museum Forum
https://www.goodreads.com/topic/group...


message 8: by Heather (new)

Heather | 8548 comments So, Edward opened the Fauvist movement again and that brought me to think again about Abstract Expressionism. I can say I do appreciate it, though there are some that I don’t necessarily ‘like’. Jackson Pollock for instance.
I do like Helen Frankenthaler to name one.
In the very first post of this movement, I posted a link to a little TED video about Ab Ex. Unfortunately due to the limitations of my phone I can’t repost the link here, But the post isn’t that far back.
I invite you to go up to the first post and check out that brief video which explains why certain works, namely Jackson Pollock really can’t be done just by your cat. There really is rhyme and reason to the technique and this video explains that. Check it out!
Anyone have anything to say about this movement?


message 9: by Ruth (new)

Ruth I love AE. Went into grad school in that frame of mind, but ended up more like Minimalism.


message 10: by Heather (new)

Heather | 8548 comments See, I don’t know what the big deal is about minimalism. That’s another one I may need to study a bit more because I really haven’t learned to Appreciate much of it.


message 11: by siriusedward (last edited Feb 26, 2020 12:37PM) (new)

siriusedward (elenaraphael) | 161 comments Well .... Heather can you make it SE than Edward... it feels wrong to be called that since it isn't my name.

And I like AE too..once I started to understand it.
I like both Pollock and Rothko.
Yes I like Expressionism more than AE too.And Fauvism more than Cubism or Surrealism.

I think I will like Minimalism... from what I have seen on googling it.


message 12: by Heather (new)

Heather | 8548 comments Oh sure! I didn’t know that wasn’t your name... why would you use that username? It’s all good O serious one 😉! I just didn’t like spelling out SeriousEdward all the time. I HATE texting with a passion and when I’m not using my PC I’m basically texting so the less the better for me. SE is fine. I’m sorry to make you feel uncomfortable.

Expanding on what you said, I do like Rothko but I still can’t like or even appreciate Pollock. If you saw the short TED video explaining the thought process behind Pollock’s work, you’d know what it was saying. But despite seeing that, I still don’t get it nor do I see any thought in it. Especially when I heard about the one where he was smoking while painting and ashed onto the canvas and, I can’t remember if he painted over it but he did leave it there. And if I remember right, did that not increase the value or something of that painting? That’s absurd!


message 13: by siriusedward (new)

siriusedward (elenaraphael) | 161 comments I was in love with the characters Sirius n Edward n couldn't pick one...I was a lot younger then...(blame the age).


message 14: by siriusedward (new)

siriusedward (elenaraphael) | 161 comments Heather wrote: "Oh sure! I didn’t know that wasn’t your name... why would you use that username? It’s all good O serious one 😉! I just didn’t like spelling out SeriousEdward all the time. I HATE texting with a pas..."

Seriously?
People are mad.
I did see a video of him painting....very active sort of painting..action painting indeed.
I just like the color he used in most of his works and the flow of the lines.The way it all goes together appeals to me.


message 15: by Heather (new)

Heather | 8548 comments I don’t know what characters those would be. Are they from a movie? I will admit, I don’t watch movies or even tv, I don’t even read fiction books so I’m not up on characters or celebrities. Why are people mad? Mad about what? Now I’m curious as to what your real name is. But you don’t have to divulge that if you want to be the voice behind the characters. Lol

You know, I was rearranging the books on one of my bookshelves earlier today and as we are discussing Pollock today, it just so happened that I had a book about the String Theory. So if I could liken Pollock to anything, his work could be ‘string theory’ in art. That’s how I see it today. That’s all I can really say about him, I guess. I’m glad you can appreciate him and I know there are others who do, too. We each have our own preferences.


message 16: by Ruth (last edited Feb 26, 2020 04:22PM) (new)

Ruth I assume you guys are talking about Pollock’s drip paintings. When I first became aware of them I saw them as furious, tortured action. Then when I was taking an undergrad Art History course the instructor gave us the choice of writing a paper about an artist or making a painting I that artists style. I chose the painting, and did a Pollock.

Laid a huge piece of canvas on the floor, bought a bunch of Duco enamels, because that’s what he used, and set to work. I soon learned that in order to make the long loops and tangles he used I couldn’t just fling paint around. I had to move my whole body from the feet up. It was like ballet and took a lot of practice to get anything near to his style. And I truly understood what he meant when he said “ when I am in the painting.” They're a record of action in time.


message 17: by Heather (new)

Heather | 8548 comments That made me remember something I saw. I can’t remember if it was a movie clip or what but I watched Pollock do a drip painting and it was like watching a dance, a ballet or something. And it looked like he had to be very relaxed to get his body to move in such motions, to sway and swing like he did.
I have heard dancers who get into their dance, they lose themselves in the music and feel at one with their body and the sounds. So that’s probably like what Pollock is referring to when he says he gets into his painting.


message 18: by Ruth (new)

Ruth Ive seen that film, too. I think you’re absolutely right.


message 19: by siriusedward (new)

siriusedward (elenaraphael) | 161 comments Yes


message 20: by siriusedward (new)

siriusedward (elenaraphael) | 161 comments Heather wrote: "I don’t know what characters those would be. Are they from a movie? I will admit, I don’t watch movies or even tv, I don’t even read fiction books so I’m not up on characters or celebrities. Why ar..."


Mad because price go up for the silliest reasons. 🤷‍♀️

Sirius from HP and Edward from Twilight..yes I was young...(yes,it was sometime back) and my name is Shaheen.


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