THE INFLUENCE OF AMERICAN ABSTRACT EXPRESSIONISM ON SLOVENE ART OF PAINTING

Že sama ideja za izdelavo diplomske naloge z naslovom Vpliv ameriškega abstraktnega ekspresionizma na slovensko slikarstvo, ki mi jo je predlagal prof. Janez Balažic, me je vzpodbudila v smeri raziskovanja, kako in na kakšen način se je v Združenih državah Amerike razvil abstraktni ekspresionizem in kako je pozneje vplival na slovensko slikarstvo. V nalogi obravnavam vprašanja nastanka in vplivov, povezanih z razvojem ameriškega abstraktnega ekspresionizma od začetkov, okoliščinin osrednje predstavnike, ki so zaznamovali razvoj te umetniške smeri. V prvotno jedro abstraktnih ekspresionistov bi lahko šteli slikarje kot so Jackson Pollock, Franz Kline, Robert Motherwell, Willem de Kooning in Ashile Gorky. Bili so slikarji, ki jih je zanimalo slikarstvo akcije. Drugi krog abstraktnih ekspresionistov pa so sestavljali Barnett Newman, Ad Reinhardt, Mark Rothko, Clyford Still in še mnogi drugi. Njihovo slikarstvo je popolnoma abstraktno. Na njihovih delih postaja podoba ritualen, magičen, posvečen dogodek. Z vrnitvijo k ezoteričnim parametrom skušajo psihološko vplivati z enakim načinom razmišljanja, kot to na primer velja za podobe iz azijske mitologije. Drugi del diplomske naloge pa je posvečen slovenskim slikarjem, ki so slikali pod vplivom ameriškega abstraktnega ekspresionizma. V skupino slikarjev, ki so bili rojeni pred drugo svetovno vojno, bi lahko šteli Andreja Jemca in Janeza Bernika. V drugi skupini, rojeni med drugo svetovno vojno in po njej, pa Gustava Gnamuša, Tuga Sušnika, Toma Podgornika in Emerika Bernarda. Pozneje, ko je ta skupina prevzela profesorska mesta na ljubljanski Akademiji za slikarstvo in kiparstvo, pa se je pojavila mlada garda diplomantov, ki so že takoj na začetku svoje slikarske poti opozorili na svoja dela.The very idea of making the diploma thesis entitled “The Influence of American Abstract Expressionism in Slovenian Painting”, suggested to me by ProfessorJanezBalažic, encouraged me to research how and in what way abstract expressionism developed in the United States of America, and how it later influenced the Slovenian painting. The diploma addresses the emergence and influence associated with the development of American abstract expressionism from the very beginning, the circumstances of its development and main representatives who influenced its development. On one hand, painters such as Jackson Pollock, Franz Kline, Robert Motherwell, Willem de Kooning ,AshileGorky and other early abstract expressionists were interested in action painting. On the other hand, the works of painters such as Barnett Newman, Ad Reinhardt, Mark Rothko, ClyfordStillandmanyothers, are completely abstract. In their works, the image becomes a ritual, magic and sacred occurrence. They try to psychologically affect viewers by returning to the esoteric parameters, which is also observed in images from Asian mythology. The second part of the diploma is dedicated to Slovenian painters who were influencedby American abstract expressionism. Andrej Jemec in JanezBernikwere painters who were born before World War II. Gustav Gnamuš, Tug Sušnik, Tom Podgornik and Emerik Bernard were born during and after World War II. When this group took professorships at the Academy of Fine Arts and Design they gave rise to a young group of graduates who drew attention to their work at the very beginning of their career