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[josieowenchs]

My essay: How does Helen Frankenthaler’s ‘Mountains and Sea’ (1952) relate to the context in which it was made?

Helen Frankenthaler’s piece ‘Mountains and Sea’ (1952) abstractly depicts a rocky landscape inspired by her trip to Cape Breton. Frankenthaler was as abstract expressionist artist, who used her own ‘Soak Stain’ technique to create two dimensionality to her work which later inspired Morris Louis and Kenneth Noland who used the same technique. Frankenthaler appears to rendered this piece with no intention to describe the subject but rather to lead with her subconscious mind, a key feature of the Abstract Expressionist movement inspired by Surrealism. Alfred H. Barr Jr said in the exhibition catalogue for ‘The New American Painting’ exhibition that Abstract Expressionists ‘do nothing deliberately in their work to make ‘communication’ easy’. (Unknown, 1958)

Irving Sandler said that Abstract Expressionism was a ‘Triumph of American painting’ (Auping, 1987 pg 10) and America’s most important contribution to the history of art as it began to challenge the European avant garde. It first made its appearance in New York in the 1940s after World War two and the depression. Some said the movement came about when large American art institutions like MoMa joined with the political interests of the CIA and critics like Clement Greenberg, and a series of exhibitions like the ‘The New American painting’ were introduced around Europe during the Cold War. (Florencio, 2016) At this time art was made for a purpose such as advertising or marketing, this was far from the objective of abstract expressionist art which aimed to step away from realism and achieve individual creative freedom.

Helen Frankenthaler influenced the Abstract Expressionist through her notorious ‘Soak Stain’ technique. This developed Colour Field Painting later used by artists Mark Rothko and Clyfford Still. Clement Greenberg named this new form of painting as ‘Post Painterly Abstraction’. (Auping, 1987 pg 11) The ‘Soak Stain’ technique involved pouring thinned down paint onto a unprimed canvas on the floor which stained the weave of the material (National Gallery of Art Podcast, 2016). In ‘Mountains and Sea’ the thinned paint has formed pools on the canvas where Frankenthaler has allowed it to form its own shape without her control, a classic feature of the movement. Frankenthaler embraced this new aesthetic saying ‘there are no rules. That is how art is born, how breakthroughs happen. Go against the rules or ignore the rules. That is what invention is about’ (Frankenthaler, unknown date). Subconscious mark making can be found in the use of biomorphic charcoal lines in ‘Mountain and Sea’ which respond to the organic landscape in Cape Breton. These lines do not appear to follow the curves of the pools of paint on the canvas and seem individual. This spontaneous form of line can also be found in early surrealist work by Joan Miro or Arshile Gorky.

These techniques gave a new look and feel to the surface of the canvas which birthed a radically new spontaneous aesthetic which was fundamental to the development of the movement and a step away from figurism. Similar to Jackson Pollock’s paintings, the subject of Frankenthaler’s work can barely be distinguished, she claimed that when painting she is ‘trying to get at something - I didn’t know what until it was manifest’ (Frankenthaler, unknown date). Similarly, Pollock said that when working on his paintings ‘it is only after a sort of ‘get acquainted’ period that I see what I have been about’ (Auping, 1987 pg 10). Here it can be seen that both artists use an approach to creating work which channels ‘philosophic painting’ and subconsciousness and rejects emotional, mythic or religious content (Tate, 2018). Therefore Frankenthaler’s use of line, form and process relates to the attitude at the time where work was created with no intention of aesthetic outcome.

Abstract Expressionism thrived in America after Franklin Roosevelt’s ‘New Deal’ which was a series of programs aimed to achieve prosperity for Americans. Government funds went towards employing artists who were struggling after the Depression. This was a major help for the development of the movement for male artists. However, women struggled to find opportunities to exhibit their work and they still received criticism from male members of the Cedar Bar and Eighth Street Club. Clement Greenberg supported the movement but still criticised Grace Hartigan after she included figures in her work, brandishing her as ‘not even a painter’ (Marter, 1997 pg 21) and in his essay on Abstract Expressionism written in 1955 he excluded the works of female artists (Anfam, 2016). However, in 1951 the development of the Ninth Street Show allowed some women to exhibit their work annually and in the historical context of the movement women such as Frankenthaler and Joan Mitchell came to the fore.

The abstract expressionist movement received a lot of criticism because it destroyed the conventions of painting, some critics even calling the mark making ‘primitive’. The mark making in ‘Mountains and Sea’ and other paintings by Frankenthaler could be viewed in this way. In 1942, critic Lincoln Kirstein wrote in Harper’s Magazine that painting ‘was now about shapes and strokes instead of figures and portraits’ (Pirollo, 2015). He also argued that ‘what painting lacks today is what bad painting always lacks: adequate intellectual capacity and manual skill’ (Pirollo, 2015). Alternatively, Greenberg hugly supported the movement, claiming that it represented the most ‘advanced’ form of Western art (Florencio, 2016). He believed that the European avant garde could not progress in the same way as the abstract expressionists because Europe was being hindered by tradition. Additionally, Harold Rosenberg coined the term ‘Action Painters’ for artists like Pollock and De Kooning who would splash the paint onto the canvas. He believed that the action of creating art should itself be considered a work of art and this process should be worthy of dialogue. Frankenthaler’s approach to creating a painting from placing her canvas on the floor to moving around its edges pouring the paint can be seen as an entirely creative action and process.

