“During World War II, it became nonsensical to get involved in painting men playing violins, or cellos, or flowers,”1 reflected Barnett Newman, as he rationalised the value of the (then) unappreciated abstract movement. Today, as we witness the escalation of regional conflicts in Africa, Eastern Europe or the Middle East, Newman s words resonate with renewed significance. In an era teetering on the brink of global conflict, abstract art emerges as a more fitting artistic expression reflective of contemporary world affairs.
In September 2016, the Royal Academy of Arts will present the first major exhibition of Abstract Expressionism to be held in the UK in almost six decades. With over 150 paintings, .