Famous American Abstract Painters

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Jackson Pollock

(American Abstract Expressionist Artist Known for His ‘Drip Technique’ Work)

Birthdate: January 28, 1912

Sun Sign: Aquarius

Birthplace: Cody, Wyoming, United States

Died: August 11, 1956

Abstract Expressionist artist Jackson Pollock pioneered the drip technique or action painting, which involved moving his whole body to paint on a horizontal surface. Unfortunately, he struggled with alcoholism and died in a car accident, while drunk driving. He inspired a Pulitzer Prize-winning biography and the 2000 film Pollock.

Mark Rothko

(American Painter Known or His Abstract Expressionism and Color Field Paintings)

Birthdate: September 25, 1903

Sun Sign: Libra

Birthplace: Daugavpils, Latvia

Died: February 25, 1970

Considered part of the New York school of painters of the 1940s, Mark Rothko was best known for his signature color field paintings, consisting of vertically set rectangular patches of color. A significant figure of the Abstract Expressionist movement, he also experimented with murals and mythological themes.

Robert De Niro Sr.

(Abstract Expressionist Painter & Father of Robert De Niro)

Birthdate: May 3, 1922

Sun Sign: Taurus

Birthplace: Syracuse, New York, United States

Died: May 3, 1993

Robert De Niro Sr. was an American abstract expressionist artist best known as the father of the famous actor Robert De Niro. De Niro Sr. exhibited his paintings in museums and galleries across the United States of America. He also taught at several art schools including the New York Studio School of Drawing, Painting and Sculpture.

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Roy Lichtenstein

(American Pop Artist Who Became a Major Figure in the New Art Movement During the 1960s)

Birthdate: October 27, 1923

Sun Sign: Scorpio

Birthplace: Manhattan, New York, U.S.

Died: September 29, 1997

Roy Lichtenstein was an American pop artist who became a major figure in the new art movement during the 1960s alongside artists like Andy Warhol and James Rosenquist. Among his most famous works are Drowning Girl and Whaam! Roy Lichtenstein was honored with the prestigious National Medal of the Arts in 1995.

Lee Krasner

(American Abstract Expressionist Painter Who Specialized in Collage)

Birthdate: October 27, 1908

Sun Sign: Scorpio

Birthplace: Brooklyn, New York, United States

Died: June 19, 1984

Lee Krasner was an American abstract expressionist artist who specialized in collage. She is credited with influencing the artwork of her husband, Jackson Pollock. The Museum of Modern Art held a retrospective exhibition of Lee Krasner's work six months after her demise, making her one of the few female artists to have achieved such an honor.

Arshile Gorky

(A Leading American Painter of 20th Century and a Founding Father of Abstract Expressionism)

Birthdate: April 15, 1904

Sun Sign: Aries

Birthplace: Khorgom, Vilayet of Van, Ottoman Empire

Died: July 21, 1948

Willem de Kooning

(Dutch-Born American Abstract Expressionist Artist)

Birthdate: April 24, 1904

Sun Sign: Taurus

Birthplace: Rotterdam, Netherlands

Died: March 19, 1997

Willem de Kooning was a Dutch-American artist and one of the most famous practitioners of abstract expressionism of his generation. One of the 20th century's best-known artists, de Kooning is noted for paintings, such as Woman III (1953) and Interchange (1955). Many of his paintings have been sold for record prices.

Josef Albers

(Artist and Educator Best Known for His Work as an Abstract Painter and a Theorist)

Birthdate: March 19, 1888

Sun Sign: Pisces

Birthplace: Bottrop, Germany

Died: March 25, 1976

German-born painter, artist, and art teacher Josef Albers initially experimented with colored-glass art, furniture design, and metal art, and later pioneered innovative styles of art such as Color Field painting and Op art. His best-known work, Homage to the Square, consists of a series of superimposed squares.

