Editing Abstract impressionism

{{Short description|Art movement}}
{{distinguish|Abstract expressionism}}
{{Infobox art movement
| name         = Abstract impressionism
| image        = Danilo Soligo - Pittura "en plein air"- Foto - (1976).jpg
| caption      = Painting [[en plein air]], a traditionally abstract impressionist technique
| yearsactive  = 1940s-Present
| country      = Mainly [[United States]], [[United Kingdom]]
| majorfigures = [[Bernard Cohen (painter)|Bernard Cohen]], [[Harold Cohen (artist)|Harold Cohen]], [[Sam Francis]], [[Patrick Heron]], [[Nicolas de Staël]]
| influences   = [[Impressionism]]
}}

'''Abstract impressionism''' is an art movement that originated in New York City, in the 1940s.<ref name=":4">{{Cite book|last=Chilvers|first=Ian|title=The Oxford Dictionary of Art and Artists|publisher=Oxford University Press|year=2004|isbn=9780198604761|location=Oxford|chapter=Abstract Impressionism}}</ref><ref name=":1">Eduoard Malingue Gallery. ''Impressionism to Modern Art.'' Hong Kong: Eduard Malingue Gallery, 2011. 10.</ref> It involves the painting of a subject such as real-life scenes, objects, or people (portraits) in an [[Impressionist]] style, but with an emphasis on varying measures of [[abstract art|abstraction]].<ref name=":1" /> The paintings are often painted ''[[en plein air]],'' an artistic style involving painting outside with the landscape directly in front of the artist.<ref name=":1" /> The movement works delicately between the lines of pure abstraction (the extent of which varies greatly) and the allowance of an impression of reality in the painting.<ref name=":2">{{Cite book|last=Callen|first=Anthe|title=Techniques of the Impressionists|publisher=Yale University Press|year=2000|isbn=9781870461368|location=New Haven|pages=29}}</ref>

== History ==

=== Terminology ===
{{See also|Abstract expressionism|Impressionism}}

The coining of the term ''abstract impressionism'' has been attributed to painter and critic [[Elaine de Kooning]] in the 1950s.<ref name=":5" /> The introduction of this term and the associated artworks both preceded and legitimised its first exhibition in 1958, curated by [[Lawrence Alloway]].<ref name=":5">{{Cite book|last=Hall|first=Lee|title=Elaine and Bill, Portrait of a Marriage: The Lives of Willem and Elaine de Kooning|publisher=Cooper Square Publishing|year=2000|isbn=9780060183059|location=Michigan}}</ref>

The term, after being coined by Elaine de Kooning,<ref name=":5" /> is considered to have been popularised by artist and critic [[Louis Finkelstein (artist)|Louis Finkelstein]] to describe the works of [[Philip Guston]], in order to distinguish his art from that of the growing field of [[abstract expressionism|Abstract Expressionism]].<ref name=":10">{{Cite book|last=Elderfield|first=John|title=Morris Louis: The Museum of Modern Art, New York.|last2=Louis|first2=Morris|publisher=Little Brown & Co.|year=1986|isbn=0870704184|location=Boston}}</ref> Phillip Guston's rise within artistic and social spheres in the mid-1950s was a determining factor in the development and profiling of abstract impressionism.<ref name=":0" /> His paintings were considered by Finkelstein to be simultaneously extensions of Abstract Expressionism and also oppositions of, or alternatives to, the aggressiveness of Abstract Expressionism.<ref name=":0" />

After applying the term to Guston, Finkelstein continued to use "abstract impressionism" to describe new artworks and artistic practices in the 1950s, in [[New York City|New York]].<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":3" /> He believed and purported that emerging forms of artmaking provided a unique opportunity to redefine and re-evaluate a series of artists who, despite being raised around the ideals and norms of Abstract Expressionism, were moving more towards reinvigorating the ideals of the traditional [[Impressionism|Impressionist movement]].<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":3" />

=== Alloway's exhibition ===
[[Image:Jean-Paul Riopelle, Untitled, 1953, oil on canvas, 114 x 145 cm, Musée des Beaux-Arts, Rennes.jpg|thumb|300px|[[Jean-Paul Riopelle]], 1953, ''Untitled'', oil on canvas, {{convert|114|x|145|cm|in|round=0.5|abbr=on}}, [[Museum of Fine Arts of Rennes]], France]]

Lawrence Alloway's exhibition, the first of its kind for abstract impressionism, featured 26 paintings by 23 artists.<ref name=":11" /> The idea for the exhibition came from the Fine Art Department of the [[University of Nottingham]], and took place at the Arts Council Gallery in St. James' Square.<ref name=":11" />

