Abstract Expressionism in Painting
I started my research focusing on abstract expressionism; this is a movement that emerged in the early 40’s as a rejection of the dominant movements at that time (social realism and regionalism) (David & Shapiro, 1978). Importantly, this movement aimed to represent the artist’s identity and it put a great emphasis on spontaneity and the possibility to improvise when creating one’s own work. At the same time, the subject matter seemed less relevant (Golub, 1955). Since my practice tends to be quite rational, I thought that learning more about abstract expressionism could be helpful to challenge my approach.
Interestingly, abstract expressionism, like surrealism, is interested in the representation of the unconscious (Hobbs, 1985). In fact, painting was understood as an act in which different automatisms were generated by the unconscious mind (Orton, 1991). This suggests that artists’ works were completely spontaneous and unplanned. However, when I looked at the work of some abstract expressionist painters such as Pollock or Rothko I could see a high degree of repetition in many of their paintings. For example, if we compare number 1 and number 14 by Pollock we can see how the paintings are very similar.
This made me think initially whether their work was completely spontaneous and unplanned or whether it became automatic and serial such as some forms of pop art (e.g., Andy Warhol’s series of paintings).
Looking at the work of abstract expressionist painters one can see the importance of the medium to exhibit their ideas. However, as Hobbs (1985) acknowledges this can be problematic if the subject matter is neglected and the work itself becomes too abstract. This made me think about my work and how it is interpreted by beholders. If it is too abstract or ambiguous it can be difficult for the spectator to apprehend the artists’ intentions.
As part of my research, I looked into Jackson Pollock’s painting technique called “drip” or “poured”. This technique was completely different to the traditional approach to painting as it consisted of situating the canvas on the floor and dripping paints directly from the cans. This technique was supposed to be the perfect example of spontaneity which is one of the key elements of abstract expressionism (Rampley, 1996). This approach was highly criticised by many authors as they considered it was absolutely random and meaningless. However, some later studies (end of 90s and beginning of 2000s) using different techniques showed that Pollock’s approach was more systematic than initially thought (Taylor, 2002). For example, some studies showed that Pollock used systematically different layers of oils and paints to achieve the final outcome (Taylor et al., 2002). Other studies suggested that he considered carefully the colour choice and did not use directly commercial paints but specific pigments (Lake et al., 2004). Hence, spontaneity did not necessarily meant unplanned but the possibility of experimenting with different materials and maybe not having a predetermined final outcome (i.e., rigid idea). This made me think about my own practice as I usually started with a sketch to then try to replicate this idea with a photograph. Last year, I tried to experiment with materials and be less rigid in my approach. This is something I would like to continue working on this year and reading about Pollock’s work was helpful to understand how to approach one’s own practice differently.
Abstract Expressionism in Photography
Abstract expressionism in photography is linked to the rejection of social realism dominant at that time. The liberation of photography as a tool for representing the “reality” allowed photographers to capture more abstract images in which everyday objects acquired a new meaning (Emerling, 2013). Initial abstract imagery was created by placing objects in photosensitive paper. This was done by Moholy-Nagy or Man Ray (Kostelanetz, 1969). Aspects such as materials, texture, and perspective were important in the development of abstract photography.
The use of materials was mainly linked to photograms as evidenced in one of the papers written by Corpron (1949) in which she highlighted the possibilities of lighting and sensitive paper to achieve creative outcomes. Corpron was a pioneer in the use of plastic to study light reflection.
In terms of texture, it is important to mention the work by Aaron Siskind and Minor White. Siskind’s work is characterised by isolating and decontextualising elements to change their perception (Chiarenza, 1978). Siskind’s abstract images were not concerned with the subject matter but the objects and textures themselves (Hill, 1980). This is evident for example in the photograph Jerome, Arizona 21.
Minor White’s images also focused on decontextualisation by framing the objects or textures differently (Pultz, 1980). For example, in Ice abstraction (1961) it is hard to tell what element is depicted in the image unless one reads the title of the photograph.
Finally, considering perspective, William Garnett’s work contributed to abstract expressionism by taking aerial images. The use of aerial perspective helped to decontextualise the landscapes so that the viewer could focus on the shapes and textures (Whiting, 2013). An example can be seen in his image Four sided sand and dune (1954).
Overall, the work of these photographers highlighted the importance of decontextualisation. This is something to consider in my own practice by playing with perspective and using alternative frames. At the same time, the use of textures and use of alternative materials can be useful to achieve more abstract images.
