Abstract expressionism

Abstract Expressionism established itself as one of the major turning points in twentieth-century art, emerging in New York in the 1940s around what would become known as the New York School.

Driven by figures as diverse as Jackson Pollock and his gestural dripping technique, Mark Rothko and his meditative fields of color, or Willem de Kooning and his energetic compositions oscillating between figuration and abstraction, the movement marked a decisive break with European traditions by placing spontaneity of gesture, monumental scale, and a direct physical relationship between painter and canvas at the heart of artistic practice.

Drawing on Surrealist explorations of automatism and the unconscious, it transformed painting into a space for experimentation in which color, material, and movement ceased to serve representation and instead became an autonomous language carrying an unprecedented emotional and existential intensity.

This shift in the center of gravity of Western art toward New York also represented the affirmation of an American cultural identity on the international stage, whose impact would resonate throughout contemporary artistic creation.

On Artsper, this selection brings together contemporary works that extend this foundational legacy through lyrical abstraction, gestural energy, and chromatic explorations, reflecting the enduring vitality of a movement that profoundly transformed our understanding of what painting can be.

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Painting, A2005, Thierry Benzaid

Thierry Benzaid

Painting . 61 x 46 x 2 cm Painting . 24 x 18.1 x 0.8 inch

£575

Painting, Untitled, Hayduk Smbatyan

Hayduk Smbatyan

Painting . 29.5 x 20 x 1 cm Painting . 11.6 x 7.9 x 0.4 inch

£221

Painting, Cherries, Anatoly Tarabanov

Anatoly Tarabanov

Painting . 70 x 90 x 2 cm Painting . 27.6 x 35.4 x 0.8 inch

£602

Painting, Claim 20, Mark Hellbusch

Mark Hellbusch

Painting . 110 x 100 x 1.5 cm Painting . 43.3 x 39.4 x 0.6 inch

£2,478

Painting, Intouchable, Beata Kmita

Beata Kmita

Painting . 120 x 200 x 3.52 cm Painting . 47.2 x 78.7 x 1.4 inch

£13,275

Painting, Ink and Blood, Olga Balaeva

Olga Balaeva

Painting . 60 x 60 x 2 cm Painting . 23.6 x 23.6 x 0.8 inch

£649

Painting, Duet, Anatoly Tarabanov

Anatoly Tarabanov

Painting . 65 x 75 x 2 cm Painting . 25.6 x 29.5 x 0.8 inch

£447

Painting, Inner Turmoil, Asma Namouji

Asma Namouji

Painting . 80 x 100 x 1 cm Painting . 31.5 x 39.4 x 0.4 inch

£3,098

Painting, Blue Swan, Monica Tangen

Monica Tangen

Painting . 50.8 x 76.2 x 4 cm Painting . 20 x 30 x 1.6 inch

£310 £279

Painting, Fiesta, Jenny Chandler

Jenny Chandler

Painting . 152.4 x 121.92 x 3 cm Painting . 60 x 48 x 1.2 inch

£11,328

Painting, Royalty, Kofi Agorsor

Kofi Agorsor

Painting . 183 x 152 cm Painting . 72 x 59.8 inch

£12,159

Painting, Golden Lilac, Melezhik Olga

Melezhik Olga

Painting . 40 x 30 x 2 cm Painting . 15.7 x 11.8 x 0.8 inch

£261

Painting, Bright Lemon, Melezhik Olga

Melezhik Olga

Painting . 45 x 35 x 2 cm Painting . 17.7 x 13.8 x 0.8 inch

£243

Painting, Summer Night, Helen Burkova

Helen Burkova

Painting . 60 x 60 x 2 cm Painting . 23.6 x 23.6 x 0.8 inch

£421

Painting, The Party, Helen Burkova

Helen Burkova

Painting . 60 x 60 x 0.1 cm Painting . 23.6 x 23.6 x 0 inch

£421

Painting, Turquoise vibes, Dam Domido

Dam Domido

Painting . 30 x 30 x 1 cm Painting . 11.8 x 11.8 x 0.4 inch

£434

Painting, SCA - 2, Julien Jubault

Julien Jubault

Painting . 120 x 110 x 3 cm Painting . 47.2 x 43.3 x 1.2 inch

£1,682

Painting, Happy Hours-2021(2), Yaki Li

Yaki Li

Painting . 29.7 x 21 x 0.1 cm Painting . 11.7 x 8.3 x 0 inch

£226

Painting, Enamored, Ella Prakash

Ella Prakash

Painting . x cm Painting . 0 x 0 inch

£5,753

Painting, Harmony, Simona Sedlakova

Simona Sedlakova

Painting . 60 x 40 x 4 cm Painting . 23.6 x 15.7 x 1.6 inch

£531

Painting, Impulse 13, Dam Domido

Dam Domido

Painting . 30 x 30 x 1.5 cm Painting . 11.8 x 11.8 x 0.6 inch

£496