Innovators Of 1960s Abstraction

In the early- to mid- 1960s there was a loose collection of mainly American painters creating abstract work which well-known art critic Clement Greenberg dubbed “Post-Painterly Abstraction”. Although it is difficult to succinctly describe a large and varied movement of artists, essentially what he was calling attention to seems to be more of a pervasive mood driving the painters of the sixties. With an ever-living and evolving collective voice, the American abstract painters were shifting away from some of the Abstract Expressionist flavors that were growing stale and overused, and were compelled towards a cleaner, more decisive abstraction that is undoubtedly infused with the electricity that is special to the sixties.

The work invariably shows an adept skill with simplicity that is rich with vitality, proving a strong recipe for art that holds power, and channeling the energy of a young and impassioned generation of progressive artists through the inarguable language of abstracted beauty.

In this mesmerizing silkscreen of Frank Stella’s Seward Park, there is an evident tangibly satisfying feeling as we are invited in to experience the piece as non-separate emotion. Stella’s work at this time was pronounced by an emphasis on the painting as an object, as opposed to a depiction of something. He has masterfully forgone the need for conceptual interpretation, and opens the door for a more material interaction and communication thereby.