Abstract Expressionism

Ms. Steinmetz

What is it?• Movement in US painting that

was the dominant force in the country's art in the late 1940s and 1950s.

• It was characterized by the sensuous use of paint, often on very large canvases, to convey powerful emotions.

• Most famous artists include: Jackson Pollack and William de Kooning

An expressive art form that is created from an emotion or feeling, rather than representational.

Lynne Frehm- New York Abstract Painter

F.Y.I.-Price: $12,000-4ft by 4ft -Year of Issue: 1998-Oil on canvas

What mood or feelings do we get from this piece and what specifically (elements of art) triggers those emotions?

“Masquerade”

I feel….

• Anger • Anxiety • Fear• Love• Sadness• Joy/ Happiness• Surprise• Relaxed

Expressing Emotions in ArtNON-OBJECTIVELY

• Color• Line• Shape

Psychology of Colors

Line can communicate emotion and states of mind through its character and direction.

The variations of meaning generally relate to our bodily experience of line and direction.

Horizontal LinesSuggests a feeling of…

• Rest or repose. • Objects parallel to the earth are at rest in

relation to gravity.• Therefore compositions in which horizontal

lines dominate tend to be quiet and restful in feeling.

Horizontal Lines• One of the hallmarks of Frank Lloyd Wright's

architectural style is its use of strong horizontal elements which stress the relationship of the structure to the land.

Vertical LinesSuggests a feeling of…

• Loftiness, nobility, worthiness and spirituality.• Erect lines seem to extend upwards beyond

human reach, toward the sky.

Vertical Lines

• They often dominate public architecture, from cathedrals to corporate headquarters.

Diagonal LinesSuggests a feeling of…

• Movement or Direction. • Since objects in a diagonal position are unstable

in relation to gravity, being neither vertical nor horizontal, they are either about to fall, or are already in motion.

• Diagonal lines are also used to indicate depth, an illusion of perspective that pulls the viewer into the picture-creating an illusion of a space that one could move about within.

Diagonal Lines• Thus if a feeling of movement or speed is

desired, or a feeling of activity, diagonal lines can be used.

Horizontal and Vertical Lines Together

Suggests a feeling of…

• Stability and solidity. • Rectilinear forms stay put in relation to gravity,

and are not likely to tip over. This stability suggests permanence, reliability and safety.

Horizontal and Vertical Lines Together

• In the case of the man in this family group, the lines seem to imply stability to the point of stodginess.

CurvesSuggests a feeling of…

• Deep Curves suggest confusion, turbulence, even frenzy, as in the violence of waves in a storm, the chaos of a tangled thread, or the turmoil of lines suggested by the forms of a crowd.

• Soft, shallow curves suggest comfort, safety, familiarity, relaxation. They recall the curves of the human body, and therefore have a pleasing, sensual quality.

Curves

• Deep Curves

• Soft, shallow curves

Project Objective:

• To create a non-objective composition using color, line, and shape that communicates a specific emotion of your choosing.

De Kooning Pink Angels, 1945