The artists featured were from [[England]], [[France]], and the [[United States]], with their various works prefaced by a ''"lengthy catalogue"''<ref name=":11" /> written by Alloway himself. [[Alan Bowness]], a critic of the show, recalled [[Nicolas de Staël]], [[Peter Lanyon]], and [[Sam Francis]] to be participating artists in the exhibition.<ref name=":11" />

=== Differentiation ===
{{See also|Cubism|Futurism|Abstract art|Impressionism}}

Both the exhibition and the movement in general were considered by many to highlight a distinct differentiation from preceding movements,<ref name=":1" /> despite some critics, like Alan Bowness, arguing the works of the movement were not differentiated enough from previous works.<ref name=":11" /><ref name=":12" />

Despite this controversy, abstract impressionism has been considered an ideological opposition to the other post-war movements of the era- specifically its growing countermovements, [[Cubism]] and [[Futurism]].<ref name=":2" /> Whilst Futurism focussed on rejecting the art of the past,<ref name=":7">{{Cite web|title=Futurism {{!}} Definition, Manifesto, Artists, & Facts|url=https://www.britannica.com/art/Futurism|website=Encyclopedia Britannica|language=en|access-date=2020-05-04}}</ref> abstract impressionism sought to incorporate techniques from numerous movements before it.<ref name=":2" /> This included both the [[Abstract art|Abstract]] and [[Impressionism|Impressionist]] movements of the early 1900s and the 1860s respectively.<ref name=":8">{{Cite book|last=Denvir|first=Bernard|title=The Chronicle of Impressionism: A Timeline History of Impressionist Art|publisher=Bulfinch Press|year=1993|isbn=082122042X|location=Boston}}</ref><ref name=":9">{{Cite book|last=Gaff|first=Jackie|title=1910-1920 The Birth of Abstract Art: A History of Modern Art|publisher=Heinemann Library|year=2000|isbn=0836828496|location=Oxford}}</ref> Additionally, abstract impressionists were unwilling to subscribe to the rationality and mathematic precision of Cubism.<ref name=":0" /> They rejected the idea of creating an image out of divided parts, and instead sought to create a mass of colour and imagery, that would only be recognisable as a whole.<ref name=":0" />

Abstract impressionism has been considered a result from an artist deviation from the ''"expressionistic aggressiveness of the forties"'', and the simultaneous embracing of both new abstraction techniques and more traditional roots of nature and lyrical appreciation.<ref name=":3">{{Cite journal|last=Seitz|first=William|date=1956-10-01|title=Monet and Abstract Painting|journal=College Art Journal|volume=16|pages=34–46|jstor=}}</ref>

In terms of distinguishing themselves from traditional Impressionist works, abstract impressionists deviate in a way that Elaine de Kooning describes as ''"keep[ing] the Impressionist manner of looking at a scene, but [leaving] out the scene... thereby giving an old style a new subject"''.<ref>{{Cite book|last=De Kooning|first=Elaine|title=The Spirit of Abstract Expressionism: Selected Writings|publisher=George Braziller|year=1955|isbn=978-0807613375|location=New York|pages=62}}</ref> Simply put, they add abstraction onto Impressionism and take away the reliance on specificity and exactness.

== Criticism ==
{{See also|Abstract expressionism|Lyrical abstraction|Post-Impressionism}}

=== Stylistic criticism ===
Abstract impressionism has been criticised for its legitimacy, and its inability to distinguish itself from other movements, by many art critics.<ref name=":5" /><ref name=":11">{{Cite news|last=Bowness|first=Alan|date=1958-06-15|title=Abstract Impressionism?|page=15|work=The Observer: At the Galleries}}</ref><ref name=":12">{{Cite book|last=Watney|first=Simon|title=English Post-Impressionism|publisher=Studio Vista|year=1980|isbn=9780289708880|location=Great Britain|pages=93–108|chapter=Bloomsbury Abstraction}}</ref> After one of its early exhibitions at the Arts Gallery Council in St. James Square, [[Alan Bowness]] (a highly regarded art critic and historian) described abstract impressionism as "just another 'ism",<ref name=":11" /> without "the catalogue for the adoption of this new term [being] very convincing".<ref name=":11" /> The main point of contention regards a difficulty separating the movement from other art periods, such as [[abstract expressionism]], [[lyrical abstraction]], or [[Post-Impressionism]].<ref name=":11" /><ref name=":12" /> Bowness says that in trying to discern ''"particular qualities these pictures have in common, qualities that differentiate them from other paintings of a roughly similar type... the result is all together inconclusive"''.<ref name=":11" />

