Iconography: Abstract Expressionism and Neo-Expressionism

OBJECT COMPARISON
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Iconography is a field that deals with the description, identification, interpretation, and classification of themes, symbols, and subject matter in the visual arts. The use of such imagery by an artist can also be referred to as iconography. In art, iconography helps avoid the possibility of ambiguity as well as open interpretation. To further convey their messages, artists also use different styles and symbols. Moreover, the message passed by the artist can largely be affected by various political and cultural situations surrounding them. To further understand these elements of art, this paper will compare and contrast two works of art; Autumn Rhythm and To The Unknown Painter.
Autumn Rhythm is a painting by Jackson Pollock. The enamel paint on canvas piece was created in 1950. Abstract expressionism is a dominant style. During this period of his career, Pollock worked on unprimed canvas that was laid on the floor. The paint was then poured using sticks or from cans. Heavily loaded brushes were used to control the stream of paint. The pour and drip technique that the artist used largely redefined painting and drawing. The painting exemplifies the excellence in which the artist managed to strike the delicate balance between accident and control using the new pour and drip technique. Using brown, white, and turquoise lines to create complex visual sensations and rhythms. Textual passages such as pooled swirls and overlapping lines enhance the complexity of the painting. Though the imagery is nonrepresentational in the painting, the title of the painting, its coloring, sense of space, and ground as well as the horizontal orientation of Autumn Rhythm add to its evocative nature. By embracing a new technique of painting, Pollock symbolized the need of the American society to get an identity and fill the void that had been left by World War II.
To The Unknown Painter is an oil, latex, emulsion, acrylic, and shellac painting by Anselm Kiefer created in 1983. The subject of the painting is probably a concentration camp building. Smoke can be seen rising from the background. The horizon consists of dark colors while browns, whites, and reds are used to color the surrounding columns. The thin pedestal supporting a palette at the center of the painting bears a sim...