What is abstract expressionism? - Sarah Rosenthal

If you visit a museum with a collection of modern and contemporary art, you’re likely to see works that sometimes elicit the response, “My cat could make that, so how is it art?” But is it true? Could anyone create one of Jackson Pollock’s drip paintings? Sarah Rosenthal dives into the Abstract Expressionist movement in hopes of answering that question.

Lesson by Sarah Rosenthal, animation by Tomás Pichardo-Espaillat.

[facepuncherjoe]

Forget religion or politics, if you want polarized heated arguments, bring up modern contemporary art.

[kevinjohnmelencion]

In Youtube world, Pollock was that guy who said "First!"

[lunacouer]

Jackson Pollock was directly influenced by another artist, Janet Sobel. She's the one that started drip painting, and there's a clear progression in her work from figurative to abstract. Pollock saw it and made it big. It was much later in life that he begrudgingly admitted that she directly influenced his style.

[alanpdrv]

To all of you that keep citing the exorbitant price as a reason why it is so ridiculous, remember to differentiate between the artist and the art market. They are not the same thing. This is why I can go to the Tate Modern and enjoy the Pollocks while thinking about the destruction of boundaries and their playful expression of the subconscious, and at the same time loath the huge bubble that rich people have created over the art market in order to differentiate themselves from the poor.

I think spending millions on any of these works of art is stupid, but that doesn´t keep me from enjoying some of them. To all the haters, I recommend paying a small visit to the Tate Modern, the MOMA, or any kind of equivalent you can find in a city near you. Have a relaxed walk around, open your mind, let yourself free of all preconceived notions, and stop and have a look if there is any painting that draws your attention. You might be impressed with the results

[Speireata]

If you think, you can do art like this, then go ahead and do it. Nobody is holding you back and perhaps you really can. The only difference will be, that they created their stuff back in the days when it was a real change to what people were used to. So they did something no one had done before. Nowadays we are used to this kind of paintings and the "Oh Wow this is New!" - effect has worn off.

[reptilected]

While in Venice, my family and I went to an abstract art museum. I remember us all literally crying of laughter at a piece of art titled "uncarved wood" which was exactly that; just two pieces of wood on the ground. My favourite had to be the one called "rose" though, it was a canvas with grid lines on it. Grid lines. I could have got some squared paper from home and called it art xD

Some abstract art I admire for their skill and meaning and others I think are just ridiculous.

[ooiioo]

I used to think what the majority of people here in the comments think--"this isn't art, it's just a mess, anyone could make that, this is stupid, yeah yeah yeah blah blah..." But over the years I have found a deep appreciation for abstract expressionism. Most people here seem to think that if something is not visually pleasing, it's not art--that is to say, most people seem to think that the visual form is the only important thing in a work of art. And most people probably prefer to look at things that are recognizable and tangible.

I think Pollock is important in that he was attempting to make the intangible a tangible experience. The visual form is a result of so many other things: his use of materials--exploiting properties of paint that no one else thought was significant, and using that as a vehicle for pure expression through physical movement. A lot of his paintings are so richly layered, and I can't help but be hypnotized by the interweaving, intersecting, entangled mess of movements and color. This art does not come about by diligently sitting at a clean desk, wearing an apron, keeping your chin up as you delicately paint something from observation or imagination. This is a different form of painting. This is painting that cares more about reacting in the moment, being able to see something and instinctively make a mark that responds to it. The visual product is a result of this reactionary process and is not a carefully planned construct.

I think his paintings are fun to look at--following a line into a cluster of colors, picking out each drip and sudden energetic movement, squinting my eyes and seeing patches of color, following marks that react to each other, and finding beauty within all that.. recognizing something about it that I like and find interesting, and abstracting those ideas into a relevant perception of the world that I can find meaning in.. that beautiful things don't always look beautiful at first, that it's not about instant gratification, that visual elements aren't always the most important, that anything can be art and it's a wonderful thing. I've learned that with artists like Pollock, it's possible to derive meaning from something that seems so chaotic and unrecognizable, and I think that's a beautiful part of the human mind. We have this ability to take in any experience, and ignore or extract or implant any sort of meaning on it we choose. We can choose to think "this Pollock guy is bullshit. his art is bullshit. idontgeddit this is stupid. i could make that, " and so be it, that's that. Others might think, "wtf is this? who made this? i don't know why but i really like it." Or "wow, this is truly mesmerizing. the layering and expressiveness of this is striking. i think the colors harmonize well together, " and so on.

I think the fact that a work of art can produce such polar perspectives strengthens the work even more. There are those who will say "fuck that" and move on. And there are those who will dig deeper and find something that affects them--and no one is to say those experiences are invalid. Art is entirely subjective, and everyone will experience something different. But when you make something that can perhaps produce similar significant feelings in a lot of different people, there is definitely something to be explored there. I'm not saying "omg. jackson paulsblock is a goddamn genius. so expressive. much wow." But his work has given me food for though in reevaluating my perceptions of art. His work has made me realize that there is beauty in the noise.

Also, I'd encourage anyone who says they could make a painting like his to please try it. But also, care about it. Put your heart into it. It's like fucking therapy. Pour your guts out on this thing. Get drunk. Get stoned. Get sober. Make some fucking crazy marks on a canvas, and make a lot. Don't give a shit about the end result, be in the Now and react to everything you are doing in the moment. When you don't focus on the end result, you can have more fun, you can play more. Go, explore, be creative. Pollock was a severe alcoholic and a pretty depressed guy, it kind of makes sense that his paintings are what they are. But like I said before, he's using paint as a vehicle for emotions--like he's ridding of his demons through these expressive movements, and I would encourage anyone to try abstract expressionist art for similar reasons.

[ambernicole.]

its actually harder to make an abstract empressionism peice look finished and put together. if you've never tried then you won't understand.

[xShianx]

That didn't really explain anything beyond they're scribbles of the mind and they're famous simply because they did it first.

[skeletorg]

Wow, there is a lot of hate on this video. I think you all need to bring it down a couple abstract notches, please.

[dianatkachenko]

I never understood abstract paintings, until I tried it. It's more like putting your emotions on the canvas in a way that makes sense to you personally.

[salimzwein]

"only he could make it"..well that can be said to almost everything...your personal signature, your handwriting, your cooking etc...and all these are reflections of the subconscious in one way or the other. so following that definition of art, everyone is an artist : your cat included.

[jayfulf]

Painters are the world's best salespeople

[danielpooser]

You can get such a deep level of honesty out of you through expressive strokes and colors that speak to you, it's amazing really. I've been painting like this for a few months now, never new it had a name

[brandonhall]

The video itself is more interesting than any of Pollock's paintings.

[bayla]

Wow! The "scribbles" when magnified are amazing!

[pilouuuu]

"If I had a blacklight, this would look like a Jackson Pollock painting".

[Chrystalhanson]

As an art student myself, I respect abstract expressionists but I do not like the idea of 'easy' art. I do not appreciate art that can be 'easily' replicated but that's just my opinion

[Anomen]

TL;DW
He made a bunch of random lanes and became world famous, but you can't do it because you aren't him.

[FishingandFitness]

Never thought I would actually dislike a TED-Ed video...