Of Their Time: Abstraction, Hard-edge and Op Art at the Castellani Art Museum at Niagara University

(FREE ADMISSION) Abstract Expressionism, the first truly American art movement, emerged just prior to World War II, originating in New York’s Greenwich Village. Also called the New York School, this group of loosely affiliated artists moved visual expression away from natural representation and into the realm of non-objective and expressionistic esthetics. Abstraction, Abstract Expressionism and Action-painting emphasized the depiction of emotions rather than objects. Many painters favored large canvasses, dramatic colors and loose brushwork. Emphasizing its independence from European art trends, Abstract Expressionism was the first American school to influence artists overseas rather than vice versa.