ART assignment The works of Abstract Expressionists like Rothko and Pollock have
ID: 3443568 • Letter: A
Question
ART assignment
The works of Abstract Expressionists like Rothko and Pollock have been some of the most expensive paintings sold at auction:
· $72.8 million for White Center (Yellow, Pink and Lavender on Rose), 1950 by Mark Rothko (2007)
· $140 million for No. 5, 1948 by Jackson Pollock (2006)
Visit the following websites on Mark Rothko and Jackson Pollock:
https://www.nga.gov/Collection/artist-info.1839.html
https://www.nga.gov/Collection/artist-info.1793.html
Based on the information above INFO.
1) Why do you think Abstract Expressionism is such an important modernist art movement? Be sure to mention at least 3 specific characteristics of the works of Rothko and Pollock that have contributed to this movement and its important place in art history.
Explanation / Answer
Note: This response is in UK English, please paste the response to MS Word and you should be able to spot discrepancies easily. Please elaborate the response with your personal views and any relevant classwork if necessary.
(Answer) Abstract Expressionism: Art in the Renaissance and later the industrial revolution were all influenced in Paris, Florence and other European nations. It was only after World War 2 when Abstract Expressionism came from the USA that New York was put on the map in the art sphere. Abstract Expressionism similar to Dadaism is more like “art for art sake.” This means that the artistic value of the piece lies in the emotions it conveys and the artistic interpretations of the viewers. It is the kind of art that one who does not connect with the artist may find distasteful. However, if the view has figured out what the artist intentionally and or inadvertently depicts, it could be a very valuable painting indeed.
Perhaps it is because several viewers have understood what Rothko and Pollock were meaning to say through their paintings, that has made them so exorbitant. This became popular and so important after World War 2 because people were truly desperate for a medium to convey their frustrations and expressions about the events that had just taken place around the world.
Contribution to AE by Rothko: Rothko belonged to an immigrant family during the time of these wars. Such an individual would best understand the plight of the deprived around the world at that time. His painting (mentioned in the question) is a typical example of merging of varied colours to represent the situations he faced as a child and then as an adult. The contrasting lives that a diaspora would normally have before and after having settled in a safe place is clearly visible in this simple painting. This painting is represented by separate colour blocks with a white block in the middle and a black line above it. It could perhaps depict the transitional life that war is capable of bringing about in the life of an immigrant or even a refugee.
Having resettled and built a better life for himself, Rothko was able to concentrate on his art after having achieved a peaceful academic life. His painting resembles therapeutic work which is what abstract expressionism is all about; it is about venting. This is what Rothko perfectly emulates in his work and is what makes him a pioneer in the art form.
Contribution to AE by Pollock: Pollock has lived the life of a typical troubled artist. He came from a deprived background. Nevertheless, his mother supported his artistic ventures and he went on to take it up professionally. However, he was expelled from school for being a rebel. Such an individual would truly have a lot to vent about and thus would make him the perfect advocate for abstract expressionism. This is because; this art form is not as much about the art as it is about the artist themselves. “No. 5” by Jackson Pollock is truly a chaotic painting. It is difficult to decipher as it has a myriad of emotion spurted onto the canvas. The buyer of the painting would possibly weed out a different abstract expression of the painter each time that they would look at it.