From Jackson Pollock to Stanley Whitney: Parrish Traces 80 Years of Abstract Expressionism on the East End

“Abstract Expressionism: The East End, 1940 to Today” brings together generations of artists shaped by the region, with a curator-led tour coming in October

The East End didn’t simply attract some of the biggest names in postwar American art. It helped shape what they created.

A major new exhibition at the Parrish Art Museum traces that history across more than 80 years, from Jackson Pollock and Lee Krasner’s arrival in Springs to contemporary artists who continue to push the possibilities of gestural painting today.

Joanna Pousette-Dart (American, b. 1947). Untitled (From the Beatus Group), 1987, acrylic on canvas on two panels, 50 x 80 in. Parrish Art Museum, Water Mill, N.Y., Gift of Kay R. Lowe, 2003.2.

Abstract Expressionism: The East End, 1940 to Today, on view through Feb. 14, 2027, draws primarily from the Parrish’s permanent collection to explore the extraordinary concentration of artists who lived and worked on the East End — and the influence the region had on one of the most consequential movements in American art.

Pollock and Krasner: The Beginning of the Abstract Movement

The story begins in the 1940s, when Pollock and Krasner established their home and studio in Springs in 1945. Their move helped set in motion an artistic migration east from New York City that would transform the cultural identity of the South Fork.

Pollock and Krasner encouraged Willem and Elaine de Kooning to stay with them in Springs during the summer of 1948 and also urged artists James Brooks and Charlotte Park to make the move from New York. Brooks and Park followed in 1949.

Claude Lawrence (American, b. 1944). Even More, 2002, gouache on paper, 12 x 18 in. Parrish Art Museum, Water Mill, N.Y., Gift of Auldlyn Higgins Williams and E.T. Williams, Jr., 2013.13.2.

The exhibition brings together work by first- and second-generation Abstract Expressionists including Mary Abbott, Brooks, Elaine de Kooning, Perle Fine, Helen Frankenthaler, Gertrude Greene, Krasner, Joop Sanders and Esteban Vicente, with an emphasis on paintings created while the artists were living and working on the East End.

But the Parrish takes the story well beyond the movement’s celebrated midcentury years.

Suzanne McClelland (American, b. 1959). CUTS (forNever), 2023, polymer and oil on linen, 84 x 72 in. Parrish Art Museum, Water Mill, New York, Gift of the Artist, 2024.8.

The Evolution of Abstract Expressionism

Works by Willem de Kooning, John Opper, Betty Parsons, Joanna Pousette-Dart and Syd Solomon chart how abstraction evolved through the 1970s and ’80s. The exhibition then moves into the 1990s and the present with artists including Marina Adams, Mary Heilmann, Claude Lawrence, Suzanne McClelland, Pat Steir, Stanley Whitney and Frank Wimberley.

Together, the works make the case for the East End not simply as a backdrop to Abstract Expressionism’s history, but as a place where its influence has continued across generations.

Mary Abbott (American, 1921–2019). Kenscoff Mountains, ca. 1950, watercolor and gouache on paper, 26 x 19 in. Parrish Art Museum, Water Mill, N.Y., Gift of Dr. John E. Hunt and Carol Hunt, 2012.20.1.

Coming Up: Curator-Led Tour

For those who missed opening weekend — or want a deeper look at the exhibition — Parrish Associate Curator Kaitlin Halloran, who organized the show, will lead a curator-led tour on Friday, Oct. 23, at 3 p.m.

Halloran will guide visitors through the exhibition and its exploration of the artists, relationships and East End communities that helped Abstract Expressionism take root and evolve here.

Pat Steir (American, b. 1940). Triptych Sparkle, 2008, hand-painted monoprint on paper; 3 units, 72 x 72 in. Parrish Art Museum, Water Mill, New York, Gift of Laurence M. Rundie in memory of Mark N. Humphrey, 2020.10.

If You Go

What: Abstract Expressionism: The East End, 1940 to Today
Where: Parrish Art Museum, Water Mill
On view: Through Feb. 14, 2027
Curator-led tour: Friday, Oct. 23, 3 p.m.
Curator: Kaitlin Halloran, associate curator and publications manager
More information: parrishart.org

The exhibition is part of the Parrish Art Museum’s USA250: Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness, a yearlong series marking the nation’s 250th anniversary and examining American history, culture and ideas of liberty through the work of artists with ties to the region.

 

Angela LaGreca

Editor, Co-Founder/Publisher

Angela LaGreca, Editor-in-chief and co-Founder/Publisher of Spark Hamptons, is a four-time Emmy Award-winning journalist, producer, writer and comedian/host. Her TV credits include NBC’s “Today,” ABC’s “The View,” and, most recently, the primetime cable news program “Cuomo” on NewsNation. On the East End, she was the Creative Director at LTV, VP Features/Events/Photo Editor at Dan’s Papers, and has performed at Guild Hall, Bay Street Theater and the WHBPAC. Her publishing career began at Modern Photography, where she was managing editor. LaGreca lives in Manhattan and East Hampton and can be reached at angelatvmedia@gmail.com and angela@sparkhamptons.com .