Abstract Expressionism

Create a bright, gestural abstract landscape in the style of the 1950s American Avant-Garde with a lit tle help from Dorset painter 

- Gerry Dudgeon

The Abstract Expressionism movement, which came to prominence in the 1950s in New York and San Francisco, is characterised by gestural brushmarks, and an all-over treatment of the picture surface in which free expression is key. The Royal Academy in London will soon pay tribute to the pioneers of this period in contemporary art history with its exhibition Abstract Expressionism, 24 September to 2 January.

Though apparently haphazard in approach, painters such as Willem de Kooning and Jackson Pollock exercised great control, and were acutely aware of the need for balance when making marks across the canvas. Jackson Pollock invented an innovative drip technique, using household enamel paint dribbled from sticks over the canvas whilst on the floor. He abandoned traditional easel painting and treated the canvas as an arena in which to operate.

Willem de Kooning liked to load large brushes with oil paint and drag and swirl them through the canvas, contrasting them with smaller marks. His ability to build up a thick impasto while keeping the surface fresh, influenced British painters such as Peter Lanyon and Ivon Hitchens.