Tag Archives: Abstract Expressionism

Grace Hartigan, Grand Street Brides, 1954, oil on canvas, 73” x 102”, Whitney Museum of American Art, New York. Grace Hartigan, Grand Street Brides, 1954, oil on canvas, 73” x 102”, Whitney Museum of American Art, New York.

They Called Her George

Grace Hartigan exhibited under the name George Hartigan, following in the footsteps of female writers George Eliot and George Sand, so that she would be taken seriously as an artist. She was from the second generation of Abstract Expressionist artists, … Continue reading

Jackson Pollock, Detail of Number 1, 1949, Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles, Photo by rocor via Flickr, Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 2.0 Generic License.

Happy Birthday Jackson Pollock

Jackson Pollock Abstract Expressionist Painter Paul Jackson Pollock was born on January 28th, 1912 in Cody, Wyoming to Stella May and LeRoy Pollock, a farmer and land surveyor. In 1930, Jackson Pollock and his brother Charles moved to New York City to take … Continue reading

Philip Johnson and Mark Rothko, The Rothko Chapel, 1971, Houston, TX, Photo by Darren Milligan via Flickr, Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.0 Generic License.

Make the Time: The Rothko Chapel

If you find yourself in Houston, TX, where there is a lot of great art to see, consider making the time to visit the Rothko Chapel.  The famous modern architect Philip Johnson designed the octagonal building, but the building is … Continue reading

Mark Rothko, No. 46 (Black, Ochre, Red Over Red), 1957, oil on canvas, 8’ 3¼” x 6’ 9¾”, Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles, Photo by rocor Flickr.

Mark Rothko and the Divided Nature of Humans

Very few works of art grab viewers on a gut level the way Mark Rothko’s paintings do.  There isn’t anything quite like the experience of standing in front of a Rothko painting and feeling just what the artist intended you … Continue reading

Helen Frankethaler, Jacob’s Ladder, 1957, oil on canvas, 9’ 5⅜” x 69⅞”, Museum of Modern Art, NY, JamesKidsArts-Flickr

RIP Helen Frankenthaler

The American-born, Abstract Expressionist artist Helen Frankenthaler died on Tuesday.  Today, she is a prominent figure within the Abstract Expressionist movement, but early in her career she was known as Mrs. Robert Motherwell.  As a woman, it was not easy … Continue reading