de Kooning, Woman I, 1950-1952, gesturalism

painted to oppose Greenburg; inspired by women in magazines and American ads. she began as the companion and then turned into the enemy. the paint handling is both expressive and expressionistic, highlighting the subject and the artist's expression. this is also inspired by Soutine's work who was influenced by Rembrandt, and Woman I is standing on wanter. 
this is a portrait of his mother who he hated, Elaine, himself, and a commentary on how beautiful women irritate him because he can't have them.  

de Kooning, Queen of Hearts, 1943-1946, early de Kooning

this is less about our relationship with her than it is about her. we identify with her discomfort and we become her. we also then know the anguish, anxiety and terror that de Kooning felt. this female is the self, not the other. this is de Kooning using the female to express himself. the woman is tearing apart. 

de Kooning, Asheville, 1949, gesturalism

the significance is in the movement of material and how this makes the viewer feel. chaotic, loud, anxious, nervous. expressions of his anxieties, and the paintings are for himself. "painting never makes me feel peaceful or pure... i accept chaos. i am not sure it accepts me."

Clyfford Still, Untitled, 1946, Color Field

the forms are abstractions of the rugged landscape that requires a pioneer. still did not want beauty, but rather the rough and the crude, which also describe the pioneer. this is a manifestation of the essence of the artists. he believed in his manliness and in the role of a pioneer, and he wanted these paintings to liberate you and be inspired by him. the function is for you to take a likeness to him. 

Rothko, Homage to Matisse, 1953, Color Field

this refers to the role Matisse played in his mature work. Matisse inspired Rothko to use color as the language; the counterpoin is that 'Joy of Life' (the piece that inspired this work) is paradise, but Rothko's work is dark vs. light. it's clearly divided.

Newman, Cathedra, 1958, Color Field

this is meant to envelope you and numb thought. the stripe is you - small and limited. the space is the grand universe. the title indicates how you're supposed to feel. it is latin for throne - the throne of God. related to the old testament where a prophet has a vision of himself before the throne of God. Newman sought to create works that were sublime and overpoweringly dramatic.

Morris Louis, Tet, 1959, Post-painterly Abstraction

paintings purely for the eye. works that flourish in a museum as the ultimate 1.5 second paintings. purely aesthetic and completely removed from life. Greenburg had great influence over Louis, and he encouraged Louis to step away from subject matter. he was trying to find protegies outside of New York because he was hated there. 

Stella, Plum Island (Luncheon on the Grass), 1958, Post-painterly Abstraction

Greenburg claimed that with Manet's Luncheon on the Grass, that modernism began there. He assumed that Manet did not care about the subject matter because the forms began to flatten, but this is not very true. this image is a modern version of the old painting.

Stella, Die Fahne Hoch, 1959, Hardedge Minimalism

this is a painting about the painting; the hand of the artist is eliminated. depicted shapes abound, which come from the literal shape. this comes from the canvas shape as well. the outside of the canvas comes from the inside and vice versa, making the painting sealed within itself and it avoids the outside world. it is simple and definite, but it is not clear. 
die fahne hoch was also the name of the nazi marching song. this piece is insensitive. the goal was to align simple, clear and definite art with the aim of the nazi's. the aesthetic lies in the fact that it is completely unlike the world, and it takes us away from life.  

Haacke, Grass Grows, 1967, Materials and Process

the goal is to watch the grass grow. simple, clear, and definite. 

Kosuth, Box, Cube, Empty, Clear, Glass, 1970, Materials and Process

these are all of the things you can label a glass box. it was very popular with critics but bombed with the public. he was the most famous artist in this category because he was the tightest, and the goal was to try and get away from the luxury of art as a  money making good. 

Serra, One-ton Prop (House of Cards), 1969, Eccentric Minimalism

a work that's about the artist; his father worked in a shipyard with steel, he identified with steel. it's rugged, strong but dangerous. this was made for the viewer to respect the material and to respect him. 

