Which movement is described as a style of nonrepresentational painting that blends expressionist emotion with abstract form, exemplified by Jackson Pollock?

• A. Abstract art
• B. Abstract Expressionism
• C. Surrealism
• D. Pop Art

Answer: (B)

Nonrepresentational painting that blends expressive emotion with abstract form, with Jackson Pollock as a key figure, describes Abstract Expressionism. This movement, emerging in postwar America, treats the act of painting as a path to inner feeling, prioritizing spontaneity, gesture, and the artist’s presence on the canvas. Pollock’s drip and gestural techniques embody this idea, showing emotion and energy through dynamic, sweeping motions rather than depicting recognizable subjects. While abstract art is a broad term for nonrepresentational work, Abstract Expressionism specifically captures the combination of intense personal expression and abstract composition that Pollock exemplified. Surrealism focuses on dream imagery and the unconscious, and Pop Art centers on recognizable popular imagery and consumer culture, so they don’t fit the description as precisely.