Abstract Impressionism is an art movement that originated in New York City, in the 1940s.Eduoard Malingue Gallery. ''Impressionism to Modern Art.'' Hong Kong: Eduard Malingue Gallery, 2011. 10. It involves the painting of a subject such as real-life scenes, objects, or people (portraits) in an Impressionist-style, but with an emphasis on varying measures of abstraction. The paintings are often painted ''en plein air,'' an artistic style involving painting outside with the landscape directly in front of the artist. The movement works delicately between the lines of pure abstraction (the extent of which varies greatly) and the allowance of an impression of reality in the painting.

History

Terminology

The first coining of the term “Abstract Impressionism” has been attributed to painter and critic

Elaine de Kooning Elaine Marie Catherine de Kooning (, née Fried; March 12, 1918 – February 1, 1989) was an Abstract Expressionist and Figurative Expressionist painter in the post-World War II era. She wrote extensively on the art of the period and was an edito ...

in the 1950s. The introduction of this term and the associated artworks both preceded and legitimised its first exhibition in 1958, curated by Lawrence Alloway. The term, after being coined by Elaine de Kooning, is considered to have been popularised by artist and critic

Louis Finkelstein Louis Finkelstein (June 14, 1895 in Cincinnati, Ohio – 29 November 1991) was a Talmud scholar, an expert in Jewish law, and a leader of the Jewish Theological Seminary of America (JTS) and Conservative Judaism. Biography Louis (Eliezer) Fin ...

to describe the works of Philip Guston, in order to distinguish his art from that of the growing field of

Abstract Expressionism Abstract expressionism is a post–World War II art movement in American painting, developed in New York City in the 1940s. It was the first specifically American movement to achieve international influence and put New York at the center of the ...

. Phillip Guston's rise within artistic and social spheres in the mid 1950s was a determining factor in the development and profiling of Abstract Impressionism. His paintings were considered by Finkelstein to be simultaneously extensions of Abstract Expressionism and also oppositions of, or alternatives to, the aggressiveness of Abstract Expressionism. After applying the term to Guston, Finkelstein continued to use "Abstract Impressionism" to describe new artworks and artistic practices in the 1950s, in

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

. He believed and purported that emerging forms of artmaking provided a unique opportunity to redefine and re-evaluate a series of artists who, despite being raised around the ideals and norms of Abstract Expressionism, were moving more towards reinvigorating the ideals of the traditional

Impressionist movement Impressionism was a 19th-century art movement characterized by relatively small, thin, yet visible brush strokes, open composition, emphasis on accurate depiction of light in its changing qualities (often accentuating the effects of the passage ...

Alloway's Exhibition

Lawrence Alloway's exhibition, the first of its kind for Abstract Impressionism, featured 26 paintings by 23 artists. The idea for the exhibition came from the Fine Art Department of the

University of Nottingham The University of Nottingham is a public university, public research university in Nottingham, United Kingdom. It was founded as University College Nottingham in 1881, and was granted a royal charter in 1948. The University of Nottingham belongs t ...

, and took place at the Arts Council Gallery in St. James' Square. Act by Antoni Karwowski

The artists featured were from

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

, and the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

, with their various works prefaced by a ''"lengthy catalogue"'' written by Alloway himself.

Alan Bowness Sir Alan Bowness CBE (11 January 1928 – 1 March 2021) was a British art historian, art critic, and museum director. He was the director of the Tate Gallery between 1980 and 1988. Early life Bowness was born in Finchley to Kathleen (née B ...

, a critic of the show, recalled Nicolas de Staël,

Peter Lanyon George Peter Lanyon (8 February 1918 – 31 August 1964) was a British painter of landscapes leaning heavily towards abstraction. Lanyon was one of the most important artists to emerge in post-war Britain. Despite his early death at the age ...

, and Sam Francis to be participating artists in the exhibition.

Differentiation

Both the exhibition and the movement in general were considered by many to highlight a distinct differentiation from preceding movements, despite some critics, like Alan Bowness, arguing the works of the movement were not differentiated enough from previous works. Despite this controversy, Abstract Impressionism has been considered an ideological opposition to the other post-war movements of the era- specifically its growing countermovements,

Cubism Cubism is an early-20th-century avant-garde art movement that revolutionized European painting and sculpture, and inspired related movements in music, literature and architecture. In Cubist artwork, objects are analyzed, broken up and reassemble ...

and

Futurism Futurism ( it, Futurismo, link=no) was an artistic and social movement that originated in Italy, and to a lesser extent in other countries, in the early 20th century. It emphasized dynamism, speed, technology, youth, violence, and objects such ...

