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 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 Lawrence Reginald Alloway (17 September 1926 – 2 January 1990) was an English art critic and curator who worked in the United States from 1961. In the 1950s, he was a leading member of the Independent Group in the UK and in the 1960s was an i ...

. The term, after being coined by Elaine de Kooning, is considered to have been popularised by artist and critic Louis Finkelstein to describe the works of

Philip 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 ...

, in order to distinguish his art from that of the growing field of Abstract Expressionism. 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. 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 , mottoeng = A city is built on wisdom , established = 1798 – teacher training college1881 – University College Nottingham1948 – university status , type = Public , chancellor ...

, 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 regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan area ...

, 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 territori ...

, with their various works prefaced by a ''"lengthy catalogue"'' written by Alloway himself. Alan Bowness, a critic of the show, recalled

Nicolas de Staël Nicolas de Staël (; January 5, 1914 – March 16, 1955) was a French painter of Russian origin known for his use of a thick impasto and his highly abstract landscape painting. He also worked with collage, illustration and textiles. Early life ...

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 ag ...

, and

Sam Francis Samuel Lewis Francis (June 25, 1923 – November 4, 1994) was an American painter and printmaker. Early life Sam Francis was born in San Mateo, California,

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 and Futurism. 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 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, Alan Bowness (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 Abstract Expressionism,

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 a ...

. 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 Simon Watney is a British writer, art historian, and AIDS activist. His 1987 article, "The Spectacle of AIDS", was included in ''The Gay and Lesbian Studies Reader''. He also published ''Policing Desire: Pornography, AIDS and the Media'' in 1987. ...

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,

Sam Francis Samuel Lewis Francis (June 25, 1923 – November 4, 1994) was an American painter and printmaker. Early life Sam Francis was born in San Mateo, California,

, 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, emphasis on accurate depiction of light in its changing qualities (often accentuating the effects of the passage ...

and Abstract art 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'' (; French for 'outdoors'), or ''plein air'' painting, is the act of painting outdoors. This method contrasts with studio painting or academic rules that might create a predetermined look. The theory of 'En plein air' painting ...

. ''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. 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) Bernard Cohen (born 1933, London) is a British painter. He is regarded as one of the leading British abstract artists of his time. Biography Bernard Cohen studied at Central Saint Martins School of Art in London between 1950-1951, followed by ...

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 attr ...

Sam Francis Samuel Lewis Francis (June 25, 1923 – November 4, 1994) was an American painter and printmaker. Early life Sam Francis was born in San Mateo, California,

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 ...

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 * Milton Resnick * Richard Pousette-Dart *

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 *

Willem de Kooning Willem de Kooning (; ; April 24, 1904 – March 19, 1997) was a Dutch-American abstract expressionist artist. He was born in Rotterdam and moved to the United States in 1926, becoming an American citizen in 1962. In 1943, he married painter El ...

Joan Mitchell Joan Mitchell (February 12, 1925 – October 30, 1992) was an American artist who worked primarily in painting and printmaking, and also used pastel and made other works on paper. She was an active participant in the New York School of artis ...

Nell Blaine Nell Blair Walden Blaine (July 10, 1922 in Richmond, Virginia – November 14, 1996 in New York City) was an American landscape painter, expressionist, and watercolorist. From Richmond, Virginia, she had most of her career based in New York City ...

* Robert Goodnough * 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 center ...

* Bradley Walker Tomlin * Janet Sobel

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

History

Terminology

Alloway's Exhibition

Differentiation

Criticism

Stylistic Criticism

Categorisation Criticism

Style

Painting Techniques

Deviations from Similar Movements

Notable Artists and Artworks

Notable Artists

Notable Artworks

See also

Related Art Styles and Movements

References