In conclusion Frankenthaler’s piece ‘Mountains and Sea’ reflects its context in many ways. The application of paint and charcoal is reminiscent of the spontaneous attitude to mark making that Abstract Expressionism boasted. Additionally, the performative nature of creating this painting relates to other ‘action painter’ artists at the time. This ties in with the idea that in New York in the 1950s, the purpose of painting was to express the abstract subconscious and as Robert Hobbs said create ‘an aura in their work that would take the viewers away from the contemplation of a painting as an object and evoke the mystery of being’ (Wesleyan University, 2018) and take the first steps away from the European traditional avant garde.

Bibliography:

Anfam, D, (2016) How Abstract Expressionism changed modern art RA Magazine [Online] Available at: https://www.royalacademy.org.uk/article/abstract-expressionism-beyond-the-image

Accessed: 29/10/2018

Auping, M, (1987) Abstract Expressionism Mishawaka, Harry N Abrams Inc

Accessed: 31/10/2018

Barr, Alfred H, (1958). The New American Painting [exhibition catalogue], The international council for the museum of modern art, New York

Accessed: 01/11/2018

Florencio, J, (2016) Abstract Expressionism: How New York overtook Europe to become the epicentre of Western art [Online] Available at: https://theconversation.com/abstract-expressionism-how-new-york-overtook-europe-to-become-the-epicentre-of-western-art-65820

Accessed: 29/10/2018

Marter, J, Chanzit, G, Hobbs, R, Landau, E Landauer, S (1997) Women in Abstract Expressionism Yale University Press

Accessed: 03/11/2018

Pirollo, N (2015) Abstracted an artists journey Unknown publisher

Accessed: 30/10/2018

Shaffer, J, (2018) Helen Frankenthaler artist overview and analysis [Online] Available at: https://www.theartstory.org/artist-frankenthaler-helen.htm

Accessed: 02/11/2018

Tate, (2018) Abstract Expressionism [Online] Available at: https://www.tate.org.uk/art/art-terms/a/abstract-expressionism

Accessed: 01/11/2018

Unknown author, (2016) Mountains and Sea, Frankenthaler [Podcast] Available at: https://www.nga.gov/audio-video/audio/collection-highlights-east-building-english/mountains-and-sea-frankenthaler.html

Accessed: 31/10/2018

Unknown author, (2017) Helen Frankenthaler Foundation [Online] Available at: http://www.frankenthalerfoundation.org/helen/biography

Accessed: 02/11/2018

Wesleyan University (2018) Reactions to the rise of Abstract Expressionism [Online] Available at: http://chum338.blogs.wesleyan.edu/reactions-to-the-rise-of-abstract-expressionism/

Accessed:29/10/2018

Image reference:

WikiArt (2018) Mountains and Sea (1952) Helen Frankenthaler, [Online] Available at: https://www.wikiart.org/en/helen-frankenthaler/mountains-and-sea-1962

Accessed: 29/10/2018

[josieowenchs]

Researching for my essay

these are my notes from my research for my essay. I used books on abstract expressionism from the library, the internet and documentaries on youtube

[josieowenchs]

Week 4: Tate Modern visit

Tsuyoshi Maekawa ‘Two Junctions’ 1962

my initial thought on this piece:

looks like Anselm Kiefer’s work regarding the texture and dimension 

dark and dramatic colours 

energy focused on the middle of the piece 

white paint splatters creates tension and energy in the image 

spontaneous, not careful and expressive 

upwards and outwards energy 

organic shapes juxtaposed with industrial colours in fabric 

loud 

my criticisms and research related to the piece:

the artwork features a textured fabric used to bag rice cut, sewn and stitched to render a figure emerging from two junctions on either side of the canvas

the composition is very central, but also quite intrusive as the figure appears to be emerging from the piece 

lines are spontaneous and full of energy, the white paint splatters create tension in the piece and also evoke expression and emotion 

colours are industrial, dark, moody, dramatic, emotional

I don’t like the figure, if it was more obvious or abstract it might work better 

no focal point, it’s very chaotic, it’s full of energy

the performative nature of the painting can certainly by seen in this piece. involving the body and mind in the work with little consideration for outcome 

use of found objects relates to the culture of the artist

contextual research:

the artist was a part of the Gutai Avant Garde art movement and the work was made in 1962. The Gutai art movement focused on the use of found objects and process in the making of pieces. This can clearly be seen in the piece through the use of burlap to depict the figure and the performative nature of the application of paint (white splatters). The piece has been described as performative in the way it was rendered which suits the movement it sits in.

The second wave of Gutai artists (such as Maekawa) developed a style which rejected traditional ‘flat’ paintings. You can see this through the textural use of burlap in the work to create a piece which appears almost sculptural.

