The true artist produces not what is acceptable today, but what will be acceptable tomorrow.—James Johnson Sweeney, Director, Guggenheim Museum (1952–60)

Visit works by some “true artists” in the Guggenheim’s collection. Explore the art from after World War II that showcases artistic freedom, spontaneity, and nontraditional materials.

family activity guide

Photo CreditsJackson Pollock, Untitled (Green Silver), ca. 1949. Enamel and aluminum paint on paper mounted on canvas, 57.8 x 78.1 cm. Gift, Sylvia and Joseph Slifka 2004.63© 2012 The Pollock-Krasner Foundation/Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York

Jackson Pollock in his studio, The Springs, East Hampton,New York, April 1, 1949.Photo: Martha Holmes/Time & Life Pictures/ Getty Images

Alexander Calder, Red Lily Pads (Nenuphars rouges), 1956. Painted sheet metal and metal rods,106.7 x 510.5 x 276.9 cm. Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York 65.1737. © 2012 Calder Foundation, New York/ Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York

Yves Klein, Large Blue Anthropometry (ANT 105)(La grande Anthropometrie bleue [ANT 105]), ca. 1960 Dry pigment and synthetic resin on paper, mounted on canvas, 280 x 428 cm. Guggenheim Bilbao Museoa GBM1997.8© 2012 Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York

Final Reflection...You have seen artworks created from many different materials and in many styles from all over the world.

Which artwork is most memorable to you? Why?Sketch or write about that artwork here:

Footnotes1. Jackson Pollock, “My Painting” (1956), in Pollock Painting, ed. Barbara Rose (New York: Agrinde Publications, 1980), p. 65.2.Katharine Kuh, The Artist’s Voice: Talks with Seventeen Artists (New York: Harper and Row, 1962), p. 42.3. Yves Klein, “The Chelsea Hotel Manifesto” (1961)

The Sackler Center for Arts education is a gift of the Mortimer D. Sackler Family. Support for educational activities and/or public programs is provided in part by the Achilles Memorial Fund; Milton & Sally Avery Arts Foundation, Inc.; The Barker Welfare Foundation; The BRIM Fund; Citi Foundation; Con Edison; The Engelberg Foundation; Sidney E. Frank Foundation; Gap Foundation; Horace W. Goldsmith Foundation; Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation Education Committee; Guggenheim Partners, LLC; The Keith Haring Foundation; William Randolph Hearst Foundation; Jane A. Lehman and Alan G. Lehman Foundation; National Endowment for the Arts; New York City Department of Cultural Affairs; New York State Council on the Arts; The Hilla von Rebay Foundation; The Edmond de Rothschild Foundations; The Peter Jay Sharp Foundation; Esther Simon Charitable Trust; The Seth Sprague Educational and Charitable Foundation; United States Department of Education; and the Martha Gaines and Russell Wehrle Memorial Foundation.

ART

OF

ANO

THER

KIN

D

IN

TERN

ATIO

NA

L A

BSTR

ACTI

ON

AN

D T

HE

GU

GG

ENH

EIM

, 1949

-1960

ART OF ANOTHER KINDINTERNATIONAL ABSTRACTION AND THE GUGGENHEIM, 1949–1960

ART OF ANOTHER KINDINTERNATIONAL ABSTRACTION AND THE GUGGENHEIM, 1949–1960

The Leadership Committee for Art of Another Kind: International Abstraction and the Guggenheim, 1949-1960 is gratefuly acknowledged for its support

Look at the below photograph of Pollock working. How is it like what you imagined? How is it different?

JACKSON POLLOCKUNTITLED (GREEN SILVER), ca. 1949

Take a moment to look at this painting. How many different colors can you see?

How do you imagine the artist, Jackson Pollock, might have created Untitled (Green Silver)?

FROM THE ARTISTMy painting does not come from the easel. . . . I prefer to tack the unstretched canvas to the hard wall or the floor. . . . On the floor I am more at ease. I feel nearer, more part of the painting, since this way I can walk around it, work from the four sides and literally be in the painting.—Jackson Pollock

Take some time to watch Alexander Calder’s large red mobile, hanging over the rotunda. See if it starts moving and use three words to describe the way it moves.

ALEXANDER CALDERRED LILY PADS (NÉNUPHARS ROUGES), 1956

To describe this type of work, Calder has said, “a mobile dances in front of you.” Choreograph a dance inspired by this mobile. How will you hold your body? How fast or slow will you move?

YVES KLEINLARGE BLUE ANTHROPOMETRY (ANT 105)(LA GRANDE ANTHROPOMÉTRIE BLEUE[ANT 105]) ca. 1960

To create this painting Yves Klein used what he called “living brushes,” which were models covered in blue paint who moved on top of the paper leaving colored marks behind.

How do you imagine the “living brush” for this painting moved across this paper?

Would you want to paint with your whole body? Why or why not?How would you move to create an interesting artwork?

FROM THE ARTISTWhen I conceived [thought] of painting with the aid of living brushes, . . . the purpose of this was to be able to attain a defined and constant distance between myself and the painting during the time of creation. . . . Personally, I would never attempt to smear paint over my body and thus to become a living brush; to the contrary, I would rather put on my tuxedo and don white gloves. —Yves Klein