Gestural abstraction

The phrase gestural abstraction refers to a way of making art - not what necessarily gets painted, but how it does.  By abandoning the application of paint to a surface in a controlled and premeditated way, gestural painters apply paint intuitively, physically, by dripping, splattering, pouring, smearing or throwing it at the surface itself. What matters to the gestural abstraction painters then isn't the paint but the physicality, honesty, intuition and deep personal expression. This in turn leads to the artist abandoning a focus on subject matter, turning inward for inspiration. As such, the act of painting itself becomes the subject. Willem de Kooning, Lee Krasner and Franz Kline led this movement from the 1940s onwards, with Jackson Pollock undoubtedly being the most notable with his pierced paint tins, dripping across the surface of Number 1A, 1948 (1948).  Abstract gestural painters explore their deepest emotions and they express that part of themselves during the physical act of painting. Pollock would later note that he had no fears about making changes to a painting, because, he said, the work has a life of its own. The painting itself is a relic of the action, it is a recording of the gestures made. Still influencing artists today, the likes of Caroline Vis and Sebastien Desnos (s3b desnos) both reference Pollock in their work, either echoing the expression of emotion or indeed as Desnos puts it, “action painting."

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Painting, Heart V, Stanislav Bojankov

Stanislav Bojankov

Painting - 29 x 29 x 2 cm Painting - 11.4 x 11.4 x 0.8 inch

$205

Painting, Full house, Newel Hunter

Newel Hunter

Painting - 76.2 x 101.6 x 2 cm Painting - 30 x 40 x 0.8 inch

$4,550

Painting, Looking Up, Newel Hunter

Newel Hunter

Painting - 101.6 x 76.2 x 3.8 cm Painting - 40 x 30 x 1.5 inch

$4,600

Painting, In Between, Caroline Vis

Caroline Vis

Painting - 100 x 100 x 3 cm Painting - 39.4 x 39.4 x 1.2 inch

$2,651 $2,386

Painting, Toucans, Marta Zawadzka

Marta Zawadzka

Painting - 120 x 160 x 2 cm Painting - 47.2 x 63 x 0.8 inch

$5,001

Painting, Bioma, Rafael Sliks

Rafael Sliks

Painting - 141 x 131 x 3 cm Painting - 55.5 x 51.6 x 1.2 inch

$14,462

Painting, Inmost, Rafael Sliks

Rafael Sliks

Painting - 150 x 120 x 3 cm Painting - 59.1 x 47.2 x 1.2 inch

$14,100

Print, Sans titre 89, Yichao Sun

Yichao Sun

Print - 16 x 16 x 1 cm Print - 6.3 x 6.3 x 0.4 inch

$145

Painting, Up the Creek, Nestor Toro

Nestor Toro

Painting - 121.9 x 91.4 x 1.8 cm Painting - 48 x 36 x 0.7 inch

$4,000

Painting, Sillage, Muriel Deumie

Muriel Deumie

Painting - 81 x 40 x 4 cm Painting - 31.9 x 15.7 x 1.6 inch

$506

Painting, Abstract art, Muriel Deumie

Muriel Deumie

Painting - 80 x 40 x 4 cm Painting - 31.5 x 15.7 x 1.6 inch

$386

Painting, Safire, Rafael Sliks

Rafael Sliks

Painting - 120 x 100 x 3 cm Painting - 47.2 x 39.4 x 1.2 inch

$9,400

Painting, Mr Sanchez, Muriel Deumie

Muriel Deumie

Painting - 30 x 60 x 4 cm Painting - 11.8 x 23.6 x 1.6 inch

$723

Print, Brasilia, Muriel Deumie

Muriel Deumie

Print - 40 x 30 x 0.5 cm Print - 15.7 x 11.8 x 0.2 inch

$362

Painting, Ps 23, John3seven

John3seven

Painting - 40 x 40 x 4 cm Painting - 15.7 x 15.7 x 1.6 inch

$518

Painting, Red Power, Caroline Vis

Caroline Vis

Painting - 170 x 130 x 2 cm Painting - 66.9 x 51.2 x 0.8 inch

$8,436

Painting, Inserted.0323, Kris Haas

Kris Haas

Painting - 35.6 x 27.9 x 1.5 cm Painting - 14 x 11 x 0.6 inch

$350

Print, Pink town, Marta Zawadzka

Marta Zawadzka

Print - 61 x 61 x 0.2 cm Print - 24 x 24 x 0.1 inch

$446

Painting, Picsouland, Muriel Deumie

Muriel Deumie

Painting - 30 x 90 x 4 cm Painting - 11.8 x 35.4 x 1.6 inch

$952

Painting, Sunrise 22, Caroline Vis

Caroline Vis

Painting - 160 x 100 x 2 cm Painting - 63 x 39.4 x 0.8 inch

$3,254 $2,928

Painting, Confidence, Caroline Vis

Caroline Vis

Painting - 160 x 250 x 3 cm Painting - 63 x 98.4 x 1.2 inch

$14,462

Painting, Rio, Bald

Rio

Bald

Painting - 120 x 39.5 x 2 cm Painting - 47.2 x 15.6 x 0.8 inch

$2,193

Painting, Edge of world, Ovidiu Kloska

Ovidiu Kloska

Painting - 80 x 80 x 2 cm Painting - 31.5 x 31.5 x 0.8 inch

$1,446 $1,302

Painting, Hope, Eliana Sá

Eliana Sá

Painting - 70 x 50 x 2 cm Painting - 27.6 x 19.7 x 0.8 inch

$1,446

Painting, Brainstorming, Molok

Molok

Painting - 100 x 100 x 2 cm Painting - 39.4 x 39.4 x 0.8 inch

$3,133

Painting, Splash, Eliana Sá

Eliana Sá

Painting - 80 x 80 x 4 cm Painting - 31.5 x 31.5 x 1.6 inch

$1,567

Painting, Acid letter, Allias

Allias

Painting - 112 x 84 x 3 cm Painting - 44.1 x 33.1 x 1.2 inch

$1,024

Painting, Ailleurs n°127, Molok

Molok

Painting - 100 x 100 x 5 cm Painting - 39.4 x 39.4 x 2 inch

$5,423

Painting, Neon III, Paulo Gnecco

Paulo Gnecco

Painting - 60 x 45 x 2 cm Painting - 23.6 x 17.7 x 0.8 inch

$756

Painting, Helicoco HC5, Marcel Speet

Marcel Speet

Painting - 80 x 70 x 2 cm Painting - 31.5 x 27.6 x 0.8 inch

$922

Painting, Acudilé, Allias

Allias

Painting - 50 x 40 x 2 cm Painting - 19.7 x 15.7 x 0.8 inch

$422

Painting, Sex Party 10, VeraD

VeraD

Painting - 20 x 20 x 0.5 cm Painting - 7.9 x 7.9 x 0.2 inch

$211

Painting, Figure-II, Stanislav Bojankov

Stanislav Bojankov

Painting - 70 x 100 x 2 cm Painting - 27.6 x 39.4 x 0.8 inch

$1,687 $1,518

Painting, Blue Velvet, Gaëlle Wagner

Gaëlle Wagner

Painting - 80 x 80 x 2.5 cm Painting - 31.5 x 31.5 x 1 inch

Sold

Painting, Xul, Gaëlle Wagner

Xul

Gaëlle Wagner

Painting - 120 x 120 x 4.5 cm Painting - 47.2 x 47.2 x 1.8 inch

Sold

Painting, Nouvelle ère, Âme Sauvage

Âme Sauvage

Painting - 50 x 100 x 2.4 cm Painting - 19.7 x 39.4 x 0.9 inch

Sold