American Abstraction And Pop Art Analysis

When we examine three paintings from the American Abstraction and Pop Art style we can see the impact of media and process on style and meaning. Jackson Pollock’s “Blue Poles”,1952 is an action painting from the Abstract Expressionism movement which could be showing what was happening in America in the 1950’s. Mark Rothko in “Number 10” wanted to involve the viewer in experiencing basic human emotions. Roy Litchenstein’s “Hopeless” was trying to create relatable futuristic images that make fun of the chaos of reality. These compositions were done post war and are American Abstract Art works and Pop Art. They are all very significant and have deep meanings that connect them to the individual style of the artist. The process and the different
He also used sand and fragments of glass which he put into the paint. Pollock always painted on the floor and stood over the painting as he felt more connected and a part of the composition. He used his paint brushes like sticks hovering above the surface of the painting and never touching the canvas. Pollock felt that by doing this he could achieve more spontaneous movements of the body. He could also use gravity to help with his drips of paint and was able to walk around his composition and reach every corner. In Blue Poles he even steps on the composition! He paints the “poles” in the composition by using a big wooden pole and dipping it in paint and pressing it onto the canvas. The viewer can almost feel the process of Pollock splattering the paint and imagine the sensation of moving freely across the canvas with gestures of paint. The movements of the splatters in the composition are very important and create a feeling of letting go and emphasise the energetic colour and feel. The repetition of the blue poles creates rhythm and pattern within the messiness of the paint splatters. The composition was painted in 1952 when America was having conflict with Korea. The blue poles are the main subject matter of the composition and they are wonky which could be showing that America was trying to act strong like the poles but in reality they are skewed by the chaos and destruction going on around
He always mixed his oil paintings himself and mixed pigment with binder and diluted it to spread across the unprimed and unstretched canvas. Rothko would paint with his canvas attached to the wall and would paint with fast and light brush strokes and would also use dry brushing and scumbling techniques. Rothko always painted in the early morning under intense lighting conditions. Rothko’s composition is a large scale of 234.9x179.4 cm as he wanted to make the viewer intimate with the painting. Rothko felt that a large picture like No 10 created an immediate transaction and takes the viewer into the composition. There is a strong sense of intimacy and invitation that is countered by absence and abstraction. Although he didn’t like the term Rothko is known as a color field painter and he uses this style to get across an emotional response from the viewer through the use of resonant colours.Rothko was also irritated and dismayed when he was described solely as a colourist. Rothko wanted to translate basic human emotions of doom, ecstasy and tragedy and create drama to the viewer. He also wanted to communicate the religious experience that he felt when he was making the