Abstract Expressionism - The first major American avant-garde art movement (c. 1940s-1950s) founded by artists including Jackson Pollock, Willem de Kooning, and Mark Rothko, characterized by large-scale abstract paintings emphasizing spontaneous personal expression and emotional intensity. The movement established New York as a major centre of contemporary art for the first time.

Abstract Expressionism Art - The body of artwork created within and influenced by the Abstract Expressionist movement, characterized by large-scale canvases, emphasis on the physical act of painting, and the expression of intense personal emotion through abstract means. This category includes both Action Painting and Colour Field approaches, unified by their rejection of traditional representational subject matter in favour of pure artistic expression.

Action Painting - A style of abstract expressionism emphasizing the physical act of painting itself, with visible brushstrokes, drips, and gestural marks. Jackson Pollock and Willem de Kooning were primary practitioners of this energetic, improvisational approach.

All-over Composition - A painting technique where visual elements are distributed evenly across the entire canvas surface without traditional focal points or hierarchical organization. Jackson Pollock's drip paintings exemplify this revolutionary approach to pictorial space.

California School - A regional variant of Abstract Expressionism that emerged in the Bay Area and Los Angeles during the 1940s-1950s, featuring artists like Richard Diebenkorn, David Park, and Clyfford Still. This group developed distinctive approaches to gestural abstraction often influenced by the Pacific Coast landscape and light.

Colour Field Painting - A branch of Abstract Expressionism focusing on large expanses of colour rather than gestural brushwork or linear elements. Artists like Mark Rothko and Barnett Newman created contemplative works emphasizing colour relationships and spiritual content.

Contemporary Abstract Expressionism - Current artistic practice that draws upon and reinterprets Abstract Expressionist principles, often incorporating contemporary materials, scales, and conceptual approaches while maintaining the movement's emphasis on gestural expression and emotional authenticity. This ongoing tradition demonstrates the continued relevance of Abstract Expressionist philosophy in 21st-century creation of art.

Drip Painting - Jackson Pollock's revolutionary technique of applying paint to canvas laid on the floor, allowing paint to drip and flow in continuous linear patterns. This method eliminated traditional brushwork and created unprecedented all-over compositions.

Frankenthaler, Helen - American artist (1928-2011) who was a pioneering figure in Abstract Expressionism and later Colour Field painting, developing the revolutionary soak-stain technique in the early 1950s. Her method of pouring thinned paint directly onto unprimed canvas created luminous, atmospheric effects that influenced a generation of painters including Morris Louis and Kenneth Noland.

Gestural Abstraction - Abstract painting emphasizing the artist's physical gesture and emotional expression through visible brushstrokes and paint application. This approach values the spontaneous recording of the artist's creative process and psychological state.

Hard-edge Abstract Expressionism - A variant emphasizing clean geometric forms and precise colour relationships rather than gestural brushwork. Artists like Ad Reinhardt developed this more controlled approach within the broader Abstract Expressionist movement.

Intuitive Painting - A contemporary approach to abstract painting that emphasizes spontaneous, instinctual creation without predetermined plans or rational control, directly rooted in Abstract Expressionist principles. This method prioritizes emotional authenticity and personal expression over technical perfection, allowing the painting process itself to guide artistic decisions.

Irascibles, The - A group of eighteen prominent Abstract Expressionist artists who signed an open letter in 1950 protesting the Metropolitan Museum of Art's conservative stance on contemporary American art. This historic group included Jackson Pollock, Willem de Kooning, Mark Rothko, Barnett Newman, and other key figures who defined the movement's identity and principles.

Krasner, Lee - American artist (1908-1984) who was a founding member of the Abstract Expressionist movement and pioneered gestural abstraction alongside her contemporaries. Her innovative collage paintings and bold brushwork established her as a key figure in developing the movement's visual language, though her contributions were often overshadowed by her marriage to Jackson Pollock.

Mitchell, Joan - American artist (1925-1992) who was a second-generation Abstract Expressionist known for her vibrant, gestural landscapes that bridged representation and abstraction. Her powerful brushwork and emotional intensity established her as one of the most important painters to emerge from the Abstract Expressionist movement.

New York School - The group of American artists centred in New York during the 1940s and 1950s who developed Abstract Expressionism. Key figures included Jackson Pollock, Willem de Kooning, Mark Rothko, Lee Krasner, Helen Frankenthaler, and Barnett Newman, among others.

Painterly - A quality in painting that emphasizes the medium itself through visible brushstrokes, texture, and the physical properties of paint. Abstract Expressionists like de Kooning celebrated painterly qualities as essential to artistic expression.

Picture Plane - The flat surface of the canvas, which Abstract Expressionists often emphasized rather than creating illusionistic depth. Artists explored the tension between the physical reality of the flat surface and the spatial implications of their marks.

Pollock, Jackson - American artist (1912-1956) who revolutionized Abstract Expressionism through his innovative drip painting technique and all-over compositions. His breakthrough works of the late 1940s established him as a founding figure of the movement and created an entirely new approach to abstract painting.

Post-Painterly Abstraction - A term coined by critic Clement Greenberg in 1964 to describe abstract painting that moved beyond the gestural, emotional qualities of Abstract Expressionism toward cleaner, more impersonal approaches. This development included Color Field painters like Morris Louis and Kenneth Noland who were influenced by Helen Frankenthaler's stain technique.

Psychological Automatism - A technique borrowed from Surrealism involving spontaneous, unconscious creation to bypass rational control and access deeper creative impulses. Many Abstract Expressionists used automatic techniques to generate authentic personal expression.

Rothko, Mark - American artist (1903-1970) who co-founded Abstract Expressionism and pioneered Colour Field painting with his luminous rectangular compositions. His mature works from the 1950s onward established him as one of the movement's most influential figures, seeking transcendent spiritual experience through colour.

Second Generation Abstract Expressionism - Artists who emerged in the 1950s and continued developing Abstract Expressionist principles, including Joan Mitchell, Helen Frankenthaler, and Grace Hartigan. This generation refined and expanded the movement's techniques while maintaining its emphasis on personal expression and large-scale abstraction.

Sublime - An aesthetic concept emphasizing overwhelming emotional and spiritual experience, often through scale, colour, or atmospheric effects. Artists like Barnett Newman and Mark Rothko sought to evoke the sublime through their large-scale abstract works.

Surface Tension - The visual and physical relationship between painted marks and the canvas surface, often explored by Abstract Expressionists. Artists investigated how paint could simultaneously describe depth and emphasize the material reality of the picture plane.

Zip Painting - Barnett Newman's signature compositional device consisting of vertical bands or "zips" of contrasting colour that divide large colour fields. These vertical elements created dramatic spatial effects and spiritual metaphors within Newman's Abstract Expressionist works.

Note: This glossary is intended as a useful concise list of terms only and not as an educational resource. It is not an exhaustive list of terms and artists within the world of Abstract Expressionism Art.