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Self-Portrait - Norman Lewis
Norman Lewis was an African American artist who was born in New York in 1909. The colors of his Self-Portrait stood out to me due to their bold nature. The way the colors flow together so well is alarming to the audience. Often a self-portrait will involve realistic features but Lewis creates his face with bright colors and a far off stare. -
Seated Woman- Willem de Kooning
I chose this piece because it has a clear subject. Abstract expressionism often looks jumbled but this appears just as the title says. The mediums chosen for this piece are oil and charcoal, giving the painting a chalky look but boldly colored. Although this painting is easily identifiable as a woman, there are still abstract features to her face and body. Picasso created a piece with the same title. -
Period: to
Abstract Expressionism
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Garden in Sochi- Arcshile Gorky
Gorky created three paintings titled Garden of Sochi. Each of these paintings varies slightly whether it be the background, the colors used or the thickness in lines, each painting has a uniqueness to it. Gorky was of Armenian descent and speaks of his father and the garden fondly. -
Dublin Airport- Desmond FitzGerald
This airport was designed by Desmond FitzGerald in 1938. The airport itself opened in 1941 and has been operational since. I found the photo of this airport inspirational and I thought it may have also been inspired by the time period of abstract expressionism as well due to its rounded edges and unique shape. -
The Pentagon-George Bergstrom
The Pentagon is the world's largest office building. It is extremely important to our country and plays a role in the governments inner-workings. The five-sided shape is made up of multiple "rings" each branch has it's own Washington DC zipcode despite being in Virginia. -
Moon Woman- Jackson Pollock
Some would argue that Pollock mimics some of Picasso's works. The piece involves a mythic woman. Pollock embraces the idea of abstract expressionism by executing this surrealist woman along with some hieroglyphic symbols. The painting uses bold colors, some would argue these are harsh colors. The reasoning behind the title would be the moon that acts as the woman's pupil. -
Standing Man- de Kooning
I appreciated the contrast between both of de Kooning's pieces. I thought that the seated woman an standing man had to be named together. This is another piece that is said to reflect Picasso's style. While de Kooning created this piece he used oil paints on canvas and chose drab colors with only a few bright accents. The clothes on the man stand out more than his face. Cubism is starting to become popular during this time -
"White Christmas"- Bing Crosby
Bing Crosby is a household name, his most famous song by far would be "White Christmas." The song originally appeared in the film Holiday Inn starring Bing and Marjorie Reynolds. I think this song goes along with the artistic theme because of its more traditional vibe, it remains one of the best-selling singles of all time. -
Nighthawks- Edward Hopper
This famous oil painting was created by Edward Hopper. This is another painting I would be able to spot anywhere. This famous American piece of art was created and sold to the Art Institute of Chicago. Hopper's wife posed to be the face of the girl at the counter. This painting is far different from the abstract pieces that are available on the timeline but I am glad I was able to use a recognizable piece as well. -
Two- Jackson Pollock
A few words that are used to describe this painting would be irrational and vulnerable. It is about humankind and references his fight against alcoholism. 1943 was a very important year for Pollock because he was introduced to Peggy Guggenheim who had recently opened her New York Gallery. The gallery paid Pollock a stipend that allowed him to focus on his art full time and led to his first ever solo show. -
Sandö Bridge- Eugène Freyssinet
The Sandö bridge located in Sweden was a simple crossing bridge. It actually did collapse once during construction and killed many people. I appreciate the shape of the arches and support beams. -
Untitled- Mark Rothko
Rothko is known for his large pieces but I chose something that was smaller than one of his famous pieces, a simple ink drawing. I chose this drawing because I liked the free handed shapes incorporated into the sketch. I liked how it reminded me of little dancing beetle people. Compared to his other sketches, this sketch is the most organized, or perhaps organized chaos. -
Dream Caused by the Flight of a Bee Around a Pomegranate a Second Before Awakening- Salvador Dalí
The longer I stare at this piece the more peculiar things I find. I love the long title because it makes you think about the content of the painting in reference to the title. Even though the title is lengthy, it is straightforward and to the point. Dalí is not abstract in a cubist sense but more in his composition of the painting. The tiger, the shotgun, the stilt-legged elephant and the naked lady, all these objects come together to form the title of this painting. -
Lucifer- Sir Jacob Epstein
I saw this sculpture and really had to think about Lucifer and how he was once an angel, not just any angel the most beautiful angel. I love this sculpture for its two-ton bronze medium and for its incredible detail. Lucifer is now the devil. I think the idea of an angel becoming a devil is abstract but possible. -
Self-Portrait with Small Monkey- Frida Kahlo
Not only does this portrait involve a monkey but there is also a small Xolotl dog and a Columbian relic of some sort. There are small gold strands in the piece as well. Frida Kahlo is an icon. Her unibrow and stern look is recognizable to most. I think she was thought of as an abstract artist due to her interesting content and choice in models. -
The Chordettes
Founded in Sheboygan, Wisconsin, this musical group was most famous for their hits "Mr. Sandman" and "Lollipop." These songs are sung by the quartet acapella style. I think these songs are catchy and memorable. I think an all women barbershop harmony group is very impressive given the time period. This singing group was an inspiration to women around the world. Their unique type of singing lands them with the other abstract pieces I chose. -
Agony- Arshile Gorky
This painting has an appropriate title. It reminds me of hell. This painting seems to represent fire. Gorky had a fire in his studio and suffered from cancer so the painting cold depict the hardships of his life. -
75 Rockefeller Plaza- Wallace Harrison
I wanted to include a skyscraper because of the sheer height and architectural greatness that it stands for (literally). This building is what begins to transition the abstract expressionism into a more modernist form of architecture. -
No. 3/ No. 13- Rothko
Rothko is famous for his rectangular blocks of colors. The shapes are all pieced together in a line formation to compose the painting. These are not hard-edged rectangles but very soft edged with the brush strokes. He uses a variety of colors in each of his pieces but this piece contains magenta, red, green, black, orange and white to creates a piece that is simple but bold. -
Maracanã Stadium- Waldir Ramos
This stadium was opened to host the FIFA world cup in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil in 1950. I liked how this building was another unique shape and also built with a purpose in mind.
