City of St. Louis, located on the shores of the Mississippi River, is the capital of the U.S. state of Missouri. One of its main attractions is the wonderful Museum of Art. His collection includes more than 30 thousand high-quality works of art. Among the pearls of the collection - Chinese Buddha statues, famous paintings of Francisco Surbarana (Francisco de Zurbarán), Titian (Titian), and John Martin (John Martin), and very rare kubisticheskoe canvas Marc Chagall (Marc Chagall) . In addition, the museum has a remarkable collection of works of German art of XX century. In one room we can see a picture of Anselm Kifer (Anselm Kiefer) and Gerhard Richter (Gerhard Richter), the other entirely devoted to paintings of Max postapokalipticheskoy Bekmanna (Max Beckmann), while the third works of German expressionists - members of the group «bridge», as well as Maydnera Ludwig (Ludwig Meidner), George Grosso (George Grosz), Franz Marc (Franz Marc) and others.

now in the museum hosts exhibition Action /Abstraction, on the flow of art through which America (particularly New York) became the center of the art universe. This is, of course, to abstract expressionism. In the late 1940's - early 1950's artists New York schools - Jackson Pollock (Jackson Pollock), Willem de Kuninga (Willem de Kooning), and others - have struck the entire world of art for its explosive paintings, combining the emotional power of expressionism and uncompromising radical abstractionism. Abstract expressionism would not have been so popular over if not for the hard work of two American critics - Grinberga Clement (Clement Greenberg), and Harold Rosenberg (Harold Rosenberg). They are the «main heroes» exhibition in St. Louis, and artists to illustrate their ideas. Greenberg and Rosenberg met in the 1930's and for some time and were friends, but in the 1940's have become rivals. The first thought that modern art can only be an abstract, and the second was not against the figurative elements in the painting. Naturally, that the main «protégé» Grinberga was Pollock, and Rosenberg - De Kuninga. Interestingly, the term Action Painting ( «action painting»), which is considered a byword for creativity Pollock, in fact, invented by Harold Rosenberg - in relation to the De Kuninga. Both the artist wrote monumental works, amazing frenzy of colors, but the most famous scenes De Kuninga, unlike the religious works of Jackson Pollock, perfectly visible Figurative basis. The first thing we see at the exhibition - one of the huge «Women» De Kuninga. A painting of abstract expressionists have to understand that: if their pictures are some hints on the shape of humans and animals, then this is often horrific images of monsters. De Kuninga and his wife were nice people, but «Women» artist wrote their incredibly ugly, with a lunatic oskalom. «Woman II», presented at the exhibition, is one of the most famous painter works.

Next to it hangs the picture Pollock, proving that this artist was no stranger to figurative painting. On the canvas «No. 23», 1951, written after the «canonical» of the artist's works, one can see surreal behemoth.

It started with the monsters most brilliant phase in the career of Jackson Pollock. In the next hall of the exhibition you can see one of the surreal artist's paintings - «Totem Lesson 2». Pollock started a landscape, then under the influence of Picasso (Pablo Picasso) and Miro (Joan Miró) began to create almost abstract paintings with strange figures. One of its main instigators was the mythology of North American Indians. Already at the beginning of the creative ways the artist could see that he magnificent kolorist.

Late 1940's - early 1950 - the most fruitful period of creativity Pollock. That was when he wrote his «icons atomic century» - drip paintings, which he created, razbryzgivaya name rasstelennomu paint on a huge canvas on the floor. The exhibition in St. Louis can see several of these canvases, the largest of which - «Convergence», 1952. The artist covered the canvas dense web of black paint, then added other colors - very bright and «acid», which became «common» in the times of pop art, but in the early 1950's were a novelty. In 1964 the publishing house Springbokvypustilo puzzle «Convergence» of 340 pieces, which immediately received the title of «most difficult puzzle in the world». Now in the museum shop sells puzzles with the same picture, but from 1 000 pieces!

At first glance, Jackson Pollock canvases seem chaotic, but, seeing them around, you know, they have a clear internal structure. The same can be said about the works of another famous expressionist with a tragic fate - Basque, Jean-Michel (Jean-Michel Basquiat).

in the same room hangs a large picture of Willem de Kuninga «News Gotema». This is an abstract painting, the color in which a little more traditional than that of Jackson Pollock. De Kuninga loved bodily nuances. According to him, «the flesh - the only one for which there is art». One element of the painting «News Gotema» prints are scraps of newspapers. Later, the newspaper's work became artists-post - «bludnye Sons» abstract expressionism, such as Robert Rauschenberg (Robert Rauschenberg).

