The 1950s

The 1950s are marked by several different artistic trends: spontaneous painting, CoBrA art, Tachism, Constructive painting, Abstract painting, Abstract Expressionism and Op Art are just some of the period's formal experiments. The spontaneous Abstract painters returned to earlier "-isms", such as Lyrical Realism and Surrealism, but some painters also made a foray into Constructive art. Imagination is expected to play a major role in art, which should not merely be a reflection of reality, social life or the psyche. Asger Jorn's painting The Right of the Eagle is an excellent example of a spontaneous, action-packed, Expressionistic work. Ole Schwalbe's Composition does not share the same aggression. It is a piece of Concrete art: non-figurative, as one can see in its clearly-defined shapes, surfaces and colours.