The link between painting and photography
To better understand the links between painting and photography in the creation of abstract work, this week, I listened to the different talks that took place in the Conference “Painting Digital Photography” organised by the University of Derby (2017; https://derby.openrepository.com/handle/10545/624872).
John Hilliard’s talk entitled The Painted Photograph reflects on his use of both mediums and how they both inform each other. For example, he may use paintings in the initial stages before taking images or alternatively he may use digital photographs to document his paintings. This made me reflect on my use of sketches before taking images. The production of sketches helps me to organise my ideas and most importantly work on the composition of the image. Last year, I investigated in the use of dynamic symmetry grids to achieve aesthetically pleasant images with well balanced elements. The use of grids through the production of sketches makes my practice quite systematic but at the same time it can be too rigid.
The talk by Marc Lüders describing his work showed how it is possible to merge both painting and photography. His work consists mainly of digital images in which he then paints figures (e.g., Ursulasalon, 2018).
Although Lüders’ work is far from my style and practice, the mix of different media is something interesting which I thought I could explore in the future. In the work I produced last year, I experimented with papercut but this could be definitely taken forward.
Astrid Harnold’s talk focused on the work of Gerhard Richter discussing to what extent photography depicts reality. This talk tapped into a topic I am really interested in which is the extent to which photography has representational qualities. This is also linked to more philosophical debates as to what extent photography depicts reality. In this sense, abstract photography may lack representational qualities but it offers new interpretations of realities by for example decontextualising elements.
This new possibilities of representation with digital photograph were discussed by Duncan Wooldridge. He argued that the digital image changed the way that people could perceive the world. The image is not a perfect representation of the world but it shapes people’s perceptions of it. I thought this may be true not only for digital photographs but for any kind of photographs as factors such as manipulation or the stance of the photographer can affect the way people may perceive what it might be represented. Representation might also be at threat digitally. This was discussed by Dario Srbic who argued that the exhibition of work in digital platforms could potentially undermine the work and its representational qualities as people may be driven by likes and shares. This made me think about how the work is displayed (digitally vs physically) as well as the audience who may confront one’s own work. In this sense, abstract photographs might not be necessarily well received by the lay public and they may be better valued by people with an interest in art or art experts.
Although the conference did not address abstract photography or abstract expressionism, it made me reflect about representation and the link between photography and other media such as painting
Intentional Camera Movement and Stroboscopic Images
When thinking about abstract photography, the Intentional Camera Movement (ICM) is definitely an interesting approach to consider. ICM consists of moving the camera while taking the image. This technique gives a painting-like effect to the image similar to impressionist paintings. One of the photographers that have used this technique more extensively is Eernst Haas. Haas is characterised by his mastering of colour and the lack of labels/titles in his photographs leaving the viewer free to interpret the image (Mouleux, 2018). His work is also characterised by the superimposition of images by using different surfaces such as mirrors and windows. As it can be seen in his photographs the use of intentional camera movement provides the photographs a very painting-like effect.
Although Haas’ work does not fall in the category of abstraction, studying his work can provide further inspiration when considering the role of improvisation. ICM is by nature linked to improvisation as the photographer cannot anticipate what the final outcome will be when moving the camera while shooting at the same time. Given that during these weeks I wanted to explore the generation of unexpected /improvised outcomes this technique could be considered in my work even if I am was not that keen on achieving pictorial effects.
Besides intentional camera movement, stroboscopic photography can also be an interesting source for generating abstract images. Stroboscopic photography started developing since1930’s and it was mainly concerned with freezing motion and time (Merriman, 1975). One of the key figures in the field was Harold Edgerton who managed to freeze motion (Davidhazy, 1999). For example, in his images, he managed to freeze different movements of athletes or dancers.
These stroboscopic images are characterised by freezing motion of very recognizable objects. However, I thought this could be interesting to apply when adding elements that may not be so easy to recognize to focus on patterns and shapes to generate more abstract images in my own practice.
Reflections of this research for my own work
During my research I learnt more about abstract expressionism and the possibility of capturing unexpected elements considering improvisation rather than rigid action plans. Despite this, improvisation does not necessarily mean lack of technique as evidenced in the study of Jackson Pollock’s paintings (Taylor et al., 2002). However, one needs to be careful to avoid repetition as this seemed to be quite prevalent, especially in paintings. When it comes to photography, abstraction expressionism has been linked to decontextualisation of patterns and shapes. I am not very keen on focusing on this, as this has been extensively addressed by previous work and deviates slightly from my interest in light and shadow casts. Hence, I thought it could be interesting to consider other techniques such as intentional camera movements or stroboscopic images. These have not been focused on abstract images previously but the use of those techniques can help to achieve interesting effects that can contribute to further enhance the ambiguity of the produced images.