Robert Motherwell

(One of the Major Artists Whose Work Defined American Abstract Expressionism)

Birthdate: January 24, 1915

Sun Sign: Aquarius

Birthplace: Aberdeen

Died: July 16, 1991

Franz Kline

(Abstract Expressionist Artist)

Birthdate: May 23, 1910

Sun Sign: Gemini

Birthplace: Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, United States

Died: May 13, 1962

Hans Hofmann

(American Painter Known for His Role in the Development of Abstract Expressionism)

Birthdate: March 21, 1880

Sun Sign: Aries

Birthplace: Weissenburg in Bayern, Germany

Died: February 17, 1966

Mostly hailed as an influential art teacher, Hans Hofmann was also a great artist and a pioneer in the use of improvisatory techniques. Born in Germany, he migrated to USA after Nazis came to power. There he opened his own school and moving away from Expressionistic landscapes developed totally an abstract manner, paving the way for Abstract Expressionism.

Elaine de Kooning

(Distinguished Landscape and Portrait Artist Active in Abstract Expressionist and Figurative Expressionist Movements)

Birthdate: March 12, 1918

Sun Sign: Pisces

Birthplace: Brooklyn, New York, U.S

Died: February 1, 1989

Larry Rivers

(American Artist, Filmmaker and Musician Who is Regarded as the Godfather of Pop Art)

Birthdate: August 17, 1923

Sun Sign: Leo

Birthplace: The Bronx, New York, United States

Died: August 14, 2002

Larry Rivers was an American artist, filmmaker, musician, and occasional actor. Widely regarded as the godfather of pop art, Rivers pioneered the merging of non-narrative and non-objective art with objective and narrative abstraction. In 2002, the Corcoran Gallery of Art held a retrospective exhibition of Larry Rivers' work.

Carmen Herrera

(American Abstract Painter, Minimalist Visual Artist and Painter)

Birthdate: May 31, 1915

Sun Sign: Gemini

Birthplace: Havana, Cuba

Died: February 12, 2022

Born to journalist parents, who were both part of the Cuban intellectual sphere, Carmen Herrera received elite art education in Paris. The political unrest in Cuba forced her to leave her architecture studies incomplete and move to the U.S. She later established herself as a master painter of abstract art.

Kenneth Noland

(American Painter Best Known For His Color Field Paintings)

Birthdate: April 10, 1924

Sun Sign: Aries

Birthplace: Asheville, North Carolina, U.S.

Died: January 5, 2010

Kenneth Noland was an American painter best remembered for his color field paintings. He is credited with establishing an art movement called the Washington Color School. Kenneth Noland's artworks influenced Alexander Julian's coloring and designs in his knitwear.

Ray Eames

(American Designer and Artist)

Birthdate: December 15, 1912

Sun Sign: Sagittarius

Birthplace: Sacramento, California, United States

Died: August 12, 1988

Ray Eames was an American designer and artist who made pioneering contributions in the fields of graphic design, architecture, film, and textile design. She is best remembered for establishing the Eames Office along with her husband Charles Eames. Ray and Charles Eames are regarded as one of the most influential and popular designers of the 20th century.

Adolph Gottlieb

(American Sculptor, Printmaker, and Abstract Expressionist Painter)

Birthdate: March 14, 1903

Sun Sign: Pisces

Birthplace: New York City, New York, United States

Died: March 4, 1974

Adolph Gottlieb was an American sculptor, printmaker, and abstract expressionist painter. He is credited with designing and supervising the construction of a large stained glass façade in 1954 for New York City's Milton Steinberg Center. Adolph Gottlieb was the first American artist to be honored with Brazil's Gran Premio of the São Paulo Bienale in 1963.

Mark Tobey

(American Painter and Founder of the 'Northwest School')

Birthdate: December 11, 1890

Sun Sign: Sagittarius

Birthplace: Centerville, Wisconsin, United States

Died: April 24, 1976

Mark Tobey was an American painter whose densely structured compositions resemble Abstract expressionism. Widely recognized throughout Europe and the USA, Tobey is credited with founding the Northwest School. Over the course of his illustrious career, Mark Tobey was honored with several prestigious awards, including the Guggenheim International Award in 1956.

Grace Hartigan

(American Painter Who Helped Popularize Abstract Expressionism During the 1950s and 1960s)

Birthdate: March 28, 1922

Sun Sign: Aries

Birthplace: Newark, New Jersey, United States

Died: November 15, 2008

Grace Hartigan was an American painter. An important member of the New York School, Hartigan helped popularize abstract expressionism during the 1950s and 1960s. Today, many of her paintings are displayed in institutions and museums like the Museum of Modern Art and the Smithsonian American Art Museum. Grace Hartigan is credited with influencing numerous young artists.

