What Is Abstract Expressionism?

Abstract Expressionism is a mid-20th-century American art movement characterized by large-scale, emotionally intense abstract works. It was the first major art movement to originate in the United States, emerging in New York in the 1940s and 1950s. The movement prioritized raw emotion, spontaneous mark-making, and the physical act of painting itself over representation or traditional composition rules.

The artists associated with this movement — Jackson Pollock, Mark Rothko, Willem de Kooning, Franz Kline, and Lee Krasner among them — each took radical approaches to what a painting could be and do.

Two Major Branches

Action Painting

Action painters like Jackson Pollock and de Kooning emphasized the physical process of painting. Pollock famously dripped and poured paint directly from cans, moving around large canvases laid on the floor. The resulting works record the movement of the artist's body as much as any deliberate image. The canvas became an arena for action, not just an object to look at.

Color Field Painting

Artists like Mark Rothko and Helen Frankenthaler worked differently — applying large, softly blended areas of color that were meant to envelop the viewer and evoke deep emotional or spiritual responses. Rothko's luminous color rectangles weren't about shape or form; they were about feeling. Standing in front of a large Rothko is a physiological experience.

Key Characteristics of Abstract Expressionism

  • Large scale: Many works are monumental in size, designed to surround the viewer.
  • Gestural mark-making: Brushwork is energetic, visible, and often impulsive.
  • Non-representational: No recognizable objects — the subject is emotion and process.
  • Emphasis on the subconscious: Influenced by Surrealism and Jungian psychology.
  • Raw materials and unconventional methods: Artists experimented with tools, pouring, and non-traditional application.

How to Bring Abstract Expressionist Ideas into Your Work

Let Go of the Plan

Abstract Expressionism thrives on spontaneity. Start a painting session without a predetermined subject or composition. Instead, respond to what's already on the canvas — a drip, a color, an edge — and let the painting develop organically.

Work Large

Scale matters in this style. Even working modestly larger than usual changes how you move your arm and body, which changes the quality of your marks. Try 24×30 inches or bigger to feel the difference.

Use Your Whole Body

Rather than painting from the wrist, engage your shoulder, arm, and even your full body in the mark-making. Stand while painting. Step back frequently. Let yourself move around the canvas.

Explore Unconventional Tools

Sticks, palette knives, sponges, squeegees, crumpled paper — anything that makes an interesting mark is valid. Pollock used hardened brushes and sticks. Try pouring, dripping, or splattering paint deliberately.

Focus on Color Relationships

Even without representational content, color carries enormous emotional weight. Study how different pairings feel — cool blues against warm oranges, muted earth tones alongside sharp cerulean. Let color be your subject.

Why Study This Style?

Even if you never intend to paint abstractly, engaging with Abstract Expressionism loosens you up. It strips away the pressure of getting likeness "right" and forces you to think about energy, emotion, and composition in their purest form. Many realist painters credit periods of abstract work with dramatically improving their instincts and confidence at the easel.