Abstract Imagists

A Dictionary of Twentieth-Century Art | 1999 | 700+ words | Copyright

Abstract Imagists. A term that has been applied to certain Abstract Expressionist painters—notably Newman, Rothko, and Still—whose work uses predominantly flat areas of colour and relatively impersonal brushwork, as opposed to the more impulsive, gestural painters of the movement—notably Kline and Pollock—whose work is characterized by extremely vigorous handling of paint. The term was used in the title of an exhibition, ‘American Abstract Expressionists and Imagists’, held at the Guggenheim Museum, New York, in 1961. However, the distinction is a rather artificial one, as the work of the painters involved is too varied to fit neatly into such a scheme; for example, Still's handling of paint is often highly gestural.

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IAN CHILVERS. "Abstract Imagists." A Dictionary of Twentieth-Century Art. 1999. Encyclopedia.com. 29 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

IAN CHILVERS. "Abstract Imagists." A Dictionary of Twentieth-Century Art. 1999. Encyclopedia.com. (May 29, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O5-AbstractImagists.html

IAN CHILVERS. "Abstract Imagists." A Dictionary of Twentieth-Century Art. 1999. Retrieved May 29, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O5-AbstractImagists.html

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