References
Chiarenza, C. (1978). Form and Content in the Early Work of Aaron Siskind. The Massachusetts Review, 19(4), 808-833. https://www.jstor.org/stable/25088912
Corpron, C.M. (1949) Designing with Light, Design, 51, 10-25. https://doi.org/10.1080/00119253.1949.10742896
Emerling, J. (2013). Photography: History and theory. Routledge.
Golub, L. (1955). A Critique of Abstract Expressionism. College Art Journal, 14(2), 142-147. https://doi.org/10.2307/773024
Hill, R. J. (1980). Aaron Siskind: Ideas in Photography. Record of the Art Museum, Princeton University, 39(1/2), 4-27. https://doi.org/10.2307/3774626
Hobbs, R. C. (1985). Early abstract expressionism and surrealism. Art Journal, 45(4), 299-302.
Kostelanetz, R. (1969). Moholy-Nagy: The Risk and Necessity of Artistic Adventurism. Salmagundi, (10/11), 273-291. https://www.jstor.org/stable/40546527
Lake, S., Ordonez, E., & Schilling, M. (2004). A technical investigation of paints used by Jackson Pollock in his drip or poured paintings. Studies in Conservation, 49(sup2), 137-141. https://doi.org/10.1179/sic.2004.49.s2.030
Merriman, J. S. (1975). Stroboscopic photography as a research instrument. Research Quarterly. American Alliance for Health, Physical Education and Recreation, 46(2), 256-261. https://doi.org/10.1080/10671315.1975.10615331
Mouleux, G. (2018). “Ernst Haas, la couleur visionnaire,” at Les Douches La Galerie (Paris). Transatlantica. Revue d’études américaines. American Studies Journal, (1). https://doi.org/10.4000/transatlantica.12879
Orton, F. (1991). Action, Revolution and Painting. Oxford Art Journal, 14(2), 3-17. https://www.jstor.org/stable/1360521
Pultz, J. (1980). Equivalence, Symbolism, and Minor White’s Way into the Language of Photography. Record of the Art Museum, Princeton University, 39(1/2), 28-39. https://doi.org/10.2307/3774627
Rampley, M. (1996). Identity and difference: Jackson Pollock and the ideology of the drip. Oxford Art Journal, 19(2), 83-94. https://www.jstor.org/stable/1360731
Shapiro, D., & Shapiro, C. (1978). Abstract Expressionism: The politics of apolitical painting. Prospects, 3, 175-214. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0361233300002623
Taylor, R. P. (2002). Order in Pollock’s chaos. Scientific American, 287(6), 116-121. https://www.jstor.org/stable/26060087
Taylor, R. P., Micolich, A. P., & Jonas, D. (2002). The construction of Jackson Pollock’s fractal drip paintings. Leonardo, 35(2), 203-207. https://doi.org/10.1162/00240940252940603
Whiting, C. (2013). The sublime and the banal in postwar photography of the American West. American Art, 27(2), 44-67. https://doi.org/10.1086/673109
Figures references
Fig 1. J. Pollock. Number 1. 1948. Retrieved from https://www.moma.org/collection/works/78699.
Fig 2. J. Pollock. Number 14: Gray. 1948. Retrieved from https://www.tate.org.uk/art/artworks/pollock-number-14-t03978
Fig 3. C. Corpron. Fluid Light Design. 1950. Retrieved from https://www.moma.org/collection/works/206287
Fig 4. A. Siskin. Jerome Arizona. 1949 (printed ca. 1979). Retrieved from https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/263474
Fig 5. M. White. Ice abstraction. 1961. Retrieved from https://catalogue.swanngalleries.com/Lots/auction-lot/MINOR-WHITE–1908-1976–Ice-abstraction?saleno=2583&lotNo=238&refNo=785598
Fig 6. W. Garnett. Four sided Sand and Dune. 1954. Retrieved from https://www.artsy.net/artwork/william-garnett-four-sided-sand-dune-death-valley-california-sand-dune-number-2
Fig 7. M. Luders. Usulasalon. 2018. Retrieved from https://www.marclueders.de/works/
Fig 8. E. Haas. New York. 1952. Retrieved from http://www.artnet.com/artists/ernst-haas/new-york-miEv6WbGiYIyFNzEk1GYJg2
Fig 9. H. Edgerton. Golfer. 1937. Retrieved from https://www.moma.org/collection/works/44219
Alberto Gonzalez 