ELI5: What Is the Difference Between Abstract Art and Abstract Expressionism?

Abstract art is any artwork that does not try to look like real things from everyday life, while abstract expressionism is a special type of abstract art where the artist shows big, messy feelings through fast, energetic movements.

To understand this in everyday life, think of painting like playing with your food.

• Abstract Art is like making a cool design on your plate using shapes and colors. You might take green peas, yellow corn, and red ketchup to make lines and patterns. You are not trying to make it look like a dog, a car, or your house. It is just neat colors and shapes that exist on their own. It can be calm, neat, and carefully planned, like arranging blocks by their color.

• Abstract Expressionism is like getting super excited and splashing that ketchup all over the plate because you are full of energy. The artist does not just use shapes; they use their whole body to throw, drip, or slash paint onto the canvas. It is like stomping your feet when you are mad, or dancing wildly when you are happy. You can see the artist's action and emotion in the wild streaks of paint.

• Abstract Art is the big family of art that includes any painting that does not show real objects. It can be quiet, neat, geometric, or planned out.
• Abstract Expressionism is one wild member of that family that is all about big feelings, fast action, and energetic splashes.