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Milton Resnick

(Bratslav, Ukraine, 1917 - 2004, New York, New York)

Abstract Expression

1959

Oil on linen

79 1/2 x 54 1/4 x 2 1/4 in. (201.9 x 137.9 x 5.8 cm)

Collection of the Akron Art Museum

Gift of Mrs. Mary S. Huhn, Mrs. Dorothy S. Steinberg, and Mr. John F. Seiberling, Jr. in memory of their father, Mr. J. Frederick Seiberling

1964.14

More Information

A member of the New York School of Abstract Expressionist painters—a group that valued spontaneous, gestural painting that was intended to reflect the artist’s psyche—Milton Resnick toiled in obscurity for years unlike celebrated counterparts including Jackson Pollock Mark Rothko. Resnick’s use of color gives Abstract Expression—with an emphasis on dynamic, energetic brushstrokes—a fresh, even joyful presence. His application of paint—thin and watery in some areas and thicker and belabored in others—demonstrates his interest in exploiting its physical properties. The lyrical passages of color and shimmering overall effect are reminiscent of the French Impressionists, especially Claude Monet. Resnick once claimed, perhaps unconvincingly, “I am not the follower of Monet [and] I am not an Abstract Expressionist.”

Keywords
Color
Painting
American
Abstract Expressionism