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, Ode à la vie 4, Yaki Li

Yaki Li

Painting . 70 x 48 x 0.2 cm Painting . 27.6 x 18.9 x 0.1 inch

$1,403

Painting, Abstract-121, Nivas Kanhere

Nivas Kanhere

Painting . 121.9 x 91.4 x 2.5 cm Painting . 48 x 36 x 1 inch

$1,520

Painting, Bang! 2, Olena Shtepura

Olena Shtepura

Painting . 167 x 137 x 2.5 cm Painting . 65.7 x 53.9 x 1 inch

$4,676

Painting, Red hot, Gaëlle Wagner

Gaëlle Wagner

Painting . 60 x 60 x 2.5 cm Painting . 23.6 x 23.6 x 1 inch

$1,625

Painting, Brooklyn, Gaëlle Wagner

Gaëlle Wagner

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

$1,625

Painting, Soleil D'Hiver, Aude De Voc

Aude De Voc

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

$1,754

Painting, The Thaw, Alex Senchenko

Alex Senchenko

Painting . 120 x 100 x 4 cm Painting . 47.2 x 39.4 x 1.6 inch

$2,611

Painting, Huella IIl, Itziar Padilla

Itziar Padilla

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

$701

Painting, Jaguar Ruge, Pink Morro

Pink Morro

Painting . 170 x 130 x 5 cm Painting . 66.9 x 51.2 x 2 inch

$6,184

Painting, Carnaval, Gaëlle Wagner

Gaëlle Wagner

Painting . 140 x 120 x 1 cm Painting . 55.1 x 47.2 x 0.4 inch

$2,221

Painting, Untitled A02, Ta Rui

Ta Rui

Painting . 40 x 50 x 3 cm Painting . 15.7 x 19.7 x 1.2 inch

$1,871

Painting, Boum !, Âme Sauvage

Âme Sauvage

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

$351

Painting, Friction, César Deslandes

César Deslandes

Painting . 150 x 100 x 3 cm Painting . 59.1 x 39.4 x 1.2 inch

$2,923

Painting, Big fish, Shulyak Tatyana

Shulyak Tatyana

Painting . 75 x 55 x 2 cm Painting . 29.5 x 21.7 x 0.8 inch

$1,040

Painting, Kakapo, Irina Sazonova

Irina Sazonova

Painting . 50 x 50 x 3.5 cm Painting . 19.7 x 19.7 x 1.4 inch

$1,629

Painting, Stenosis, Milena Makani

Milena Makani

Painting . 59 x 42 cm Painting . 23.2 x 16.5 inch

$975

Painting, Abstract VII, Mykola Bodnar

Mykola Bodnar

Painting . 50 x 50 x 2 cm Painting . 19.7 x 19.7 x 0.8 inch

$1,046

Painting, Hard Way Home, Newel Hunter

Newel Hunter

Painting . 50.8 x 40.6 x 1.5 cm Painting . 20 x 16 x 0.6 inch

$1,520

Painting, Bang! 1, Olena Shtepura

Olena Shtepura

Painting . 150 x 160 x 2.5 cm Painting . 59.1 x 63 x 1 inch

$4,676

Painting, Opus #16, Vahan Roumelian

Vahan Roumelian

Painting . 140 x 140 x 2 cm Painting . 55.1 x 55.1 x 0.8 inch

$5,729