Abstract Expressionism at the RA

No photography was allowed of the works inside the gallery unfortunately

The use of colour throughout these works are outstanding and has inspired me to research more on colour and to develop a better understanding of colour, which is unfortunate that only at this point in my practice have I come to realised this. 

Ad Reinhardt Abstract Painting No. 4

The use of colour has been considered so much by these artists to the point where the definition of a colour is altered. In Ad Reinhardt Abstract Painting No.4, black is made up of greens red and blues that creates depth. Could this technique be used in graphics? Rather than just printing simply black, to have multiple translucent colours that create a black?

Barnett Newman Eve 

Subtle depth is also something that these artists have perfected. Despite only using a single colour there still are shades and tones within them that hypnotise the eye and draws you in the painting, along with its impressive scale. I feel graphic design could have a level of depth in its compositions. I have always likened graphic work that has an element of depth of example WERK Magazine No.12 by REI KAWAKUBO by Thesues Chan.

 Unlike the flat designs that are trending today as seen in the premier league redesign. 

What depth adds is a level of consideration, consideration for the smaller details and subtleties that will be noticed if the reader/user takes effort to study the design. This creates an appreciation for the design and opens a conversation between user and designer.

In clyfford stills work, depth and texture are most evident. This got me thinking of Wolfgang weingarts technique of adding texture to his work. Rather than printing the whole composition with one layer of ink, he prints off the different sections one by one and by doing so the ink is layered ever so slightly to create texture. As explained in an article by Creative Review on Weingart, depth creates an added dimensionality to the work "Yet digital reproductions of his printed matter do not translate the innate ‘dimensionality’ of the work. Layers of ink printed on top of one another create a subtle texture that is only overtly visible close up". However being that printing is the main method of which graphic design work is produced, creating texture should not be the main aim or one to strive for as graphic design work are not hung up in galleries for people to study. So these details will inevitably go unnoticed due to how graphic design is viewed in public. 

Barnett Newman Profile of Light

The limitations of these works are of its scale. The smaller the works are the less impact it will have. Abstract expressionism's aesthetic is based on the gestural strokes of the paintbrush which explicitly illustrate the movement of the artists hand. The smaller the works are the less visible these gestures become and in my opinion it lowers the overall impact. Take for example Barnet Newmans Profile of Light, the imperfections in the blue outlines are purposeful which can only effectively illustrate Newman's point clearly to the viewer on a grand scale where the imperfections become more apparent. 

Overall it was beneficial and a joy to see the work of the fine artists I have been interested in within the art world for the longest time.