The United States has led the world art market since the middle of the twentieth century. As a result, modern and contemporary art owes a great deal to the contributions of 20th-century American artists. Let’s discuss the five most well-known American artists everyone should know.
1. Edward Hopper’s (1882-1967): The American Way of Life in Realistic and Symbolic Paintings
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Edward Hopper painted the early 20th-century American cityscape like no one other. He could elevate even the most mundane topics by imbuing them with a magical aura in his paintings.
While studying in a painting school, he was drawn to the work of Impressionists like Monet and Degas. Rather than abstract canvas paintings, Hopper liked creating customs and landscape paintings that were more lifelike. His Impressionist style is evident in his depiction of buildings at various times of the day.
2. Man Ray (1890-1976): From Dadaism to Surrealism Journey
May Ray is an artist, architect, designer, and film producer. He ranks high on the list of influential American painters and photographers. He started playing around with photography during the intellectual, literary, and artistic revolution that emerged as a response to the insanity of World War I.
In 1921, he made a serendipitous discovery of a new photography process called rayography. That entails the following method. When a piece of white, light-sensitive paper is exposed to light, the areas that aren’t obscured by the things on top become black. The ethereal shapes he acquires in his depictions make strange dreamscapes devoid of the mundane.
3. Norman Rockwell (1894–1978): Hyperrealism of the American Storyteller
Norman Rockwell’s famous magazine drawings span the time between the two world wars and the postwar era, charting American history. Then, in 1922, his life and career took a dramatic shift. He did his first painting on the cover of the illustrious Saturday Evening Post.
He used a photorealistic approach to depict the everyday lives of middle-class Americans. The artist did that with compassion and even comedy. So, he might be considered a part of the American regionalism movement. It can be seen in any typical nature painting of a rural region.
4. Jackson Pollock (1912–1956): The Forefather of Drip Art
Jackson Pollock, an American painter of Abstract Expressionism, was a pivotal inspiration to later generations of artists in his own country. Alcohol addiction began at an early age due to his unstable upbringing. However, he was profoundly affected by his first exposure to the abstract themes of a so-called “primitive” art form at the tender age of eleven, when he visited an Indian reserve.
The piece of art itself was the most crucial thing for Pollock. It’s a way for him to let go of his pent-up feelings and worries, as well as his resentment and wrath. As with performances, his action, colorful paintings focus on the process rather than the finished product.
5. Andy Warhol (1928-1987): The Pioneer of Pop Art
Andy Warhol elevated commonplace items to the level of fine art and transformed art into a commodity for the masses. His portrait paintings and photographs of stars like Marilyn Monroe may be seen hanging on the walls of the world’s top contemporary art museums.
Visuals in comic books were the first source of his imagination. His paintings on commonplace items, beginning with Campbell’s Soup Cans, gained him lasting fame. In 1962, he started employing silkscreen printing to keep up with the almost overwhelming demand. This printing method based on stencils allowed him to mass-produce his works in a wide range of vibrant colors.