A further issue has been the widely varying degrees of abstraction in the movement, that may make visual uniformity difficult.<ref name=":11" /> Bowness notes that he finds it difficult to comprehend any unity between the artworks, and concludes that there is no movement that could rightfully claim all of them.<ref name=":11" />

=== Categorisation criticism ===
Another element of controversy within abstract impressionism comes in attempting to categorise its style within other movements.<ref name=":12" /> Art historians [[Simon Watney]] and [[Roger Fry]]<ref name=":12" /> debate over two places in which abstract impressionism may fit. They conclude to be unsure of whether it is a further development of [[Post-Impressionism]], or if it is perhaps more related to the period of Bloomsbury Abstraction within the Abstract movement.<ref name=":12" />

Additionally, many artists that the abstract impressionist movement has claimed- such as [[Milton Resnick]], [[Sam Francis]], [[Nicolas de Staël]], or [[Jackson Pollock]]<ref name=":4" /><ref>{{Cite book|last=Gooding|first=Mel|title=Patrick Heron|publisher=Phaidon Press|year=1994|isbn=9780714834443|location=New York|pages=4}}</ref>- are simultaneously considered to be members of other more widely recognised movements, such as Abstract Expressionism,<ref name=":4" /><ref>{{Cite book|last=Solomon|first=R.|title=American Abstract Expressionists and Imagists|publisher=Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum|year=1961|location=New York|pages=85–95}}</ref> whether by their own definition or the labelling of other art critics.

== Style ==
The style of abstract impressionism focusses on the portrayal of real life subjects- typically situated close to the artist themselves- through simplification and abstraction.<ref name=":4" /><ref name=":8" /> This creates a work of art that lends itself towards the traditions of both [[Impressionism]] and [[Abstract art]] movements.<ref name=":2" /> The amount of abstraction varies greatly from painting to painting,<ref name=":8" /><ref name=":11" /> which has been seen as a point of controversy in the movement as it disallows visual conformity between works.<ref name=":11" />

=== Painting techniques ===
[[File:Guillaumin SoleilCouchantAIvry.jpg|thumb|[[Armand Guillaumin]]'s ''Sunset at Ivry'', 1873. Demonstrates the Impressionist technique of "loading" paint onto the canvas to create a layered impact. |alt=|left]]
Like Impressionism, the artworks feature short brushstrokes with paint "loaded" onto the painting instrument.<ref name=":4" /><ref name=":2" /> This technique involves piling paint onto an art tool, such as a brush or a palette knife, and layering the paint onto the canvas or paper to create a multi-layered and textured effect- or, an "impression".<ref name=":2" />

Abstract impressionists paintings have been described to resemble late-Impressionist pictures in their technique, like those of [[Monet]],<ref name=":4" /> but without the representative content that usually defines Impressionism.<ref name=":4" />

Abstract impressionist style also relies largely on the painting embracing the concept of [[en plein air]].<ref name=":1" /> ''En plein air'' painting is an artistic style involving painting outdoors, with the landscape or subject directly in front of the artist.<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":2" /><ref>{{Cite book|last=Callen|first=Anthe|title=The Art of Impressionism: Painting Technique & The Making of Modernity|publisher=Yale University Press|year=2000|isbn=9780300084023|location=New Haven|pages=5}}</ref> This technique is used primarily by Impressionists.<ref name=":2" /> However, abstract impression deviates from traditional ''en plain air'' artworks<ref name=":1" /> as the level of exactness or realism in the painting is seen to be less important than overall atmospheric effect.<ref name=":1" />

=== Deviations from similar movements ===
Abstract impressionists have been described to be largely inspired by modern advances in and changing attitudes towards [[color theory]].<ref name=":1" /> Traditional Impressionist work, in its reflection of reality, often used gentle, bright, and complementary colours to mirror the outdoor setting and light sources.<ref name=":2" /><ref>{{Cite journal|last=Webster|first=J. Carson|date=1944|title=The Technique of Impressionism: A Reappraisal|journal=College Art Journal|volume=4|pages=3–22|doi=10.1080/15436322.1944.10795065}}</ref> Abstract impressionists, however, "did not hesitate to apply innovative techniques to their painting, considered revolutionary at the time".<ref name=":1" />

