"Abstract expressionism is the most important art movement since the Second World War. Because the images created by such leading figures as Jackson Pollock, Clyfford Still, Willem de Kooning and Mark Rothko were so extraordinary, it is often thought to have been a revolution in painting only, but its radical spirit extended further, encompassing the sculpture of David Smith and Aaron Siskind's photography. Along with other key figures such as Barnett Newman and Franz Kline, this group formed a nucleus united not just against the tensions of American society from the 1930s onward, but also in their aim to forge diverse new visual languages. David Anfam explores the movement in terms of its political implications and rich cultural contexts, bringing many fresh insights to the works themselves. Taking into account a wealth of scholarship, this new edition also has nearly one hundred works reproduced in color"--Back cover.