20 Most Famous Abstract Artists — Abstract Art Explained (Part 2)

welcome to the second part of our video series on abstract art today we will present a recent and chronological anthology of the Canon of abstract art showcasing a selection of 20 highly influential abstract artists in the world [Music] a groundbreaking Pioneer of abstract art Hilma of Clint created paintings that have found a wide audience since being repopularized in the 21st century of Clint achieved Fame long after them in part because she wanted her Works kept private until after her death often Monumental as exemplified by his striking series the 10 largest of Clint's paintings are filled with biomorphic and geometric forms that translate her understanding of an unseen but palpable spiritual worlds [Music] Vasily Kandinsky pioneered abstract painting in the early 20th century he believed that geometric forms lines and colors could express the inner life of the artists a theory quite evident in his own explosive paintings which were often inspired by music foreign is famous for his abstract geometric paintings and his contributions to the stale movement in the early 20th century the painter developed a pair down aesthetic scheme that featured squares and rectangles of only black white and primary colors all separated by strictly straight lines mondrian's work proved to be enormously influential in the development of 20th century Styles and movements such as color field painting abstract expressionism and minimalism foreign [Music] geometric abstractions that embraced art as a pure object free of social and political context concerned only with issues such as line shape and color malovich's rigorous formal and conceptual approach to painting was instrumental in establishing suprematism a defining modernist art movement that situated simple forms such as squares and triangles into monochromatic fields foreign was a legendary teacher and color theorist the artist is best known for his iconic homage to the square series from 1949 to 1976 which features nested squares of varying colors and explores how different juxtapositions of form and Hue affect viewers perceptions and emotions [Music] Lucio Fontana is famous for his slashed and punctured canvases throughout all his work which included painting ceramic sculptures and light-based installations the artists demonstrated a Relentless interest in surface and dimensionality his material exploration helped blur the boundaries between two-dimensional and three-dimensional disciplines Fontana helped Pioneer the spatialist movement which attempted to integrate the fourth dimension into visual art Mark rothko's abstract paintings are some of the most iconic artworks of the 20th century an Exquisite colorist rotko became famous for enigmatic canvases filled with rectangular Fields hovering against Brushy backdrops he was deeply inspired by mythology and art history and wanted to create a sense of emotive metaphysical communion with his viewers [Music] the first generation abstract expressionists Willem de cooling is one of the most important artists of the 20th century in 1950s New York when painters such as Jackson Pollock and France Klein were moving towards pure abstraction the cooling developed a signature style that fused Vivid color and aggressive paint handling with deconstructed images of the theme of form a then controversial body of work that has become known as his women series in his later years the kooning abandoned to the figure embracing lyrical abstraction and more discrete references to the body Paving the way for generations of gestural painters an originator of abstract expressionism Barnet Newman changed the course of 20th century American painting Newman's Monumental color field paintings consist of rectangles of Rich often mono or bichromatic color that when viewed from close proximity are meant to confer a powerful spiritual experience and encounter with the sublime Newman's signature zip paintings the artist's term for paintings with a narrow vertical stripe dividing planes of color provide each painting with an architectural frame such as his iconic work fear heroicus from 1950 1951. [Music] friends clients large-scale canvases which feature muscular calligraphic bolts of black paint over white Fields have become icons of mid-20th century abstract expressionism Klein helped Pioneer the movement alongside artists including Jackson Pollock William de croning and Joe Mitchell before Klein solidified his trademark style he made smaller scale studies but after seeing one of them projected onto a wall at the cooling Studio he realized his compositions were suited to grander proportions [Music] Jackson Pollock was a true Titan of abstract expressionism and one of the most famous American artists of the 20th century he pioneered an acrobatic process which produced large-scale gestural all-over drip paintings or better known as action paintings [Music] Agnes Martin's intricate Fine Lines grits bands and blocks of muted color convey the artist's lifelong search for serenity and Sublime Beauty the late painter Drew her singular style from influences that range from abstract expressionism and minimalism to Zen Buddhism and American transcendentalism [Music] painter Ellsworth Kelly emphasized pure form color and spatial unity in a practice majorly influenced by pop art minimalism and hard Edge and color field painting along with the development of American abstraction at Large his spare often irregularly shaped canvases offered a crucial departure from the gestural abstraction that dominated American painting in the middle of the 20th century [Music] you painter Kenneth Noland helped Pioneer cover Fields painting alongside Ellsworth Kelly Maurice Lewis and Sam Gilliam his Works often feature shaped canvases bold blocks of color and simple patterns of Chevrons stripes and Bill's eyes Noland pushed American abstract painting beyond the boundaries of abstract expressionism instead of focusing on gestures and energetic lines he conducted a more conceptual experiment with color form and paired back compositions that espoused flatness and the minimalist Sensibility foreign geometric forms and the sense of Detachment throughout his multi-disciplinary practice grits and patterns pervade his ear he made paintings sculptures neon works and installations underpinned by an appreciation for system-based approaches to Art making [Music] Helen frankenthaler an integral member of the so-called second wave of abstract expressionists is lauded for her material experimentation across her Lush canvases she developed her signature soak stain technique in which she applied washes off thin paint to unprimed canvas this strategy created Vivid apparently flowing blocks of color and exerted a strong influence on color field painters such as Maurice Lewis and Kenneth Noland sidewormless idiosyncratic style Incorporated expressive drips frenetic scribbles and gestural calligraphic Line work into lyrical abstraction the artist drew on a wide array of influences ranging from the Bold brushwork of William de cooning and France Klein to data collapse and scientific illustration his Mark making hovered between associative notation and romantic symbolism [Music] Bridget Riley's intricate stylist geometric abstractions helped Pioneer the op art movement in the 1960s the British painter arrayed colorful shapes across her canvases in a way that's induced the appearance of vibration or movement such Optical effects gave up art its name though Riley created some black and white canvases early in her career she is better known for compositions that feature jubilant hues foreign [Music] is known for his prolific varied and widely influential painting practice he has explored the intersection of Photography and painting making figurative canvases based on found images and abstraction that incorporates visual effects of Photography as no other artist has ever done before Gerard Richter moves so smoothly between naturalistic representation and pure abstraction [Music] Frank Stella is considered one of the most influential American artists of the post-war generation throughout the late 1950s and early 1960s he helped painting Beyond abstract expressionism and towards minimalism Stella's output has evolved from black and white striped paintings which he created at the start of his career to the irregularly shaped canvases of his bold 1970s Works Stella cemented his place in art history in 1970 when at the age of 33 he became the youngest artist to ever mount a retrospective at the Museum of Modern Art if this recital of different abstract art movements confuses you make sure to stay tuned for the next video of our abstract art explained series I very much look forward to answering your questions and suggested artists in the comments so chat very soon thank you so much for tuning in today feel free to watch the previous video of the series what is abstract art next support us on patreon and please consider subscribing to stay posted for more Contemporary Arts bye foreign [Music]

Channel: Contemporary Art Issue

Views: 77,104

Keywords: art, contemporary art, contemporary painting, painting, art gallery, artists, contemporary artists, painters, art galleries, art books, figurative art, abstract art, figurative, abstract

Id: Igb65wjKJtg

Length: 11min 39sec (699 seconds)

Published: Sun Oct 16 2022