Where to see (and paint) abstract expressionism in Tampa Bay in 2019
January 8, 2019 - Jennifer Ring for Creative Loafing Tampa Bay
Maybe you've never heard of abstract expressionism, but I bet you've heard of Jackson Pollock. The American artist achieved fame in the 1950s for splattering paint on canvas. But there's a lot more to abstract expressionism than paint splatter and Jackson Pollock.
Abstract expressionists, like the surrealists, were trying to tap into their subconscious when creating art. Unlike the surrealists, abstract expressionists removed all traces of a subject from their paintings, leaving only a frenzied hodgepodge of paint and emotion.
Abstract expressionist paintings were more wild and untamed than anything the art world had seen before. This winter and spring, you can see some abstract expressionist paintings for yourself at one of four different Tampa Bay area art institutions.
Don't miss your chance to experience America's most innovative and underappreciated art movement.
The Museum of Fine Arts in St. Petersburg
The Museum of Fine Arts is currently showing artwork by Sarasota's Syd Solomon. Solomon is locally well-known for helping launch the Sarasota arts scene in the 1950s. He moved to Sarasota after World War II, in 1946, hoping the warmer climate would be better for his war-acquired frostbite. According to his son, Michael Solomon, Syd Solomon's studio home rapidly became a gathering spot for artists and writers in Sarasota. Gather at the Museum of Fine Arts before January 20 to see a sampling of his work.
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