In the next room you can see pictures Arshila Gorky (Arshile Gorky) and Hans Hofmann (Hans Hofmann). Armenian by descent, Gorky came to America as a teenager. He served in the community of abstract expressionists, but his paintings represented in the exhibition are the rather surreal. Wild organic forms in these paintings recall the early works of Jackson Pollock, as well as the later Vasily Kandinsky and Miro. If you are writing many works inspired by Gorky on childhood memories - a bright picture «Garden in Sochi» tells the audience about the juicy fruit and the sensual colors of southern Russia. Other canvases by the artist represented at the exhibition, not so innocent: the product of «Diary tempter» richly explicit sexual allusion, as a picture «Liver - this rooster comb» glove called «Ball monsters». The figures shown on it, like the scary monsters, gathered at the bloody feast.

Hans Hofmann, as well as Gorky and De Kuninga, less known than Pollock. However, the celebrity in art circles he was well before the term was coined «abstract expressionism»: in his native Munich, he founded an art school in which studied such distinguished artists as Louise Nevelson (Louise Nevelson) and Paal Wolfgang (Wolfgang Paalen). In 1932, he closed the school and moved to the United States, where he opened several schools. Many eminent abstract expressionist comprehend wisdom beautiful craftsmanship this is guru of modernism. The exhibition in St. Louis, you can see a picture «Fantasy», 1943, the aesthetics of which is very similar to the one that has developed a Jackson Pollock a few years later. The most outstanding works in the exhibition Hofmann - canvas Sanctum Sanctorum, 1962. Here the artist (who works at the time of writing, it was already over 80!) Summed up the era of abstract expressionism: the color field earthy colors, a la Mark Rothko (Mark Rothko) , he «imposed» rectangles of bright colors, reminiscent of a series «Dedication square» the artist Josef Albers (Josef Albers), one of the main defenders of sterile, strict abstraction.

The next room is devoted to representatives of the New York School, which has long remained in the shadows of the major titans of abstract expressionism. Contrary to their proclaimed principles of liberalism, critics of 1940's preferred to write about artists male and white. Norman Lewis (Norman Lewis) friends with famous artists and critics, his works were exhibited in the same galleries, and paintings that Pollock and Rothko, but they are not selling so well: the artist has been African Americans. The fact that Lewis was unable to become as famous as his friends - a great injustice. His paintings will be a discovery for lovers of art. The exhibition in St. Louis presented his painting «Twilight sounds», which depicts the subtle, elegant figure in a dark gray background. They are like the representatives of the New York Bohemia, laughing at night in a jazz club. Jazz was one of the main instigators of Lewis - the same way as his friend Jackson Pollock.

next to the work of Lewis hang pictures Lee Krasner (Lee Krasner). This artist, as well as Lewis, communicate with all the main representatives of the New York School, and wrote an excellent picture, but the whole life of its perceived solely as a spouse Pollock. With much to do - while many disagreed with the comment of Hans Hofmann shovinistskim «Only the males have wings for art». In 1951, went solo exhibition Krasner, but no critic wanted to write about it. And in vain: her works are highly original. The exhibition presents a small canvas in a series of «Small picture», covered with mysterious characters, characters. Krasner was among the first who began to use his painting the elements of the text. Mysterious marks on the canvas «Blue on black», resembling works of Matisse (Henri Matisse), something similar to the esoteric symbol of «first».

A «white spot» for fans of the map New York schools - Creativity recently deceased painter Grace Hartigan (Grace Hartigan). She, like many others in the second generation of abstract expressionists, wrote the abstract landscapes. Her painting «Summer Street» 1956, we see a combination of abstract and figurative elements: on the background of the bright spots of color are depicted fruit stall and female figure, resembling the characters of Willem de Kuninga.

Next in the exhibition presents works by Mark Rothko, Clifford Still (Clyfford Still) and Ada Reinhardt (Ad Reinhardt). Bright Rothko painting, which depicts branded «vibrating boxes», produces far from a sombre reading, as dark, gloomy canvases the artist, exhibited in the Tate Modern gallery in London. Unlike Rothko work, trying to express in their paintings transcendental essence of the human soul, painting Clifford Still not devoid of figurative basis. This artist, at least formally, and was considered to be representative of the New York schools, big city did not like. Many of his paintings are inspired by the unique features of the American landscape. On the canvas «1950-A number 2», which is essentially a model of «canonical» phase in the artist's works are shown overlapped on each other ragged color fields. Creativity inspired by Californian Richard Still Dibenkorn (Richard Diebenkorn), which significantly expanded the notion that such landscape: in his view, the scenery may be fantastic and the landscapes that we see from the window of the plane.

Ad Reinhardt, as well as Clement Greenberg, was a strong opponent of any suggestion to the real objects in the painting. His paintings are closer to a strict, cold, impersonally minimalism than to violently expressionism Pollock. Work «Number 15» 1952, recalls the work of modern design, as well as canvases by Josef Albers. Only the rectangles on the picture of Reinhardt are not static, as the squares of Albers, but slightly «vibrate», as Rothko color fields. In this work, the artist explores the interaction of different shades of blue. In the 1960's, Reinhardt created a picture that at first glance are the «black square», but actually consists of several squares, filled a very dark color. So, no know-how from Reinhardt did not steal.

