Excavation (1950) by Willem de Kooning

Self-GuideExcavation (1950) by Willem de Kooning Abstract Expressionists at the Art Institute of Chicago In celebration of the new stamp pane from the United States Postal Service, Abstract Expressionists—which includes the Art Institute’s The Golden Wall by Hans Hofmann—this selfguide sends you on a short tour of important works from a revolutionary era in American painting. Deliver yourself to Gallery 289 in the Modern Wing to view each one in person. Willem de Kooning’s virtuoso style was the target of heated controversy early in his career. As the artist explained in 1951, “I paint this way because I can keep putting more and more things in—drama, anger, pain, love, a figure, a horse, my ideas about space.” Indeed, Excavation’s vast and layered canvas contains irregular, oftentimes overlapping shapes suggestive of birds and fish, eyes, human noses, jaws, necks, and teeth, all rendered by expressive and varied brushwork. Willem de Kooning. Excavation, 1950. The Art Institute of Chicago, Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Noah Goldowsky and Edgar Kaufmann, Jr.; Mr. and Mrs. Frank G. Logan Prize Fund, 1952.1. ©2008 Willem de Kooning/Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York. Greyed Rainbow (1953) by Jackson Pollock Welcoming accident and intuition as active participants in his compositions, Jackson Pollock pushed the boundaries of traditional painting, choosing to work on large unstretched canvases placed either on the floor or fixed to a wall. His system of drips, splatters, and lines that animate his works reveal the artist’s subconscious mood and led to the term “action painting,” coined by the critic Harold Rosenberg. Greyed Rainbow is no exception: delicate colors emerge from a turmoil of white and black splashes to reveal a lyrical, rainbow-like landscape hidden among clouds. Jackson Pollock. Greyed Rainbow, 1953. The Art Institute of Chicago, Gift of Society for Contemporary American Art, 1955.494. City Landscape (1955) by Joan Mitchell Chicago-born Joan Mitchell, though inspired by first generation Abstract Expressionists like Willem de Kooning and Arshile Gorky, shifted the focus of her work from emotional states to depictions of environments, both natural and manmade. City Landscape, painted after she moved to New York, captures the city’s unique energy and movement through the lens of her own experience. Joan Mitchell. City Landscape, 1955. The Art Institute of Chicago, Gift of Society for Contemporary American Art, 1958.193. Come see works featured on past United States Post Office stamps along with all the other 260,000 works in our collection. Mary Cassatt. On a Balcony (detail), 1878/79. The Art Institute of Chicago, Gift of Mrs. Albert J. Beveridge in memory of her aunt, Delia Spencere Field, 1938.18. Edward Hopper. Nighthawks (detail), 1942. The Art Institute of Chicago, Friends of American Art Collection, 1942.51. Jan Gossart (called Mabuse). Virgin and Child (detail), c. 1520. The Art Institute of Chicago, Charles H. and Mary F.S. Worcester Collection, 1957.47. New Extended Hours Beginning March 26, we’re open Friday nights! Monday–Wednesday, 10:30–5:00 Thursday, 10:30–8:00 (Free Admission 5:00–8:00) Friday, 10:30–8:00* Saturday–Sunday, 10:00–5:00 *Extended hours begin March 26. Until then, Fridays hours are 10:30–5:00. THE ART INSTITUTE OF CHICAGO 111 South Michigan Avenue Chicago, Illinois 60603 www.artinstituteofchicago.org