CURATED ART EXHIBIT

By:Abraham P Cooper

The influence of Post-Impressionism on art, leading to the emergence of Abstract Expressionism.

The development of Abstract Expressionism developed not just from its

precursor artists’, such as Salvador Dali of the Surrealism era, but from the ideas

and works as far back as Post Impressionism. Artists including Paul Cezanne and

Vincent Van Gogh from the Post Impressionism period and Pablo Picasso from

the Cubism period, directly had influence on the expression and development of

artists’ during the Abstract Expressionism period. With the innovative approach

and style created with Post-Impressionism, art began to shift and become more

expressive and push the limits of abstractness within art as seen throughout

time.

POST-IMPRESSIONISM

ABSTRACT EXPRESSIONISM

from

to

Mont Sainte-Victoire (1885-1895)

Paul Cezanne

• The piece entitled Mont Sainte-Victoire by Paul Cezanne serves as one of the first pieces of framework that outlined the way art was created. Cezanne created a series of paintings with oil on canvas, of a mountain in southern France, roughly between 1885-1895 that features a vast little countryside town. Throughout the entire piece, Cezanne used very harsh brushstrokes, which help convey the formal structure within the piece. For example, the viewer can really get a sense for the movement and feeling of the trees without Cezanne using complex detail to do so, as seen in the periods before. The same element can be seen clearly within the mountain as well. Another element of this piece that translates into artworks of later periods is the use of a small palette of vibrant colors. Cezanne is constantly changing between colors, warm and cold, dark and light, to represent depth.

- Oil on canvas, 72.8 x 91.7 cm

Vincent Van GoghThe Potato Eaters (1885)- Oil on canvas, 82 x 114 cm

• The Potato Eaters (1885), does an

excellent job in infusing Post-

Impressionist ideas of emotional

content, in a way that allowed Van

Gogh to express himself and still

keep the integrity of the painting.

Van Gogh distinctly creates strong

facial expressions on each

character visible, but also allows

each figure to look somewhat

disfigured. It was strategy that may

not have been purposely done but

certainly maintained the elements

of Post Impressionism.

Starry Night Over the Rhone (1888)- Oil on canvas, 72.5 x 92 cm

Starry Night (1889)- Oil on canvas, 73.7 x 92.1 cm

Both paintings use very visible brush strokes that the viewer can follow all over each piece, as well as a very bright use of color. Both paintings use the same palette of color, and use bright yellow on blue to create life in the piece. Van Gogh was able to maintain the formal structure of both depictions in his paintings, however he was able to dramatically impose his distinct own style in the painting.

Edvard MunchThe Scream (1893)- Oil, tempera and pastel on cardboard, 91 x 73.5 cm

• Edvard Munch’s The Scream

(1893) is a prime example of

the influence Van Gogh and

Cezanne had using artist

expression in conveying

emotional content in artwork.

Munch depicts a man

screaming, in an

unconventional way that

creates an anxiety feeling to

the viewer. The vibrant use of

orange, yellow and blue colors

is also very important to catch

the viewer’s emotion. His use

of harsh brushstrokes is also a

key variable in maintaining the

new style of Post-

Impressionism.

Pablo PicassoThe Old Guitarist (1903)- Oil on panel, 122.9 x 82.6 cm

• The artwork was created among the time of Picasso’s “Blue Period” in which all his works maintained a constant hue of blueness to them. The piece features characteristics built upon ideas created during the Post-Impressionism era. This includes Picasso’s expression in using blue as the sole color throughout the entire painting. Another key element is the use of clear outlines, in the guitarist’s body, as well as, the guitar and wall behind the guitarist. Even though the body of the man is distorted and exaggerated, Picasso makes sure to maintain the necessary level of anatomy to still convey formal structure. All in all, the painting helps propel forward the elements of abstraction and artist’ expression that developed during Post-Impressionism art.

Pablo PicassoGirl Before a Mirror (1903)- Oil on canvas, 162.3 x 130.2 cm

• Pablo Picasso’s emphasis of artist expression helped in contributing to the large movement of Cubism. During this era, he created a piece entitled Girl Before a Mirror (1903), which completely leaped forward in encompassing the artist own expression in a unique abstract way. Picasso no longer relied on restricting his work to classical anatomical figures, but now had enough understanding to create abstract human figures that the viewer could still interpret. Girl Before a Mirror, also feature very vibrant colors and strong outlines throughout the entire piece, which stems from the artwork of the Post-Impressionism era.

Salvador DaliThe Persistence of Memory (1931)- Oil on canvas, 24 x 33 cm

• With the growing use of artist

expression within art, the

movement known as Surrealism

quickly emerged following the

Cubism era. Similar to the abstract

ideas of Cubism, Surrealism

expanded on that as well as

engaging the viewer even deeper

within each piece. It encompassed

being spontaneous and picking

upon the viewer’s intellect and

mind. Salvador Dali created The

Persistence of Memory (1931),

which expanded upon the basic

principles established back during

the Post-Impressionism period.

Dali creates a dreamlike world in

which clocks seem to be melting.

This painting does an excellent job

in creating emotional context, yet

expressing Dali’s particularly style

and feeling at the time of this

painting.

Willem De Kooning Woman and Bicycle (1952)- Oil on canvas, 194.3 x 124.5 cm

• Abstract Expressionism was a movement that completely embodied an artist expressing oneself visually without having to use formal structures and disciplines. In each piece, the artist was able to clearly and effectively show their emotion through the use of rapid and animated brushstrokes that were completely unconventional in relation to previous eras. One of the products of this movement was Willem De Kooning’s Woman and Bicycle (1952). This painting was able to convey a message through the use of color, rhythm, and brushstrokes, without having use definite figures or shapes. Artist of this era believed that you did have to stick to structural forms and figures, to create emotions within your artwork. This painting holds onto fundamental principles of using vibrant colors and sharp outlines that were used by artist of the Post-Impressionist period. Along with the use of color, is the intensity in brushstrokes that De Kooning used. They slash and swerve, and vary in sizes and thickness in the amount of pressure applied. This painting is a direct descendent from the innovative ideas and characteristics introduced from the Post-Impressionist period.