Art History 306 Dissertation Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Art History 306 - Dissertation Example The proximity and accessibility of the artists to each other’s lives and work sprouted an art â€Å"scene† with â€Å"constant face to face encounters†¦constant feedback, mutual awareness† (Sandler, 1978, pg. 30) and frequent socializing in â€Å"semi-public and public meeting places†. (Sandler, 1978, p. 29) The ambience was electric, for it â€Å"generated social and intellectual exchanges†, â€Å"and it was natural for vanguard artists in every field to gravitate to the world of the New York school† (Sandler, 1978, p.22). This solidarity was reinforced by a post war sentiment of alienation which could best be summarized as â€Å"you had a feeling †¦ of you and your friends against everyone on the outside.† (Sandler, 1978, p. 29) Disillusioned further by the political climate and pseudo culture of Middle America, the vanguard artists turned to their art for â€Å"self-discovery, freedom of belief and action, and autonomous, honest creation.† (Sandler, 1978, p.21) The canvas became an â€Å"arena in which to act† (Rosenberg, 1959) and gestural painting was adopted by such influential figures as de Kooning and Hofmann. Art produced during this time was coined Abstract Expressionism (Rosenberg, 1959).