In September, I went to the Royal Academy in London to see the Abstract Expressionist exhibition. It was as sensational as it must have been when it was first shown. The canvasses are monumental.  Abstract Expressionism was the first North American art movement. Before that, artists had been influenced by what was going on in Europe. It came out of historical events like the Great Depression, the two world wars, the possibility of atomic devastation and the Cold War. It came about just at the time that America was establishing itself as a Superpower. The exhibition featured artists like Rothko,  Jackson Pollock, de Kooning, Still, Newman and Kline, also the sculptor, David Smith.

The work is monumental in scale, but also spontaneous and deeply expressive. It is a diverse movement, as can be seen by the fact that some paintings are active or expressionistic, like Jackson Pollock with his dripping paint style, whereas others are more contemplative like Rothko. It was also Geographically diverse as the artists were not concentrated in one place but came from the East and the West coasts. The work is characterised by a freedom of expression not seen before in art and is well worth a visit.