Wednesday, April 9, 2014

Abstract Expressionism

Abstract Expressionism focuses spontaneous, automatic or subconscious creation.  In the early 1900's, it moved the art world even further away from illustrative artwork, and allowed artists to paint invisible things- like music or emotion.  Frequently, in Abstract Expressionism, the emphasis is much less on the finished product and much more on the process involved in the art making.   The two artists we focused on for this lesson- Jackson Pollock and Wassily Kandinsky, both were inspired by music, and used it as an inspiration for their work.  Despite sharing the same muse, their work looks incredibly different!  
Our 4th Grade students were also inspired by music, and created abstract images which are just as expressive, and just as unique, as those of Pollack and Kandinsky.