"...from the sublime to the revelatory"
The Times
Lead supporter
Exploring an unparalleled period in American art, this long-awaited exhibition reveals the full breadth of a movement that will forever be associated with the boundless creative energy of 1950s New York.
In the “age of anxiety” surrounding the Second World War and the years of free jazz and Beat poetry, artists like Pollock, Rothko and de Kooning broke from accepted conventions to unleash a new confidence in painting.
Often monumental in scale, their works are at times intense, spontaneous and deeply expressive. At others they are more contemplative, presenting large fields of colour that border on the sublime. These radical creations redefined the nature of painting, and were intended not simply to be admired from a distance but as two-way encounters between artist and viewer.
It was a watershed moment in the evolution of 20th-century art, yet, remarkably, there has been no major survey of the movement since 1959.
This autumn we bring together some of the most celebrated art of the past century, offering the chance to experience the powerful collective impact of Pollock, Rothko, Still, de Kooning, Newman, Kline, Smith, Guston and Gorky as their works dominate our galleries with their scale and vitality.
We also acknowledge the lesser-known figures who contributed to the development of the movement. Finally, we include photography and sculpture to complete an ambitious re-evaluation of the phenomenon that saw New York take over from Paris as the capital of the art world.
The exhibition is co-curated by the independent art historian Dr David Anfam and Edith Devaney, Contemporary Curator at the Royal Academy of Arts.
Exhibition organised by the Royal Academy of Arts, London with the collaboration of the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao.
Join in with the hashtag #AbEx on Twitter and Instagram
Exhibition tour
Abstract Expressionism is at the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao from February 3 – June 4, 2017.
Saturday – Thursday 10am – 6pm
Friday 10am – 10pm
£17 (£19 with donation). Concessions available. Friends of the RA and under 16s go free. Tickets include a multimedia guide and both Friends of the RA and their family guest will receive one for free.
Main Galleries, Burlington House
Abstract Expressionism was born from the common experience of artists living in 1940s New York. Two World Wars, the Great Depression, atomic devastation and an ensuing Cold War prompted early works reflecting the darkness of these times, and fed into the movement’s concerns with contemplation, expression and freedom.
Scale is a trademark of Abstract Expressionism. A number of the artists had been influenced by the experience of painting murals for the New Deal’s Federal Art Project, with many going on to favour monumental canvases that almost engulf the viewer. Meanwhile David Smith’s sculptures were designed to be viewed in the openness of the outdoors.
Abstract Expressionist art invites artist and viewer to meet. While the artist expresses their emotions and conveys a sense of their presence in the work, the viewer’s perception is the final component in the mix. Abstract painting “confronts you”, Pollock said in 1950. As the Rothko Chapel in Houston exemplifies, the intensity of this encounter can be heightened by the way the work is displayed.
Jackson Pollock’s drip technique involved pouring industrial paint directly on raw canvas, laid on the floor. Through this working method he rejected the idea that a painting should have a central focal point, instead embracing the “all-over composition”. The same was true of the colour field paintings of artists such as Mark Rothko and Ad Reinhardt.
Although the Abstract Expressionists were friends, colleagues and lovers, each of the artists had their own unique style. Unlike what came before with Cubism and Surrealism, Abstract Expressionism did not appear to follow a set formula. This diversity is a celebration of the individual artist’s freedom to express themselves.
Find out more in our blog Abstract Expressionism: A beginner’s guide
Franz Kline, Vawdavitch, 1955.
Lee Krasner, The Eye is the First Circle, 1960.
Robert Motherwell, Wall Painting No III, 1953.
Jackson Pollock, Mural, 1943.
David Smith, Blackburn, Song of an Irish Blacksmith, 1949-50.
Jackson Pollock, Male and Female, 1942-43.
Willem De Kooning, Woman II, 1952.
Mark Rothko, No. 4 (Yellow, Black, Orange on Yellow/ Untitled), 1953.
A self-guided multimedia tour is free for Friends and their guests, and included with full price and concession tickets.*
Hear about key works from curators and practicing contemporary artists and listen to a piece of music composed for the Rothko Chapel. The guide will also showcase rare photographs offering insights into the artists’ techniques and working methods.
*Excluding Corporates and School Groups who can purchase guides at a reduced rate of £2.
From a curator’s introduction to reflections on 1950s New York, catch up on discussions surrounding our Abstract Expressionism exhibition.
Did you find out which Abstract Expressionist you are? Did you see Antony Gormley’s best advice for becoming an artist? Catch up now, in some of our most popular articles and videos of 2016.
Ahead of our America After the Fall exhibition, Debra N. Mancoff spotlights Hart Benton’s paintings of idealised rural life during the Great Depression – and his mentorship of an emerging young artist, Jackson Pollock.
