7 characteristics of ACTION painting

The characteristics of action painting They are spontaneity, you work without planning, the techniques are splashing, pouring paint, dripping... At unProfesor we tell you all of them. He action painting It is characterized by its spontaneity, gestures and subjectivity, by resorting to unconventional techniques and its abstract nature. At unPROFESOR.com we tell you in detail what action painting is and what its characteristics are.

Action painting is a style of abstract art emerged in the 40s of the 20th century, with the 50s being its peak moment. Action painting, also called “gestural painting”, “painting in action” or dripping, It also refers to an original painting technique developed by Abstract Expressionist painters, especially by Janet Sobel and Jackson Pollock.

In this lesson from unPROFESOR.com we delve into the abstract expressionism and we tell you what it is and What are the main characteristics of action painting.

Index

1. What is action painting and what is the action painting technique?
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2. What are the main characteristics of action painting?
3. When did the term action painting appear?

Before entering into the characteristics of action painting, let's get to know better what artistic discipline we are dealing with. And, in addition to being an artistic movement, the action painting is defined as the “physical act of painting” This is considered a basic part of the creation of a work of art. Thus, action painting includes from gestural use of tools, dripping and splattering paint on the canvas to gestural movements of the artist while carrying out the work of art.

The canvas becomes a zone of free, energetic and spontaneous action. A space in which creativity has no limits and without any type of prior sketch, only the color and type of paint and the tools to use to make the type of stain you are looking for.

It is considered that dripping is a technique First used by Ukrainian-American artist Janet Sobel. An abstract expressionist artist who had a great influence on Jackson Pollock, an artist who would popularize dripping by making it his reference technique. The dripping technique presents certain parallels with the surreal automatic writing created by André Breton (1924). It was developed in the 40s and had its peak in the 50s.

Between the main characteristics of action painting we have to point out the following:

1. Action painting is a form of abstract expressionism and a way to express emotions and moods through spontaneity, creativity in its freest state and emotionality.
2. Action painting artists they work without planning, letting the creative process flow. Gestures, body movements, even dancing, as well as energetic brush strokes and dripping or splashing became tools for artists. This is one of the main characteristics of action painting.
3. The artistic techniques with little or nothing conventional, opting for techniques such as splashing, dripping or pouring paint directly on a canvas placed on the ground while walking around it.
4. The compositions are abstract since the aim is not to represent a specific object, but rather the action of painting itself, leaving visible traces of the artist's movements and gestures when painting.
5. Another characteristic of action painting is that it is pure emotion and subjectivity. It is about transmitting feelings and moods through painting.
6. Figurative representation is rejected, ascribing to gestural abstraction in shapes and colors.
7. Its impact has been very durable in contemporary art, especially when it comes to creative freedom and personal expression.

These are the most notable characteristics of action painting that help us better understand this artistic technique.

The term action painting It was coined in 1952 as a defining concept of De Kooning's painting. The critic Harold Rosenberg He was the author of this concept, using it for the first time in 1952 in an article published in the magazine Art News. This text, titled “The American Action Painters”, It is considered the manifesto of the New York School, a representative school of the abstract expressionism, and in which, in addition to De Kooning, he also refers to Pollock, Gorky, Hoffman and Kline.

Rosenberg considered that the canvas was the space of action of the painters of the North American avant-garde. The painting had to be more than just a finished product, it also had to be traceable to the creation process. The painting must be like a performance, a whole event, not just an image.

The traditional descriptions of a work of art took a backseat, with the creation itself acquiring greater relevance.

Here we introduce you to the main artists of abstract expressionism.

If you want to read more articles similar to Action painting: characteristics, we recommend that you enter our category of History.

• CID, María de la Luz Feijóo. Body and paint. Extensions of Jackson Pollock's action painting in contemporary artistic practice. 2018. Doctoral Thesis. University of Vigo.
• CIRLOT, Juan-Eduardo, et al. American Abstract Expressionism and Action Painting. Architecture notebooks, 1964, p. 2-4.
• HERNANDO, Julen Araluce. The unconscious, improvisation and painting. ASRI: Art and society. Research magazine, 2012, no 1, p. 3-6.
• MOLEDO VÁZQUEZ, Antía, et al. Action painting: the body and movement in artistic expression. 2021.
• MOLINA, Helena Mª Pérez. American Abstract Expressionism: The Action Painting of Jackson Pollock. Innovation and Educational Experiences.
• POLLOCK, Jackson; APPEL, Karel. Action painting. Hatje Cantz, 2008.
• ROSENBERG, Harold. The American action painters. Art news, 1952, vol. 51, no. 8, p. 22.
• TRELLES, Leandro Amaya. The gesture in art: Jackson Pollock. Journal of Art Research and Pedagogy, 2018, no 3.