Joe K, post 5

Joe Kelly

American abstract expressionism produced varied responses because the world was inhabited by various peoples at the time, different people all with different beliefs and agendas. Because this style of art is so open to interpretation, different interpretations will obviously provoke different emotions.


Onement 1 was painted by Barnett Newman in 1948. The word "onement" implies a sense of unity, though the painting is clearly divided. Some may have considered this sarcastic reference to the unity as a healthy acknowledgement that the nation was no longer united by war, but had returned to a state of partisan politics. Still, others would have preferred to ignore such separation, fearing that acknowledging it would only make it worse.


Tankotem 2 was painted by David Smith in 1952. It pictures a funky little decoration that only serves to sit on the side of the room and cast shadows. It seems reasonable to think that it could be a criticism of American consumerism, since it portrays a product that has little use other than excess, and since it was painted in a decade in which consumer culture had reached an all time high. However, many would have considered this consumerism a constructive force, and would have considered any criticism of it undue.


Jackson Pollock's Stenographic is pictured above. People could consider a multitude of meanings for this painting. This ambiguity definitely seems to conflict with the style of American society, which generally prefers subject matter to be explicitly defined in a mainstream way. However, many may support art such as this because it seems to embrace American individualism, and the liberty to enjoy things that do not fit any sort of mold.


The above painting is called Woman, and was created by Willem De Kooning in 1954. Many might find it objectionable because it is indeed a very distorted looking "woman" that is being portrayed, and is outside of the normal archetypes people think of when they think of women. Many others might praise it for that very same reason. As is the case with many of these paintings, the reaction it gets from certain individuals is contingent upon their disposition toward change vs. tradition.


The above painting by Arshile Gorky is titled Composition. It certainly is not reminiscent of classic art, with defined subjects and generally serious tones. In fact, one could certainly argue that, taking the painting and the title into account, it is a very silly painting, and degrades art by not taking itself seriously. Others might, with equal success, argue that art should not be narrowly forced to cover specific emotions, and that the freedom to create legitimate art in this form is very valuable.