Abstract Expressionism often explored spiritual and mystical themes, seeking to convey experiences and emotions that transcended the physical world. Artists like Mark Rothko and Barnett Newman aimed to create works that evoked a sense of the sublime and the infinite. Rothko’s large-scale color fields were intended to envelop viewers, provoking profound emotional and spiritual responses. Newman’s “zips,” vertical lines running through fields of color, symbolized a moment of revelation or transcendence. These artists were influenced by various spiritual traditions, including mysticism, existentialism, and Eastern philosophies, which informed their quest to depict the ineffable aspects of human existence through abstract forms and colors.
