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, City 4, Yichao Sun

Yichao Sun

Painting - 60 x 80 x 2 cm Painting - 23.6 x 31.5 x 0.8 inch

$3,009

Painting, Paysage rosé, H-Nguyen

H-Nguyen

Painting - 75 x 115 cm Painting - 29.5 x 45.3 inch

$1,685

Painting, LXXVII, Mark Hellbusch

Mark Hellbusch

Painting - 50 x 70 x 1.5 cm Painting - 19.7 x 27.6 x 0.6 inch

$1,071

Painting, High & Dry, Newel Hunter

Newel Hunter

Painting - 45.7 x 61 x 0.5 cm Painting - 18 x 24 x 0.2 inch

$1,700

Sculpture, Dépouillé, Muriel Deumie

Muriel Deumie

Sculpture - 50 x 73 x 2 cm Sculpture - 19.7 x 28.7 x 0.8 inch

$674

Fine Art Drawings, #11082022, Michael Verlangieri

Michael Verlangieri

Fine Art Drawings - 76.2 x 111.8 x 0.3 cm Fine Art Drawings - 30 x 44 x 0.1 inch

$7,965

Painting, Rorschach, Bald

Bald

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

$1,324

Fine Art Drawings, Burnout, Stanislav Bojankov

Stanislav Bojankov

Fine Art Drawings - 60 x 80 x 0.1 cm Fine Art Drawings - 23.6 x 31.5 x 0 inch

$361

Painting, Liquide, Âme Sauvage

Âme Sauvage

Painting - 65 x 92 x 2.4 cm Painting - 25.6 x 36.2 x 0.9 inch

$903

Painting, Entremêlés, Âme Sauvage

Âme Sauvage

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

$903

Painting, Water dynamic, Âme Sauvage

Âme Sauvage

Painting - 81 x 100 x 2.4 cm Painting - 31.9 x 39.4 x 0.9 inch

$1,204

Painting, Street art, Âme Sauvage

Âme Sauvage

Painting - 73 x 100 x 2.4 cm Painting - 28.7 x 39.4 x 0.9 inch

$1,143

Painting, Bang !, Gaëlle Wagner

Gaëlle Wagner

Painting - 60 x 80 x 2 cm Painting - 23.6 x 31.5 x 0.8 inch

$1,926

Painting, Windy, Stanislav Bojankov

Stanislav Bojankov

Painting - 85 x 93 x 1 cm Painting - 33.5 x 36.6 x 0.4 inch

$1,806 $1,625

Painting, Mindnomind 03, H-Nguyen

H-Nguyen

Painting - 75 x 95 x 2 cm Painting - 29.5 x 37.4 x 0.8 inch

$1,878

Painting, Ailes de nuit, Âme Sauvage

Âme Sauvage

Painting - 54 x 73 x 2.4 cm Painting - 21.3 x 28.7 x 0.9 inch

$662

Painting, Sweet sunshine I, H-Nguyen

H-Nguyen

Painting - 73 x 100 x 2 cm Painting - 28.7 x 39.4 x 0.8 inch

$2,720

Painting, Carré rouge, Âme Sauvage

Âme Sauvage

Painting - 54 x 73 x 2.4 cm Painting - 21.3 x 28.7 x 0.9 inch

$662

Painting, Plaisir, Yichao Sun

Yichao Sun

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

$3,009

Painting, Joyful Day, H-Nguyen

H-Nguyen

Painting - 65 x 100 x 2 cm Painting - 25.6 x 39.4 x 0.8 inch

$1,324

Painting, Graphique, Âme Sauvage

Âme Sauvage

Painting - 30 x 90 x 2 cm Painting - 11.8 x 35.4 x 0.8 inch

$542

Painting, Sky symphony 1, H-Nguyen

H-Nguyen

Painting - 50 x 65 x 2 cm Painting - 19.7 x 25.6 x 0.8 inch

$818

Painting, Razor claws, Tiny de Bruin

Tiny de Bruin

Painting - 80 x 100 x 2 cm Painting - 31.5 x 39.4 x 0.8 inch

$1,577

Painting, Senna, Marta Zawadzka

Marta Zawadzka

Painting - 100 x 110 x 2 cm Painting - 39.4 x 43.3 x 0.8 inch

$2,768

Painting, Sky symphony 2, H-Nguyen

H-Nguyen

Painting - 50 x 65 x 2 cm Painting - 19.7 x 25.6 x 0.8 inch

$818

Painting, High Beams, Laura Newman

Laura Newman

Painting - 76 x 107 cm Painting - 29.9 x 42.1 inch

$7,887

Painting, New day new Me, H-Nguyen

H-Nguyen

Painting - 60 x 80 cm Painting - 23.6 x 31.5 inch

$1,312

Painting, Psycho Loop, Muriel Deumie

Muriel Deumie

Painting - 81 x 100 x 2 cm Painting - 31.9 x 39.4 x 0.8 inch

$2,239

Painting, Elysium I, H-Nguyen

H-Nguyen

Painting - 75 x 100 x 3 cm Painting - 29.5 x 39.4 x 1.2 inch

$1,902