Marcin Roncancio.
I have always disliked expressionism. The style never really appealed to me, so imagine my trepidation at something I thought could only be far worse– Abstract Expressionism, oh the horror! Despite this, I knew the value of seeing a gallery alongside of an enthusiastic and knowledgeable guide, and Ms. Goldberg, who gave the talk did not disappoint.
The gallery was flooded with works by Pollock, which I will admit, even with my interest at its height, I could not bring myself to truly appreciate. What interested me most in association to his work, was the term “action painting,” and the particular way it was explained to me: it describes art, such as Pollock’s, in which the process of creating was just as important and full of meaning–if not more so–than the final product. To me, it describes art for the artist, not for the viewer or the patron. Art that is cathartic and full of feeling, if not any particular meaning.
Speaking about painting full of feeling, full of emotion, I find it impossible not to squeeze in mention of Rothko, by far my favorite artist in the gallery, and perhaps the saving grace of abstract expressionism in my personal taste. His large broad canvases with bold streaks of color somehow spoke to me. I understood the use of color, and appreciated the layering and amount of work put into these paintings. I also thought it fascinating to see how matured as an artist and developed his own trademark.
Finally I’d like to mention how incredibly interesting I found the connections between the various artists influenced their works. From what I gathered, the scope of the art world during this period, and within the particular movement was quite small. It seemed as though all of the artists knew each other, and in constructing what we now call “abstract expressionism” they worked off of each other’s ideas, and provided each other with great inspiration. The influences of individual artists can be seen in the works of others, through use of color (the black and white room), structure (biomorphism, cubism), technique (dripping, “action painting”, zips), and materials (use of masking tape, plaster, oil and enamel paints).
(I apologize for the late post.)
