Characteristics Of Abstract Impressionism

Artistic styles are easily as vast and as diverse as the cultures and philosophies that influenced them. Many of these differing art styles have an even wider array of defining characteristics. Of course, none of these techniques or styles came about all at once. As time rolled on, most of them had appeared during or as a result of major, pivotal events throughout history. Abstract impressionism, in particular, had emerged towards the end of World War Two. Abstraction as a whole was mostly born from existential philosophies as well as the political climate leading up to the second world war. With Fascist and Communist ideologies picking apart the democratic foundations of Europe (as well as stirring up conflict between the two ideologies themselves)

For most people in general, the world was set ablaze for the second time in less than half a century. A second ‘Great War’ had shattered the realities of the world in its entirety. In the USSR, artists were forced to portray utopian works of art (“Socialist Realism”), depicting only “the future that lies in wait for the peoples”, as opposed to the grim reality that millions of people truthfully suffered from (Weinberg/Bernstein, 164/176). With idealistic “realities” being shoved in the peoples’ faces, the desire to portray things as they really were burned within the Impressionists and Pablo Picasso. Existentialism only further ignited that passion within them, paving a way for the mid-twentieth century movement. The debate on whether or not Existential philosophy influenced the Abstract impressionism movement is no longer needed. After all, it certainly did influence it as a whole. Although the desire was there for artists to portray more authentic images (Wolf), it needed existentialism and its ideas in order to develop. Abstraction as a whole was mostly born from existentialism as well as the political climate leading up to and following the second world war. As the tides of time change throughout history’s course, whether it be rugged or tame, the people change