Individual Experience

In your reading for this week, you will learn more about different forms of Postwar European art. Following the end of WWII, and the advent of American Abstract Expressionism, the center of western artistic activity shifted from Paris to New York. Meanwhile, many European artists were heavily influenced by the intellectual movement Existentialism, which is reflected in their attempts to grapple with the meaning of the isolated figure in the postwar world. The closest equivalent to American Abstract Expressionism was the French painting movement Art Informel, characterized by intuitive abstraction and abandonment of premeditated structure. With the exception of Concrete Art, the majority of Postwar European art (both figurative and abstract) is very emotionally charged.

In your post for this week, you will choose an artist discussed in the chapter, and present an example of their work. I encourage you to choose a work that is not shown in your textbook. Please write a brief personal interpretation in which you examine the emotional impact of this work of art. How does the artist use form, color, and materials to communicate their ideas? What do you think they are trying to communicate? Find out what you can about the specific content of the work that you are discussing and the artist’s intentions, but also please share your own reaction to the piece as specifically as you can. How does it make you feel? What specific choices made by the artist have influenced your response?