. Whilst Futurism focussed on rejecting the art of the past, Abstract Impressionism sought to incorporate techniques from numerous movements before it. This included both the Abstract and

Impressionist Impressionism was a 19th-century art movement characterized by relatively small, thin, yet visible brush strokes, open composition, emphasis on accurate depiction of light in its changing qualities (often accentuating the effects of the passage ...

movements of the early 1900s and the 1860s respectively. Additionally, Abstract Impressionists were unwilling to subscribe to the rationality and mathematic precision of Cubism. They rejected the idea of creating an image out of divided parts, and instead sought to create a mass of colour and imagery, that would only be recognisable as a whole. Abstract Impressionism has been considered a result from an artist deviation from the ''“expressionistic aggressiveness of the forties”'', and the simultaneous embracing of both new abstraction techniques and more traditional roots of nature and lyrical appreciation. In terms of distinguishing themselves from traditional Impressionist works, Abstract Impressionists deviate in a way that Elaine de Kooning describes as ''“keep ngthe Impressionist manner of looking at a scene, but eavingout the scene… thereby giving an old style a new subject”''. Simply put, they add abstraction onto Impressionism and take away the reliance on specificity and exactness.

Criticism

Stylistic Criticism

Abstract Impressionism has been criticised for its legitimacy, and its inability to distinguish itself from other movements, by many art critics. After one of its early exhibitions at the Arts Gallery Council in St. James Square,

(a highly regarded art critic and historian) described Abstract Impressionism as ''“just another ‘ism’”, without “the catalogue for the adoption of this new term eingvery convincing”.'' The main point of contention regards a difficulty separating the movement from other art periods, such as

Lyrical Abstraction Lyrical abstraction is either of two related but distinct trends in Post-war Modernist painting: ''European Abstraction Lyrique'' born in Paris, the French art critic Jean José Marchand being credited with coining its name in 1947, considered ...

Post-Impressionism Post-Impressionism (also spelled Postimpressionism) was a predominantly French art movement that developed roughly between 1886 and 1905, from the last Impressionist exhibition to the birth of Fauvism. Post-Impressionism emerged as a reaction ag ...

. Bowness says that in trying to discern ''"particular qualities these pictures have in common, qualities that differentiate them from other paintings of a roughly similar type... the result is all together inconclusive"''. A further issue has been the widely varying degrees of abstraction in the movement, that may make visual uniformity difficult. Bowness notes that he finds it difficult to comprehend any unity between the artworks, and concludes that there is no movement that could rightfully claim all of them.

Categorisation Criticism

Another element of controversy within Abstract Impressionism comes in attempting to categorise its style within other movements. Art historians Simon Watney and

Roger Fry Roger Eliot Fry (14 December 1866 – 9 September 1934) was an English painter and critic, and a member of the Bloomsbury Group. Establishing his reputation as a scholar of the Old Masters, he became an advocate of more recent developme ...

debate over two places in which Abstract Impressionism may fit. They conclude to be unsure of whether it is a further development of

, or if it is perhaps more related to the period of Bloomsbury Abstraction within the Abstract movement. Additionally, many artists that the Abstract Impressionist movement has claimed- such as

Milton Resnick Milton Resnick (January 7, 1917 – March 12, 2004) was an American artist noted for abstract paintings that coupled scale with density of incident. It was not uncommon for some of the largest paintings to weigh in excess three hundred pounds, a ...

, Sam Francis, Nicolas de Staël, or

Jackson Pollock Paul Jackson Pollock (; January 28, 1912August 11, 1956) was an American painter and a major figure in the abstract expressionist movement. He was widely noticed for his " drip technique" of pouring or splashing liquid household paint onto a hor ...

- are simultaneously considered to be members of other more widely recognised movements, such as Abstract Expressionism, whether by their own definition or the labelling of other art critics.

Style

The style of Abstract Impressionism focusses on the portrayal of real life subjects- typically situated close to the artist themselves- through simplification and abstraction. This creates a work of art that lends itself towards the traditions of both

Impressionism Impressionism was a 19th-century art movement characterized by relatively small, thin, yet visible brush strokes, open Composition (visual arts), composition, emphasis on accurate depiction of light in its changing qualities (often accentuating ...

and

Abstract art Abstract art uses visual language of shape, form, color and line to create a composition which may exist with a degree of independence from visual references in the world. Western art had been, from the Renaissance up to the middle of the 19th ...

movements. The amount of abstraction varies greatly from painting to painting, which has been seen as a point of controversy in the movement as it disallows visual conformity between works.

Painting Techniques

Like Impressionism, the artworks feature short brushstrokes with paint “loaded” onto the painting instrument. This technique involves piling paint onto an art tool, such as a brush or a palette knife, and layering the paint onto the canvas or paper to create a multi-layered and textured effect- or, an "impression". Abstract Impressionists paintings have been described to resemble late-Impressionist pictures in their technique, like those of

Monet Oscar-Claude Monet (, , ; 14 November 1840 – 5 December 1926) was a French painter and founder of impressionist painting who is seen as a key precursor to modernism, especially in his attempts to paint nature as he perceived it. During ...

