Articles

Mark Rothko

Albert Irvin RA, Sky

RA Recommends

7 years ago

“Like a bomb going off”: how Albert Irvin found abstraction

In the 1950s when British painter Albert Irvin RA caught a glimpse of the explosive New York Abstract Expressionism scene, he abandoned his still-lifes and began conjuring pure sensation and emotion on his canvases. A new show at Whitford Fine Art looks at these early forays into abstract work.
Illustration by Bobby Evans

RA Exhibitions

8 years ago

“We didn’t think it was a movement” – meet the 1940s critics of Abstract Expressionism

Seeking advice as she co-curated our Abstract Expressionism exhibition, Edith Devaney went to New York to meet Dore Ashton and Irving Sandler – two commentators who championed the likes of Mark Rothko and Willem de Kooning, and entertained them in their kitchens.
Installation view of the Central Hall in the Abstract Expressionism exhibition, at the Royal Academy of Arts, London

RA Exhibitions

8 years ago

Video: Abstract Expressionists in 60 seconds

Got a minute? In these short videos, the RA’s Artistic Director introduces five of the key figures of Abstract Expressionism.
Paintbrushes

RA Exhibitions

> 8 years ago

Quiz: which Abstract Expressionist are you?

Are you a sensible socialite or a bar brawler? Are you ruled by ideals or impulses? Take the quiz to find your kindred Abstract Expressionist spirit, as its biggest characters take over our galleries.

RA Exhibitions

> 8 years ago

Ten 1950s artist hangouts to visit in New York

The fabled Cedar Tavern might be long gone, but there are still plenty of Greenwich Village spots where you can grab a coffee, or something stronger, in the New York of Jackson Pollock, Mark Rothko and friends.