Hesse, Hang Up, 1968, Eccentric Minimalism

there is a bandaged empty fram with a steel cable. the able is absurd, much like her view of herself. the empty frame goes with her inability to conceive, and the bandage represents the artist's insecurities. 

Diebenkorn, Girl Looking at Landscape, 1957, Bay Area New Figuration

the girl in the piece is the stand-in for you enjoying the view of the Pacific ocean. you can put yourself in her place; she is calm, nice and relaxed. there are elements of realism in the work. 

Katz, The Bather, 1959, New Figuration: New York

this is an image of the artist's wife who always wears a blank expression. this piece shows compassion to Newman but also is reductive and echoes minimalism in a way. he is trying to empty his paintings. he tries to turn the emotional volume down; it becomes quiet, empty, and separate. we are meant to understand this work in the context of New York which is not at all quiet or empty.

Morris, Untitled, 1965, Minimalism, Hard edge

this is about shape, without color. they were first used as props in a dance performance. it has personal qualities such as his associations with his past relationship with the dance choreographer. 

Neel, Pregnant Maria, 1964, New Figuration: New York

this image follows the formal tradition of the erotic female nude, but this figure counters the conceptual norm. she is the subject of the painting rather than the object. the artist is interested in character and personality, and she gains attention from the women's movement because of this.

Pearlstein, Female Nude Reclining on Bentwood Loveseat, 1974, New Figuration: New York

the nude is sleeping, and he focuses on the foot which is not ideally beautiful. the knee is also similarly highlighted. he is emphasizing the beauty against the uglier parts. the artist uses hyper realism to bring out beauty and this addresses the sophisticated art lover - the lucky few. 

Segal, Subway, 1968, New Figuration: New York

the artist emphasizes the lonliness of the subway. this piece was an installation and an expression of his own experience.

Johns, Target with Four Faces, 1955, Neo-dada

the target is hierachial, and is an all over design. there is no part of the painting that is more important thatn the other. the target represents anticipation, and it is waiting for something to happen to it, but nothing ever happens. the artist's aim is to hide, which acknowledges feeling. he wants to hide his feelings from the public, and he wants a private life. he is willing to communicate his sad feelings, but not with everyone. 

Johns, Painted Bronze, 1960, Neo-dada

this image is not for the public, but rather for the art public. this is a reference to a joke in the art world. it is art about art. this was for sale in caselli's gallery. it's an inside joke for those few that really care, and something more is there.

Johns, Souvenir, 1961, Assemblage, Neo-dada

this work shows a plate with the artist's face on it in front of a backwards-facing canvas. there is something important on the canvas, but the viewer is not meant to see it because it does not belong to us. there is a rearview mirror which shows us black paint on a backdrop, and a flashlight. the metaphor is death.

Warhol, Campbell's Soup Can (Tomato), 1962, Pop

the word camp represents gay sensibility. at this point, Warhol quit focusing on homo-erotic subjects. the art world in the 1960's was very homophobic. Warhol continued to smuggle gay subjects into his work. 'Camp' is for him. the soup can itself is a great symbol for the American supermarket. he celebrated Americana. cheap, wholesome food from America. 

Warhol, Dick Tracy, 1961, Pop

this image shows a man with a mishapen nose; Warhol hated his nose, and had image issues. the sidekick of the image is overshadowed for contrast. he strengthens the ideal qualities of a hero. this scene was chosen to exemplify the contrast between the ideal and the funny-looking. Dick Tracy himself is an extension of Warhol's beautiful boys series. above the black line is the breast of Crewy-Lou, a butch-like figure which references to lesbians. her name is both male and female, and Warhol identifies with all three figures. Crewy-Lou is also a reference to Eve, and she gets the blame for our faults. he continues to smuggle religious and homoerotic themes, and the image is for himself as he confronts what he is and what he wants. it's a sophisticated language using children's comics. 