Seeking advice as she co-curated our Abstract Expressionism exhibition, Edith Devaney went to New York to meet Dore Ashton and Irving Sandler – two commentators who championed the likes of Mark Rothko and Willem de Kooning, and entertained them in their kitchens.
Simon Wilson deciphers the enigmatic work of American artist Robert Rauschenberg, as a major retrospective opens at Tate Modern.
How do painters from different generations see Abstract Expressionism today? Two RA Schools alumni, Basil Beattie RA and Aimée Parrott, met in the Academy’s show to discuss the movement’s enduring influence.
This vast and vibrant work by Gillian Ayres was inspired by the wild canvases of Jackson Pollock.
Got a minute? In these short videos, the RA’s Artistic Director introduces five of the key figures of Abstract Expressionism.
The power and complexity of Abstract Expressionist art lies in the diverse sensibilities of its artists. Here six Royal Academicians respond to some of the movement’s greatest painters.
Are you a sensible socialite or a bar brawler? Are you ruled by ideals or impulses? Take the quiz to find your kindred Abstract Expressionist spirit, as its biggest characters take over our galleries.
Mindfulness techniques can aid an authentic encounter with an artwork, especially those of the Abstract Expressionists, suggests Gill Crabbe.
New York’s legendary Cedar Tavern and the surrounding galleries became the hub of the New York art scene in the 1940s and ‘50s. Morgan Falconer walks the streets where reputations were on the line.
What did the artists associated with Abstract Expressionism do so differently? And how is their work still relevant today? As the first survey of Abstract Expressionism for nearly 60 years is staged in Britain, co-curator David Anfam answers key questions.
Delving into his own memories of New York’s Abstract Expressionist scene, Paul Huxley RA recounts dinner parties and road trips with the likes of Lee Krasner, Mark Rothko, Robert Motherwell and Helen Frankenthaler.
Autumn 2016 sees a landmark exhibition of Abstract Expressionism taking place in the main galleries at the Royal Academy.
The Royal Academy’s Artistic Director explains what’s in store in for the next year as we launch our 2016 exhibition programme.
From the moment that it first emerged in the late 1940s, Abstract Expressionism has been a subject of debate. In this talk, curator Edith Devaney introduces the exhibition, the first of its kind in the UK since 1959, highlighting the full breadth and complexity of one of the most important artistic movements of the 20th century.
The RA has partnered with Jazz FM to create a playlist of music inspired by Abstract Expressionism. The principal of improvisation was central to the Abstract Expressionists’ approach to making art. Because of this, a comparison has often been made with jazz, which reached its most experimental phase at about the same time as Abstract Expressionism.
As in paintings by Joan Mitchell, Sam Francis, Lee Krasner and Helen Frankenthaler, jazz moved between the spontaneous and the controlled, the apparently random with the melodic and ordered. Not all the Abstract Expressionists had an interest in music, but there are certainly parallels between the two art forms.
Exhibition tours
45 minute introductory tours, free with an exhibition ticket, no booking required
Wednesdays 2.30pm and Fridays 7pm
(28 September – 23 December 2016, except 2 November and 7 December)
In-gallery talks On the first Wednesday of each month, an in-gallery talk will be held in place of the introductory tour. Join leading artists Emyr Williams, Rebecca Salter RA or Matthew Collings and Emma Biggs as they discuss selected paintings in front of the works themselves.
Cosy up in the Keeper’s House, hunt for art-inspired gifts, or enjoy a family outing to the Sunday Times’s “show of the year”. Over the Christmas break between 24 December and 2 January, we’re even offering £5 off combined tickets to Abstract Expressionism and Intrigue.
Richly illustrated and filled with fascinating insight on the Abstract Expressionism movement, this compelling book is the perfect accompaniment to our highly anticipated new exhibition.
A spectacular riot of colour, this scarf has been developed exclusively for the RA and is printed with Jackson Pollock’s energetic and vividly coloured Blue Poles, 1952.
Featuring a detail from Jackson Pollock’s iconic work Blue Poles, 1952, this fine bone china mug is exclusive to the RA.
Delve into the world of Jackson Pollock and Willem de Kooning through the Exhibition in Focus guide, our in-depth introduction to the exhibition for secondary and further education students and teachers.
Download our bespoke teacher resources to know more about an exhibition and get ideas for activities for your students before, during or after your visit to the RA.
Download 'Abstract Expressionism': primary teacher resource
Download 'Abstract Expressionism': secondary teacher resource
We offer large-print guides to all of our exhibitions, available online or at the galleries for the duration of the show. For families, our ‘Art Detectives’ series provide fun and engaging exhibition trails that encourage younger children to explore our galleries at their own pace.
Download large-print guide to 'Abstract Expressionism'
Download Abstract Expressionism 'Art Detectives' - families resource
