ABSTRACT EXPRESSIONISM Today’s topic is Abstract Expressionism. We will talk about the movement in general, when it happened and what are its main characteristics. After that we will have a look at the historical context of America in that period and finally we learn about one of the greatest artists of this movement Jackson Pollock and his painting techniques. Warm-up Activity: Match the definition to the term: ……………………………………………………………. not following what is normal ……………………………………………………………. experimental methods in art ……………………………………………………………. clear, accurate and neat ……………………………………………………………. tendency not to like changes ……………………………………………………………. not special, ordinary Unconventional Common Precise Savant-guarde Conservatism 1. Look at the painting and discuss in pairs which words would describe this artwork
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ABSTRACT EXPRESSIONISM
Today’s topic is Abstract Expressionism. We will talk about the movement in general, when it happened and what are its main characteristics. After that we will have a look at the historical context of America in that period and finally we learn about one of the greatest artists of this movement Jackson Pollock and his painting techniques.
Warm-up Activity: Match the definition to the term:
……………………………………………………………. not following what is normal ……………………………………………………………. experimental methods in art ……………………………………………………………. clear, accurate and neat ……………………………………………………………. tendency not to like changes ……………………………………………………………. not special, ordinary
Unconventional Common Precise
Savant-guarde Conservatism
1. Look at the painting and discuss in pairs which words would describe this artwork
1. Text about Abstract Expressionism: read the text and make a note of the main idea of each paragraph. An example has been done for you.
Abstract Expressionism
New York, the new centre of the art
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During the first half of nineteen century artists continued to experiment and form new avant-garde movements. But the centre of their activities changed. Before the war, European cities such as Paris had dominated the arts scene. After the war, the focus shifted to New York, where many artists had moved to escape the fighting.
Abstract Expressionism is considered one of the great avant-garde movements that happened in New York City in the 1940s and 1950s, sometimes is called the New York School and sometimes ‘Action Painting’. Abstract Expressionist painters explored new ways of creating art, reinvigorating and reinventing the medium. They changed the nature of painting with their large, abstract canvases, energetic and gestural lines, and new artistic processes.
In the past we have seen other art trends which were defined by specific techniques, however the work produced by the Abstract Expressionists cannot be commonly defined by specific techniques. The style is the result of individual concepts. With unconventional ways of painting, the Abstract Expressionists sought new forms of self-expression and personal freedom in their work.
Abstract Expressionists shared an intensity of creativity and individuality which was partly based on the historical consequences of the Great Depression, the Second World War as well as post-war politics. These artists moved away from European traditions of painting to create a distinctly new American kind of art which both respected and challenged the domination of the early 20th century giants such as Picasso and Matisse.
Abstract Expressionism is best known for large scale paintings, really big canvases: artists developed new techniques to apply paint, such as moving the canvas from the easel to the floor and working on canvas and then began to paint using various kinds of paint and tools, such as sticks, leaves, to express themselves. In some cases they used house paint, as opposed to different kinds of oil paints or acrylics.
Abstract Expressionism is considered as an advancement in painting because
the ideas of these artists had a huge influence on painting, drawing, sculpture,
graphic novels and graphic design. Artists belonging to this movement include
Jackson Pollock, Barnett Newman, Franz Kline, Mark Rothko and Ad Reinhardt.
The world of the Abstract Expressionist artists was firmly rooted in
Lower Manhattan. A walk along 8th Street would take you from the
Waldorf Cafeteria, where penniless artists made “tomato soup” from
the free hot water and ketchup; past the Hans Hofmann School of Fine
artists founded by the painter of the same name; to The Club, a loft
where lectures and heated arguments about art carried on late into the
night. Jackson Pollock’s studio was on East 8th Street, Willem de
Kooning’s and Philip Guston’s were on East 10th, and although Franz
Kline moved among various homes and studios in the area, most nights
found him and many of his contemporaries at the Cedar Street Tavern
on University Place.
GLOSSARIO
Canvas: tela
Easel: cavalletto
House paint: colore fatto in casa
Huge: enorme
Large scale: di grandi dimensioni
To challenge: sfidare
To move away: allontanarsi
To root: radicare
To share: condividere
To shift: spostarsi
Stick: bastoncino
Trend: corrente
2. Pair work. Find at least 12 key words in the text to help explain the concepts you can find in it. When you have finished compare your findings with those of your classmates
The first one has been given as an example
1 Savant Guarde movement
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3. Compare teacher list with student one: look at the difference!
4. Complete the following sentences
Abstract Expressionism, also called ______________________ and ______________________________ , flourished in New York in the years following ______________________
These artists wanted to challenge the clear domination of early 20th century painters such as _________________________________________
Their main goal was to create ____________________________________
Although this movement happened in a time of great political repression, it was an ____________________________________
The most prominent Abstract Expressionist painters were ____________________________________
Summarise what you have learned in this lesson. Use the lexicon given:
This art movement happened in ... It dates back to ... Its main characteristics included ... These artists produced ... This art movement took place in ...
Despite this ... had a great influence on ... The main artists of this movement are ... One of the most innovative aspect is ...
Abstract Expressionism emerged in a climate of Cold War politics and social and cultural conservatism. World War II had positioned the United States as a global power, and in the years following the conflict, many Americans enjoyed the benefits of unprecedented economic growth. But by the mid-1950s the spirit of optimism had turned into a potent mix of power and paranoia. Fueled by the fear of Communist infiltration, Senator Joseph McCarthy of Wisconsin unleashed a series of “witch-hunts” against alleged Communist sympathizers. Any hint of subversion could make an individual suspect. One scholar later reflected: “It is ironic but not contradictory that in a society in which political repression weighed as heavily as it did in the United States, abstract expressionism was for many the expression of freedom: the freedom to creative controversial works of art, the freedom symbolized by action painting, by the unbridled expressionism of artists completely without fetters.”
GLOSSARIO
Fetter: impedimento
Growth: crescita
Hint: accenno
Scholar: studioso
To allege: affermare
To fuel: alimentare
To turn into: trasformare
To unleash: scatenare
To weigh: pesare
Unbridled: sfrenato
7. Write down a short text about the historical events happened from 1940 to 1955
8. Look at the following photos:
The photos show Jackson Pollock, one of the major artists of Abstract Expressionism, at work in
his studio. Can you write down four differences between this work and traditional painting
12. Read the biography one more time. Use the timeline to practice reporting it orally.
1912 1930 1938 1943 1945 1956
13. In pair, answer the questions: Where and when was Jackson Pollock born? Where did he study? What does WPA mean? What does “period drip” mean? Was Jackson Pollock only a painter? How and when did Jackson Pollock die?
14. Work in group.
Look at the two images: What have they in common? Find information about them on the web,