Comprehensive Study Notes on American Abstract Expressionism

Conceptual Framework: Abstract Expressionism is characterized by a "New Art for a New World," emphasizing the "American Dream" through gesture and color.
Core Pillars: * Abstract Expressionism: The broader movement. * Painters of Gesture (Action Painters): Focusing on the physical act of painting. * Painters of Color (Color Field Painters): Focusing on the emotional and visual impact of chromatic fields.
Intrinsic Qualities of the Movement: * Plastic Intensity: A high degree of formal and emotional energy within the work. * Immediate Painting: Spontaneity and the rejection of preparatory sketches in favor of direct execution. * The Canvas as an Event: The shift from the canvas being a space to reproduce an object to being an arena in which to act.

Three Fundamental Facts: 1. Government Interventionism: The proactive role of the U.S. government during the $1930$ s and early $1940$ s. 2. Consequences of World War II: * The crisis of content in traditional art. * The relative isolation of the $USA$ . * A unique assimilation of historical events. * The explicit rejection of the European avant-garde. 3. The Imprint of Surrealism: The transition of European surrealist ideas into the American context.

Interventionist Projects: * Works Project Administration (WPA): A federal program designed to provide work during the Great Depression, which included massive arts initiatives. * Federal Art Project (FAP): A specific branch of the $WPA$ that employed artists for public works, such as murals and posters for the Department of the Interior and National Park Service. * Themes of Social Infrastructure: Many projects focused on national preservation, such as "Wild Life: The National Parks Preserve All Life."

American Abstract Artists (AAA): Founded in $1936$ to promote abstract art and provide exhibition opportunities for artists rejected by traditional venues.
Specific Sub-groups and Influences: * "The Ten": A group featuring influential artists such as Mark Rothko and Adolph Gottlieb. * Hans Hofmann: His school was pivotal in teaching modern theory and the "push and pull" of color. * Key Figures associated with these groups: John Graham, Arshile Gorky, Willem de Kooning, and David Smith.
Museum Integration: * The MOMA (Museum of Modern Art) was founded in $1929$ . * In $1937$ , the Museum of Non-Objective Painting was established, which would later become the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum.

Clement Greenberg ( $1909-1994$ ): One of the most influential critics. * Published "Avant-Garde and Kitsch" in $1939$ , arguing for the purity of medium and the necessity of abstraction to avoid the degradation of culture.
Harold Rosenberg ( $1906-1978$ ): Coined the term "Action Painting." * Published "The Tradition of the New" in $1959$ . * Subject of a portrait by Elaine de Kooning in $1956$ .
Hilton Kramer ( $1928-2012$ ): Another significant critical voice during the era.

Socio-Economic Shifts: * Significant takeoff of the American economy. * Mass relocation of European artists to the $USA$ due to the war in Europe. * A heightened awareness of the irrationality of man and the tragic condition of humanity, leading to a new vision of the world and art.
Surrealist Influence and Academic Context: * Psychoanalysis: High importance placed on the theories of Sigmund Freud and Carl Jung. * Anthropology and Ethnology: Influenced by the work of Lucien Lévy-Bruhl. * Exhibitions: "Surrealists in Exile and the Beginnings of the New York School" (comisarias Alix, J. and Sawin, M.), MNCARS, $2000$ .
Native American Art Influence: The exhibition "Indian Art of the United States" at the Museum of Modern Art in $1941$ (authored by Frederic H. Douglas and René d'Harnoncourt) was foundational for artists looking for indigenous, "primitive" roots of American expression.

Roberto Matta ( $1911-2002$ ): A Chilean-born artist who served as a bridge between European Surrealism and American Abstraction.
Arshile Gorky ( $1905-1948$ ): Known for his lyrical abstractions and his role in transitioning from surrealist themes to abstract expressionism.
William Baziotes ( $1912-1961$ ): * Often associated with biomorphic surrealist forms. * Notable Work: Toy, $1949$ . * Medium: Oil on canvas. * Dimensions: $18 \times 24\,\text{in}$ . * Provenance: Edward W. Root Bequest, $57.72$ .