Arthur Dove

(The First Abstract Painter from America)

Birthdate: August 2, 1880

Sun Sign: Leo

Birthplace: Canandaigua, New York, United States

Died: November 23, 1946

Arthur Dove was an American artist who is widely regarded as the first abstract painter from America. He is best remembered for using unconventional combinations to create his abstractions. Among his best known works is Me and the Moon, which is a fine example of his abstract landscape.

Paul Jenkins

(One of the Distinguished Painters Whose Work Defined American Abstract Expressionism)

Birthdate: July 12, 1923

Sun Sign: Cancer

Birthplace: Kansas City, Missouri, United States

Died: June 9, 2012

Stanton Macdonald-Wright

(American Artist Known for Co-founding the ‘Synchromism’ Art Movement with Fellow Artist Morgan Russell)

Birthdate: July 8, 1890

Sun Sign: Cancer

Birthplace: Charlottesville, Virginia, United States

Died: August 22, 1973

Jane Freilicher

(American Painter Who Belonged to the Representational Movement)

Birthdate: November 29, 1924

Sun Sign: Sagittarius

Birthplace: Brooklyn, New York, United States

Died: December 9, 2014

While she initially focused on Abstract Expressionism, American painter Jane Freilicher later switched her focus to still lifes, especially of flowers. Known as a pioneer of painterly realism, she is known for her iconic works such as Bouquets. She was part of the New York School and the Representational movement.

I. Rice Pereira

(American Abstract Painter and Poet)

Birthdate: August 5, 1902

Sun Sign: Leo

Birthplace: Chelsea, Massachusetts, United States

Died: January 11, 1971

Initially a stenographer, American painter I. Rice Pereira later established herself as a prominent name in abstract painting. A major pillar of the Bauhaus movement, she was well-acquainted with many painters and authors and even wrote extensively on topics such as space and time.

Jack Tworkov

(Abstract Expressionist Painter)

Birthdate: August 15, 1900

Sun Sign: Leo

Birthplace: Biala Podlaska, Poland

Died: September 4, 1982

Jack Tworkov was an American painter who helped popularize abstract expressionism during the 1950s. Counted among the most influential and important artists of his generation, Jack Tworkov's gestural paintings produced during the early 1950s helped form the foundation for the famous abstract expressionist movement in the USA.

Esteban Vicente

(American Painter Best Known for His Abstract Expressionist Paintings and Collages That Seem to Pulsate with Light)

Birthdate: January 20, 1903

Sun Sign: Aquarius

Birthplace: Turégano, Spain

Died: January 10, 2001

Esteban Vicente was a Spanish-American painter. The son of an army man, he was expected to follow in his father’s footsteps. However, he quit military school to become an artist and enrolled at the Real Academia de Bellas Artes. He was successful in his artistic career and became one of the first generations of New York School abstract expressionists.

Conrad Marca-Relli

(American Artist Who Belonged to the Early Generation of the New York School)

Birthdate: June 5, 1913

Sun Sign: Gemini

Birthplace: Boston, Massachusetts, United States

Died: August 29, 2000

A major figure of abstract expressionism, American painter Conrad Marca-Relli belonged to the first generation of the New York School. The son of Italian immigrant parents, he grew up to teach painting at institutes such as Yale. He was known for his large-scale collages and white-on-white productions.

Robert Arthur Goodnough

(Noted Abstract Expressionist Painter Whose Later Works Were Also Associated with Color Field Movement)

Birthdate: October 23, 1917

Sun Sign: Libra

Birthplace: Cortland, New York, United States

Died: October 2, 2010

Ethel Schwabacher

(Abstract Expressionist Painter)

Birthdate: May 20, 1903

Sun Sign: Taurus

Birthplace: New York, New York, United States

Died: November 25, 1984

Ethel Schwabacher was an American abstract expressionist painter whose artworks are still appreciated for their finesse despite being subjected to gender politics. Many of her works have been exhibited at museums and galleries like The Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, the Anita Shapolsky Gallery, and the Brooklyn Museum of Art.