Another abstract expressionist, whose work greatly influenced the nascent minimalism - Barnett Newman (Barnett Newman). There are two famous paintings of the artist representing the «color field», split vertical stripes, which Newman called himself «clasps». Like Rothko, the artist wanted his paintings to express the tragic essence of human existence. The exhibition can be seen not only with «clasps» (from the series «Unity»), but also other, equally impressive product. Painting «Genesis - Breakthrough» was written at the end of the Second World War. It seems that the canvas shows a rising ragged curtain that opens the eyes blue skies with low-hanging black sun. Contrast ragged and chaotic (curtain) with a round and clean (the sun), recalls the work of another well-known abstract expressionist - Gottliba Adolf (Adolph Gottlieb).

Barnett Newman was not only a painter but a sculptor. The exhibition in St. Louis, you can see his obelisk called «Here III». This sculpture is a three-dimensional version of the famous «buckles». In the same room you can see other works of artists - abstract expressionists. These artists are not well known as their brothers - painters, simply because the goals that seeks to abstract expressionism, it is much easier to achieve, creating a picture, and not three-dimensional objects. Almost all the sculptures on display at the exhibition represent a fantastic figure. They are all very beautiful and decorative. The most famous sculptor - abstract expressionists is David Smith (David Smith), created steel objects whose improbable shape suggests a truly wild inventiveness author. One artist even tried to translate the language became an abstract landscape - as a work «Landscape. Hudson River », which is considered one of the major achievements of XX century sculpture. However, this masterpiece is not represented at the exhibition, he was in New York's Whitney Museum.

One of the most interesting exhibits - a sculpture made of bronze and silver called «Kvannon», created by Russian artist of Egyptian origin Ibramom Lassau (Ibram Lassaw). Kvannon - the name of the main Bodhisattva Buddhist pantheon. Buddhism has had an enormous influence on the attitudes of New York Bohemian 1940's - 1950's. Another sculpture in the hall, the work of Hera David (David Hare), is a composition of three anthropomorphic shapes reminiscent of the totem and the monsters in the early scenes Pollock and Gorky. The most «ekspressionisticheskoy», perhaps, is the work of Herbert Ferber (Herbert Ferber) «Calligraphy in a cage with a brush number 2», in which the two forms, as if trying to escape from the cell in which they imprisoned.

In the next chamber works by the second generation of abstract expressionists. There you can see, in particular, the picture Frankentaler Helen (Helen Frankenthaler) «The mountains and the sea», in the process of establishing that she had found a new application technique of Jackson Pollock. She spilled paint on canvas, divorced water. Frankentaler achieved complete absence of traces of painting on the hand (or brush), the artist, as if the work was created by nature itself. Know-how Frankentaler has adopted a Washington artist Morris Louis (Morris Louis), whose enormous beautiful abstract composition «Rainbow» adorned the exhibition hall. Like Pollock, Luis was a brilliant koloristom.

As we have seen, the majority of the followers of classic abstract expressionism inspired not action painting, a «Color Field painting».

Another painter from Washington, Kenneth Noland (Kenneth Noland), wrote hypnotic concentric circles, resembling a target. The presented his painting «Whirlpool», in which the target is in a rotating spot color mystic blue.

artist of Russian origin Jules Olitski (Jules Olitski) , as well as Frankentaler, Noland and Louis, experimenting with different techniques to ensure that the picture looked like it was not a man alive, but appeared from nowhere. He began to apply paint to canvas in the form of an aerosol, resulting in his canvases of color moving into another one without any trace of the brush. This technique has brought the artist to prominence, and in 1966 he even represented the United States at the Venice Biennale.

The exhibition can also see works by artists who influenced by abstract expressionism - Jasper Johns (Jasper Johns), Peter Sola (Peter Saul) and Klas Oldenburg (Claes Oldenburg). A particularly interesting recent work: a large sculpture of the heart, in pollokovski filled with toxic paints. In addition, the museum presented a relief artist Bonteku Lee (Lee Bontecou), also paid tribute to emotional titanium abstract expressionism. It is made of metal and pieces of canvas and more like a terrible weapon, rather than a work of art. It seems that fly from ballistic missiles.

Visitors can also poveselitsya in a room where there is an interactive installation Kaprou Allan (Allan Kaprow), the father of performance art. It can be written on the wall in chalk all stupid and create «composition» of the plates with different words. What makes this installation at the exhibition of abstract expressionism? .. Everything is simple: Allan Kaprou proposed a new reading of the term «the art of action», according to which the main character act of creation is not an artist and spectator. The artist gives the viewer a way vyplesnut energy - just as it was done by painting on canvas Jackson Pollock.

Julia Maksimova