Essay from the year 2012 in the subject Art - History of Art, grade: 1,3, University of Essex (Art History), course: Art in the USA, language: English, abstract: Abstract Expressionism is often referred to as the most powerful original movement in the history of American art , which dominated American painting from the end of World War II. In examining its styles and themes, this essay is going to illustrate why the movement is deemed a modern and American art practice. Consindering paintings of Jackson Pollock (1912-1956), Willem de Kooning (1904-1997), Mark Rothko (1903-1970) and Barnett Newman (1905-1970), specific attention will be drawn to issues of race and gender.