, but without the representative content that usually defines Impressionism. Abstract Impressionist style also relies largely on the painting embracing the concept of en plein air. ''En plein air'' painting is an artistic style involving painting outdoors, with the landscape or subject directly in front of the artist. This technique is used primarily by Impressionists. However, Abstract Impression deviates from traditional ''en plain air'' artworks as the level of exactness or realism in the painting is seen to be less important than overall atmospheric effect.

Deviations from Similar Movements

Abstract Impressionists have been described to be largely inspired by modern advances in and changing attitudes towards

color theory In the visual arts, color theory is the body of practical guidance for color mixing and the visual effects of a specific color combination. Color terminology based on the color wheel and its geometry separates colors into primary color, seconda ...

. Traditional Impressionist work, in its reflection of reality, often used gentle, bright, and complementary colours to mirror the outdoor setting and light sources. Abstract Impressionists, however, “did not hesitate to apply innovative techniques to their painting, considered revolutionary at the time”.

Notable Artists and Artworks

Notable Artists

As aforementioned, notable artists and artworks of this movement are subject to controversy and possible subjectivity. At the first Abstract Impressionist exhibition, curated by Lawrence Alloway, took place in London.''The Oxford Dictionary of Art'' ''and Artists'' lists the following artists as its subjects: * Bernard Cohen (painter) *

Harold Cohen (artist) Harold Cohen (1 May 1928 – 27 April 2016) was a British-born artist who was noted as the creator of AARON, a computer program designed to produce art autonomously. His work in the intersection of computer artificial intelligence and art attrac ...

* Sam Francis *

Patrick Heron Patrick Heron (30 January 1920 – 20 March 1999) was a British abstract and figurative artist, critic, writer, and polemicist, who lived in Zennor, Cornwall. Heron was recognised as one of the leading painters of his generation. Influenced b ...

* Nicolas de Staël Art historian and critic Alan Bowness, in his critique of the first exhibition, also mentions

's presence, and confirmed Sam Francis and Nicolas de Staël to be there. The following is a comprehensive list of artists who have been associated with the movement. * Bernard Cohen * Harold Cohen * Sam Francis * Patrick Heron * Nicolas de Staël *

Richard Pousette-Dart Richard Warren Pousette-Dart (June 8, 1916 – October 25, 1992) was an American abstract expressionist artist most recognized as a founder of the New York School of painting.Kimmelman, Michae"Richard Pousette-Dart, 76, Dies; An Early Abstract E ...

Jean-Paul Riopelle Jean-Paul Riopelle, (October 7, 1923 – March 12, 2002) was a Canadian painter and sculptor from Quebec. He had one of the longest and most important international careers of the sixteen signatories of the ''Refus Global'', the 1948 manif ...

* William Duvall *

Phillip Guston Philip Guston (born Phillip Goldstein, June 27, 1913 – June 7, 1980), was a Canadian American painter, printmaker, muralist and draftsman. Early in his five decade career, muralist David Siquieros described him as one of "the most promising ...

* Willem de Kooning * Joan Mitchell * Nell Blaine *

Robert Goodnough Robert Goodnough (October 23, 1917 – October 2, 2010) was an American abstract expressionist painter. A veteran of World War II, Goodnough was one of the last of the original generation of the New York School; (although he has been referred to ...

* Jan Müller * Ray Parker *

Ad Reinhardt Adolph Dietrich Friedrich Reinhardt (December 24, 1913 – August 30, 1967) was an abstract painter active in New York for more than three decades. He was a member of the American Abstract Artists (AAA) and part of the movement centere ...

Bradley Walker Tomlin Bradley Walker Tomlin (August 19, 1899 – May 11, 1953) belonged to the generation of New York School Abstract Expressionist artists. He participated in the famous ‘’Ninth Street Show.’’ According to John I. H. Baur, Curator of the ...

Janet Sobel Janet Sobel (May 31, 1893 – November 11, 1968), born Jennie Olechovsky (occ. Lechovsky), was a Ukrainian-born American Abstract Expressionist painter whose career started mid-life, at age forty-five in 1938. Sobel pioneered the drip painting te ...

Notable Artworks

* Sam Francis: ''Black and Red'' * Julius Reque: ''Abstract Impressionism in Photography'' * Bernard Cohen: ''In That Moment'' * Nicolas de Staël: ''Etude de Paysage'' (Landscape Study) * Harold Cohen: ''Before the Event'' * Patrick Heron: ''Azalea Garden''

References

{{reflist Impressionism Visual arts Art movements