== Notable artists and artworks ==

=== Notable artists ===
As aforementioned, notable artists and artworks of this movement are subject to controversy and possible subjectivity.<ref name=":5" /><ref name=":8" /><ref name=":11" /><ref name=":12" />

The first abstract impressionist exhibition, curated by Lawrence Alloway, took place in London.''The Oxford Dictionary of Art'' ''and Artists'' lists the following artists as its subjects:<ref name=":4" />
* [[Bernard Cohen (painter)]]
* [[Harold Cohen (artist)]]
* [[Sam Francis]]
* [[Patrick Heron]]
* [[Nicolas de Staël]]

Art historian and critic Alan Bowness, in his critique of the first exhibition, also mentions [[Peter Lanyon]]'s presence, and confirmed Sam Francis and Nicolas de Staël to be there.

The following is a comprehensive list of artists who have been associated with the movement.<ref name=":4" /><ref name=":14">{{Cite book|last=Gooding|first=Mel|title=Patrick Heron|publisher=Phaidon Press|year=1994|isbn=9780714834443|location=New York}}</ref><ref name=":0">{{Cite book|last=Sandler|first=Irving|title=The New York School: Painters and Sculptors of the Fifties|publisher=Westview Press|year=1979|isbn=9780429708756|location=Colorado}}</ref>

{{Div col|colwidth=18em}}
* Bernard Cohen
* Harold Cohen
* Sam Francis
* Patrick Heron
* Nicolas de Staël
* [[Milton Resnick]]
* [[Richard Pousette-Dart]]
* [[Jean-Paul Riopelle]]
* William Duvall
* [[Phillip Guston]]
* [[Jackson Pollock]]
* [[Willem de Kooning]]
* [[Joan Mitchell]]
* [[Nell Blaine]]
* [[Robert Goodnough]]
* [[Jan Müller (artist)|Jan Müller]]
* [[Ray Parker (painter)|Ray Parker]]
* [[Ad Reinhardt]]
* [[Bradley Walker Tomlin]]
* [[Janet Sobel]]
{{div col end}}

=== Notable artworks ===
* Sam Francis: ''Black and Red''<ref name=":15">{{Cite web|title=Black and Red|url=https://www.guggenheim.org/artwork/1343|last=Francis|first=Sam|date=1954|website=Guggenheim Museum|access-date=2020-04-05}}</ref>
* Julius Reque: ''Abstract Impressionism in Photography''<ref name=":16">{{Cite web|title=Abstract Impressionism in Photography|url=https://www.flickriver.com/photos/juliusreque/4774230853/|last=Reque|first=Julius|date=2009|website=FlickRiver|access-date=2020-05-04}}</ref>
* Bernard Cohen: ''In That Moment''<ref name=":17">{{Cite web|title='In That Moment', Bernard Cohen, 1965|url=https://www.tate.org.uk/art/artworks/cohen-in-that-moment-t00800|last=Tate|website=Tate|language=en-GB|access-date=2020-05-04}}</ref>
* Nicolas de Staël: ''Etude de Paysage'' (Landscape Study)<ref name=":18">{{Cite web|title='Landscape Study', Nicolas de Stael, 1952|url=https://www.tate.org.uk/art/artworks/stael-landscape-study-t00607|last=Tate|website=Tate|language=en-GB|access-date=2020-05-04}}</ref>
* Harold Cohen: ''Before the Event''<ref name=":19">{{Cite web|title='Before the Event', Harold Cohen, 1963|url=https://www.tate.org.uk/art/artworks/cohen-before-the-event-t04856|last=Tate|website=Tate|language=en-GB|access-date=2020-05-04}}</ref>
* Patrick Heron: ''Azalea Garden''<ref name=":20">{{Cite web|title='Azalea Garden : May 1956', Patrick Heron, 1956|url=https://www.tate.org.uk/art/artworks/heron-azalea-garden-may-1956-t03107|last=Tate|website=Tate|language=en-GB|access-date=2020-05-04}}</ref>

== See also ==

=== Related art styles and movements ===
{{Div col|colwidth=18em}}
* [[Abstraction (art)]]
* [[Abstract Art]]
* [[Abstract Expressionism]]
* [[American Abstract Artists]]
* [[Art history]]
* [[Cubism]]
* [[Futurism]]
* [[History of Painting]]
* [[Impressionism]]
* [[Informalism]]
* [[Lyrical Abstraction]]
* [[Representation (arts)]]
* [[Western Painting]]

{{div col end}}

== References ==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:Impressionism]]
[[Category:Art movements]]