Warhol, Elvis I and II, 1964, Pop

this is a celebration of hollywood film, especially popular hollywood film. though popular, they are entirely forgettable. this is also a celebration of stars rather than actors. the movie title was "flaming star," and the cowboy image is a popular metaphor for gays. this image satisfies the straight and the gay audience. 

Warhol, Ambulance Disaster, 1964, Pop

this is the artist transforming death into art. the images are placed separately, and we are meant to compare them for differences, where it then turns into pure form. the death is transformed into pure shapes for aesthetic numbing, where the gruesome image no longer has an effect. he is searching for emptiness, and although it does not solve the problem of death, it makes it more tolerable. this image is for the artist as a coping mechanism. 

Warhol, Mao, 1973, Pop

this image is the result of Warhol wanting to produce business works. he decided to paint Mao Zae Dong as a result of Nixon going to China and opening up relations. he uses an abstract expressionist painting style, which stands for personal expression: something Mao is against. he transforms Mao into a product of capitalism, which is a popular celebration in Warhol's work. it is funny, amusing and it is good business. 

Warhol, Last Supper, 1985, Pop

this is an image for the artist. throughout his life, he struggled with his fear of death and his sexual orientation conflicting with religion. the image shows Christ who is talking about betrayal. Christ is very forgiving, and Warhol also felt betrayed. because of his conflict between his orientation and his religious views, he did not accept communion and he did not go to confession. 

Lichtenstein, Look Mickey, 1961, Pop

critics were respectfully shocked by this piece. the artist made a careful choice with this image. 'the big one' is the artistic breakthrough and the start of a career. the subject is him in both characters; mickey is the anxiety, and donald is the ambitious artist. this work demonstrates the human psyche and the inner argument. the excitement with uncertainty softens the blow of failure. this is protection for the self; he is allowed to have his fantasy and he is protected. he has simplified the scene, changed the composition and the forms. 

Lichtenstein, Girl with Ball, 1961, Pop

this image was taken and modified from a Pocono ad promoting vacations and honeymoons. the girl has elegant, graceful curves. her expression is empty; this represents what he is doing with art. the mouth becomes form; he is sharpening and simplifying to create a classic aesthetic. she is in a way, a classical subject. she is a bather and the style is similar to that. 

Lichtenstein, Drowned Girl, 1963, Pop

the artist was inspired by the Great Wave of Kanagawa, and he believed that comic artists were very sophisticated. he does not care about the subjects, but rather the forms. purely aesthetic values abound in this work. he is continuing to flatten, tighten and simplify the forms; the irony is that the subject is not emptied because he changed the name from Mal to Brad. when this piece was created, it was during the time that he was separated from his wife. Brad was his macho alter ego, and he is playing out his romantic fantasy. he wanted women to love him like in the comics. a metanarrative about love is shown here. 

Lichtenstein, Masterpiece, 1962, Pop

this piece was completed on the eve of the artist's first big castelli exhibition. another fantasy is played out: everyone will love his show and he'll get the girl. this is created as a love comic which speaks to young women; he is referring to an adolescent fantasy and he continues to protect himself from the potential blow of failure. 

Lichtenstein, Wham!, 1963, Pop

this image has a very formal punch as a result of flattening, tightening and simplifying forms. he is going for the 'wham' effect and is trying to enhance the integrity of the original image source. this piece also represents his anger towards his ex wife, and he is playing out a revenge fantasy. he was trained as a pilot in WWII, and this fantasy is for young boys. he repeats the theme of protection in light of a fantasy. 

Wesselmann, Great American Nude #6, 1961, Pop

this artist is abstracting the Playboy nude into a high art formal interpretation. in the work are flowers in fruits, which follow the feminine tradition of nudes. the cat is a sexual pun and also references high art in regards to Manet's Olympia which also has a cat. taking the low and making it high. this is meant for a sophisticated audience, with a Modigalini reference, who was famous for painting nudes.