1950s/abstract expressionism

Britain in the 1950s

• still on rationing on food and industry, such as metals.
• the decade of desperate re-building
• guards trousers
• new inventions such as-slide up curtains, cabinets, electric beds
• the Cold War (it was called cold because there was no major fighting directly between the two sides, but big regional wars.
• more bright colours in furniture and clothes
• more excitement in holidays
• sci-fi, comics etc.

 Abstract expressionism is a post world war 2 art movement in American painting.

• Jackson Pollock

A charming, handsome but shy man. In an aggressive relationship, throughout he had his problems with alcohol, especially within making his films,taking it out on the camera man. His success grew in the 1950's with exhibitions etc.

• Mark Rothko

Creating quite spiritual art.


Elaine De Kooning - 

 "Inspiration is indispensable to my work, but it is hard to come by. It is there or it is not; it is a gift of the gods."

While Elaine de Kooning did use gestural brushstrokes in most of her work, much in the tradition of the "action" painters, Elaine's work was figurative and representational, at least to some degree, and her canvases were rarely purely abstract (in the vein of Mark Rothko or Jackson Pollock).
she was inspired by a lot or art as an avid world traveler, which helped her become more diverse in the abstract expressionism movement.
she experimented with sculpture, etchings and subject matter inspired by cave drawings, all in addition to her wealth of painting, which included everything from watercolors and still lifes to abstractions and formal portraits.