10.3 Post-Painterly Abstraction

Post-Painterly Abstraction emerged as a reaction to Abstract Expressionism, favoring a controlled approach over emotional intensity. Artists focused on formal elements like color and shape, ditching visible brushstrokes and personal expression for precise geometric compositions.

This movement embraced new materials and techniques to achieve clean edges and uniform color. Artists explored optical effects and spatial relationships, emphasizing the viewer's perceptual experience and the two-dimensional nature of the canvas.

Shift to Restrained Abstraction

Reaction Against Abstract Expressionism

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  The Multiple Shapes of Abstract Thinking: Prints by Jesus Perea – SOCKS View original

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  The Multiple Shapes of Abstract Thinking: Prints by Jesus Perea – SOCKS View original

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  The Multiple Shapes of Abstract Thinking: Prints by Jesus Perea – SOCKS View original

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  The Multiple Shapes of Abstract Thinking: Prints by Jesus Perea – SOCKS View original

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• Post-Painterly Abstraction emerged as a reaction against Abstract Expressionism favoring a cerebral and controlled artistic approach
• Movement prioritized formal elements (color, shape, line) over expressive brushwork and subjective content
• Artists eliminated visible brushstrokes and personal expression focusing on precise geometric compositions
• Shift influenced by Minimalism and exploration of fundamental properties of painting as a medium

New Techniques and Materials

• Embraced new materials and techniques to achieve clean edges and uniform color application
  • Acrylic paints allowed for smoother application and brighter colors
  • Masking tape enabled creation of sharp, precise edges
• Emphasized viewer's perceptual experience exploring optical effects and spatial relationships
  • Created works that played with visual perception (Op Art)
  • Explored how color and form interact in two-dimensional space

Emphasis on Flatness and Clarity

Achieving Flatness and Precision

• Flatness emphasized two-dimensional nature of canvas rejecting illusionistic depth
  • Used large areas of solid color to create flat surfaces
  • Avoided shading or modeling that might suggest three-dimensionality
• Clarity achieved through hard-edged shapes, geometric patterns, and precise color relationships
  • Created compositions with strong sense of order and structure
  • Used rulers and tape to achieve perfectly straight lines and crisp edges
• Eliminated personal touch by rejecting visible brushstrokes and gestural marks
  • Favored smooth, even applications of paint appearing machine-like in precision
  • Employed techniques like staining, pouring, or using rollers to apply paint

Theoretical Influences

• Objectivity and impersonality influenced by art critic Clement Greenberg's ideas
  • Greenberg championed notion of "pure" painting focused on medium's inherent qualities
  • Encouraged artists to eliminate all non-essential elements from their work
• Explored relationship between figure and ground using color and shape
  • Created dynamic visual tensions without relying on representational elements
  • Experimented with how different colors and shapes interact when placed side by side

Influence of Color Field and Hard-Edge

Color Field Painting Influence

• Pioneered by artists (Mark Rothko, Barnett Newman) emphasized large areas of flat color
• Influenced Post-Painterly Abstraction through focus on emotional impact of color relationships
  • Explored how different color combinations could evoke specific moods or feelings
  • Used color to create sense of depth or movement within flat compositions

Hard-Edge Painting Contributions

• Characterized by sharply defined areas of color emphasized precision and geometric forms
• Contributed to development of Post-Painterly Abstraction through focus on clean lines and shapes
  • Influenced artists to create works with crisp, well-defined edges
  • Encouraged use of tape and other tools to achieve perfect geometric shapes

Synthesis and Diversity

• Post-Painterly Abstraction artists often combined elements from both Color Field and Hard-Edge painting
  • Created works balancing emotive color with rigorous composition
  • Resulted in diverse range of approaches (Helen Frankenthaler's lyrical abstractions, Frank Stella's systematic explorations)
• Emphasis on optical effects traced to Color Field and Hard-Edge painters' exploration of color and shape interactions
  • Led to development of Op Art movement focused on creating visual illusions
  • Influenced artists to consider how their works would be perceived by viewers

Contributions of Kelly and Stella

Ellsworth Kelly's Innovations

• Pioneered hard-edge abstraction emphasizing simple geometric shapes and bold flat colors
  • Influenced development of Minimalism and Op Art movements
  • Created works like "Colors for a Large Wall" (1951) using randomly arranged colored squares
• Used shaped canvases exploring relationship between painting and sculpture
  • Expanded boundaries of traditional painting with works like "Blue Curve" (1972)
  • Influenced later generations of artists to experiment with non-rectangular supports

Frank Stella's Groundbreaking Approach

• Early black paintings featured systematic patterns rejecting illusionistic space
  • "The Marriage of Reason and Squalor, II" (1959) exemplified this approach
  • Seminal works in development of Post-Painterly Abstraction and Minimalism
• Famous dictum "What you see is what you see" encapsulated movement's emphasis on literal material qualities
  • Rejected symbolic or emotional content in favor of pure visual experience
  • Influenced conceptual art movement's focus on ideas over traditional aesthetics

Expanding the Canvas

• Both Kelly and Stella experimented with non-rectangular canvas shapes
  • Challenged conventional notions of picture plane
  • Kelly's "White Curve I" (1973) used shaped canvas to create sculptural effect
  • Stella's "Harran II" (1967) incorporated protruding elements breaking out of rectangular frame
• Influenced subsequent generations of artists shaping contemporary approaches to abstract art
  • Paved way for installation art and site-specific works
  • Continued to inspire artists exploring boundaries between painting and sculpture