Analysis Of Harold Rosenberg's Essay: The American Action Painters

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The abstract expressionism movement emerge right after the World War II and it all began in the United States. There was finally a movement that would put the country on the spotlight of the world of art; Harold Rosenberg believed Americans had discovered something new, techniques that were not used in European art. He attempted to define this new art and to let everyone know that this movement was a developed version of art from americans. Correspondingly, Action painters like Jackson Pollock found their own americanized style and their own definition of abstract art.
In the essay “the American Action Painters” Harold Rosenberg gives his own interpretation of abstract expressionists’ artwork. Rosenberg explains that a real Action painting
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In the essay he states, “The Painter no longer approached his easel with an image in his mind; he went up to it with material in his hand to do something to that other piece of material in front of him” (25). Maybe the goal was to create something unknown even to artist himself. They had to explore the canvas with their brushes or whatever they were using to make those lines and colors. Moreover, he argued that there was nothing wrong with sketching because it was also the “action” and its already an artwork that will be turned into a bigger one. Technically, it's not a recreation of an image, the artist it's only remaking their composition and there is nothing wrong with that.
In my opinion, for Rosenberg abstract expressionist was different from other abstract art because the American painters were exploring while creating. They could express their emotions through gesture, like having records of their body language on a canvas. additionally, The act of painting is the artist action to the way he creates his piece and feeling the freedom, using his body movement, knowing how to control it and when to change directions. He believes an artist can use his experiences to support his vision and i think that it’s what makes an artwork even more

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