Synopsis
"Abstract Expressionism", "New York School", "'American-Type' Painting", "Action Painting" are some of the definitions of the important art movement which arose in the United States during the second world war and which gave birth to works whose main feature is a radical departure from the traditional concept of composition. This book, based on rare publications and archival documents, aims to investigate the movement's history by focussing on the role played by science in its birth and development, not only directly, but also through the mediation of the Mexican muralists and the surrealists. From this perspective, the text analyzes the way in which scientific imagery led the abstract expressionists to set off on an adventure into the unknown which prompted them to give voice to secret anxieties and private emotions, bringing their painting to the verge of formlessness.