http://www.artstyles.org/abstract-expressionism/
What’s the difference between Expressionism and Abstract Expressionism?
also, what style/movement would you consider Francis Bacon to be? thanks.
Francis Bacon(e.g. his portrait of Pope Innocent X) another example – Edvuard Munch (The Scream) are examples of Expressionism. Exprsm is not an art movement but is often linked to two major “expressive” groups of painters in German ca 1900 Die Brücke and Der Blaue Reiter.
Expr. refers to art that expresses intense emotion and has the purpose of moving the viewer to emotional reactions. Basic characteristics of expressionism are bold co lours, distorted forms, usually two dimensional compositions without traditional perspective.
Abstract Expressionism was specifically an American post-World War II art movement which brought New York for the first time to the centre of the art world.(previously Paris)
It combined the emotional intensity and self-expression of the German Expressionists (which I have described above) with the concept of paintings without a figural subject matter. It can be loosely divided into two groups: Action Painting (e.g. Pollock) and Color Field and Hard-Edge Painting:(Rothko, Barnett, Hoffman and many more) It is also characterized by spontaneity – or appears to be – as many of the paintings did require careful planning.
http://www.huntfor.com/arthistory/C20th/absexpress.htm