Video Review: Abstract Expressionism and Pop Art

1. Explain why you selected each of the TWO videos you choose from the selection listed above.

I chose these two videos, because I am interested in Postmodernism.

2. For each video list/discuss the key concepts you learned.

Abstract Expressionism and Pop: Art of the '50s and '60s

-Abstract Expressionism was born from a joining of attitudes in American art and European avant-garde art, but was later rejected for its nonfigurative and seemingly egocentric character in favor of the ultra-objective phenomenon known as Pop Art.
-By using Franz Kline’s painting “C&O,” abstract art is compared to figurative art. The filled spaces of the canvas are distinctively different in these two styles.
-Kline initially injects his work with mood and expression but moves towards painting colors in undefined space thus sparking the imagination with a sensual impact.

-Kline uses shapes that evoke emotions. Kline’s use of action painting reveals a process of constant discovery and leads us into a world of color and form.
-“Mountains and Sea” causes her to emerge on the artistic scene and influences a generation of artists. There is a fundamental change in the way we look at a picture from her strength of vision.
-Frankenthaler’s work is both feminine and mystical and induces a contemplative mood. An observer experiences a warming and exhilarating sense of fruitfulness in her work.
-“Morning: The Springs” expresses movement as an echo of sensations and is evocative of plant forms, light, and falling water. It is a momentary gift of light with a calligraphic quality.
-In 1952, de Koonig makes his name with “Woman One.” By embracing a passionate and instinctive approach to painting, he becomes an instant talisman of “action painting.”
-John’s paintings undermine our assumptions and make us think. He seeks to make his common subjects visually seductive and to deceive our senses as a coherent system of information.
-By using blobs, drips, and layers, pattern dominates Johns’ work. The observer takes in the layers and yet sees the whole and moves from an impersonal to personal experience of his paintings.
-In the 1960s, Andy Warhol is pop art’s most famous son. This is never a very clear movement but is the first 20^th Century art movement since Futurism to embrace the rhythms of city life.
-Both Warhol and Rauschenberg become art icons of the 60s by paving the way for pop artists in their use of everyday objects.
-Lichtenstein’s “Girl With Hair Ribbon,” juggles the notions of representation and abstraction. The closer one looks the less the image is apparent and the details take on a life of their own.
-Lichtenstein treats style as something to be chosen according to the job, but he also concentrates on themes that stir emotions and passions.

Andy Warhol: Images of an Image

-Andy Warhol worked as a commercial artist until 1960 when he began experimenting with advertising images. He worked until his untimely death in 1987.
-Andy Warhol’s interest in the lives of these famous women and celebrities inspired several repeated images.
-Photographs are blown up and developed onto silk screens; They are transferred to paper and canvas, using ink and paint.
-The techniques used for Warhol’s silk screen, Ten Lizes, featuring Elizabeth Taylor was created in 1963.
-Warhol used images as a consumer product- he saw the repeated silk screen images as a way to make money.
-Warhol began to photograph his friends. He soon was filming them as well and ended up shooting about 100 films. He then began adding paint to his silk screen images.
-Warhol produced dozens of self portraits. As an art journalist his work addresses race riots, the conquest of the moon, the Cultural Revolution in China, and the universal reign of the dollar.
-The museum visitor critiques Ten Lizes.

2. How do the videos relate to the readings in the text?

The first video shows the new and exciting art movements happening during the 1950’s and 1960’s, which became the birth of postmodernism. Artists were creating in a new style and this became liberating to the art world, art critics, and the everyday consumer. The Andy Warhol video shows how technology, advertising, and media affected the art world. By using the repeated images of iconic figures, such as Elizabeth Taylor or Marilyn Monroe, he makes a commentary on American culture and consumerism.  

3. What is your opinion of the films? How do they add depth to understanding of the readings and art concepts?

I have always been fascinated by the AbEx and Pop art movements. I think people of my generation can identify better with Postmodern art and such well-known figures like Jackson Pollack and Andy Warhol who have been idolized by contemporary culture. I think especially the process of creation, as well as seeing Andy Warhol as a person, can help us understand these two artists and the motives behind their creations.