Abstract Expressionists

Abstract expressionism emerged as a distinct American art movement following World War II, shifting away from the social realism of the 1930s. The term was first applied to American art in 1946 by critic Robert Coates. Centered in the New York School, the movement included prominent figures such as Jackson Pollock, Mark Rothko, Willem de Kooning, Lee Krasner, Arshile Gorky, Franz Kline, Norman Lewis, Adolph Gottlieb, Clyfford Still, Robert Motherwell, Theodoros Stamos, and Jack Tworkov.