“The later artists... attaching materials to the canvas. strived to achieve a new type of painting space that transcended the limits go the medium” (Shoichi, 2004, p126)

The Gutai group produced a vast array of experimental works and the aim was to produce something radical that had never been done before. They wanted to move away from traditional oil on canvas and use an array of different materials.

[josieowenchs]

Lecture 3: CHS presentations

overview of presentations:

futurists:

experimental 

sounds inspired by machinery 

risk, violence, speed portrayed 

vorticists:

avant garde 1940s

lasted 2 years ]modernity 

cubist machine like imagery 

lots of diagonal lines 

embrace machinery

destroy the past

dadaists

hate traditional

embrace chaos

embrace nationalism 

bauhaus:

‘total work of art’

functionality 

eradication of noble artists 

expressionists:

early 20th century Germany

how the artist is feeling rather than depicting form and nature 

use of primary colours 

conveying emotion 

lots of natural imagery 

constructivists:

russian phenomena

shape, line, colour, material

not superficial, not aesthetic 

surrealists:

create an ideal reality 

the unseen is valuable 

dreams 

psycho analysis

gutai:

maker and material were one 

based in Japan 

pushing conventions 

art about process 

always show the truth 

creating an event/performance/experience 

neo-concretists:

deviating from the understanding of geometric shapes

peaceful message poetic 

freedom 

as long as the viewer is willing to have an open mind

afri-cobra:

empower the black community

bold colours, geometric shapes

visual statement must speak of past, present and future

rejecting ownership of spaces like pop art

fluxus:

performance

revolution 

avant garde 

process over outcome 

kill authority 

unrefined 

attacking gallery/museum system

don ce quoi:

korean

1950s-70s

create a new identity 

abstract but minimalist

use of paper and unconventional materials

blank space is vital to the image 

inspiration from nature

similarities between all:

they all rejected aestheticism 

breaking art out of exclusive zone (out of galleries and introduced to. new groups)

all movements were very fluid and flexible

they cross over each other and influence one another 

trying to make something different 

being challenging and rebellious 

[josieowenchs]

Mexican Muralists research

after brainstorming some ideas for how we should perform our presentation, we came to the conclusion that we should make some puppets of Rivera, Siquieros and Orozco and have the puppets describe our manifesto.

Our manifesto: 

The Mexican Revolution has finally come to a close and our country is in turmoil, our people have suffered immensely, but the introduction of our new government, the PRI, holds great prospects for our future. As muralists, Our primary aim is to create works of art which will help destroy all traces of Bourgeois individualism. We will fight for a more equal, fairer society, a better quality of life for the common man. We no longer want our soldiers to become executioners and our working class to be starved by greedy profiters and politicians; we need to end this! Therefore, its paramount to us that Art and design has a purpose, we will create art for the people, not just the greedy bourgeoise. It should educate and inform, and be accessible to all, unlike the intellectual art of the aristocracy. Our murals will allude to our rich, cultural past and shall act as propaganda. We want to reunify our country, remind us of our shared heritage, and make us proud to call Mexico our home.

[josieowenchs]

Lecture 2: The city as dream, spectacle or nightmare

overview:

urbanisation impacted illustration because there was a rapid shift in people from the countryside to the city which aided in the development of the modern city

Frans Masereel’s ‘The City’ graphic novel (1925) depicts a modern city with x rays, new architecture and technologies

Paris was a city that developed rapidly, the process of the city being redesigned was called haussmannisation

societal groups in Paris began to mix through promenades but this also caused traffic. Charles Baudelaire observed the visual spectacle of the city 

the streets began to exhibit more artwork like posters and lithography was a technique used a lot 

art nouveau was also used, this focused on decorative art styles inspired by nature, this developed the modernist principal of the: total work of art

women began to be used in advertising, development of the ‘new woman’

Mexican muralists brief:

write 200 word manifesto 

design and perform a two minute long performance 

research the movement 

assignment 1: image in context 

choose an image from the 19th or 20th century 

research its context 

connect what I see in the image and its wider context 

write a 1000 word essay 

[josieowenchs]

Lecture 1: The useful and the beautiful

overview:

teaching block 1: modernity, modernism, post modernity 

teaching block 2: themes of illustration animation practice 

modernity relates to the context of time 

time used to be very cyclical, relating to the seasons

industrialisation is a key aspect of modernity

victorian illustration 

social class (aristocrats threatened by people who owned factories), emergence of middle class professions, factory work involving children impacted illustration because wood engraving and printing technologies developed. Mechanising sped up and prints were mass produced.

increase in demand for illustration

novels became visual

books produced showed middle class social status 

William Morris wanted to bring together decorative arts and fine art and make every day objects a luxury 

art should be taken out of galleries and people should be able to have art in their houses 

different disciplines should come together to make a total work of art (gesamtkunstwerk)

Morris thought art and capitalism were incompatible 

Walter Crane used chromo xylography to produce good quality cauldrons books that were cheap and available for all classes