Arshile Gorky was an Armenian-American painter who played a significant role in the development of abstract expressionism. His artistic journey began with realism, but he later moved towards abstraction, creating works that were deeply personal and emotional. Learn more about his life and art in this article.
Early Life and Influences
Arshile Gorky was born Vosdanik Adoian in the Armenian village of Khorgom on April 15th in 1904. His family fled to the United States in 1920 to escape the Armenian Genocide. Gorky studied art in Boston and New York, where he was influenced by the work of the European modernists and the American realists. He began his career as a realist painter, creating works that depicted the landscapes and people of his homeland.
Realism and the Influence of Cézanne
Arshile Gorky’s early works were heavily influenced by the realist style, which he learned during his studies in Boston and New York. However, he also drew inspiration from the post-impressionist painter Paul Cézanne, whose use of color and form would later become a hallmark of Gorky’s abstract expressionist works. In his early paintings, Gorky depicted the landscapes and people of his homeland with a keen eye for detail and a muted color palette.
Surrealism and the Influence of Picasso
In the 1940s, Arshile Gorky’s style began to shift towards surrealism, which was heavily influenced by his admiration for the works of Pablo Picasso. Gorky’s paintings during this period featured biomorphic shapes and abstract forms, often with a dreamlike quality. His use of vibrant colors and fluid lines also became more prominent, as he moved away from the muted tones of his earlier works. Gorky’s experimentation with surrealism would eventually lead him to develop his own unique style of abstract expressionism.
The Birth of Abstract Expressionism
Arshile Gorky’s shift towards surrealism in the 1940s marked the beginning of his journey towards abstract expressionism. His use of biomorphic shapes and abstract forms, combined with vibrant colors and fluid lines, set the stage for the development of this new artistic movement. Gorky’s unique style would go on to influence many other artists, including Jackson Pollock and Willem de Kooning, who would become key figures in the abstract expressionist movement. Gorky’s contributions to the evolution of modern art cannot be overstated, and his legacy continues to inspire artists to this day.
Curated by Jennifer
