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Action Painting is an expressive style of abstract art characterized by spontaneous, energetic, and gestural brushwork. It emerged in the 1940s and 1950s as a reaction against the controlled and calculated approach of other modernist art movements. Artists working in this mode sought to convey their inner emotions, feelings, and experiences through bold and dynamic mark-making, often directly applied to the canvas with large brushes, palette knives, or other implements. This form of painting emphasizes the physical act of creation, with the artist's body and movements becoming an integral part of the artwork. Action Painting is closely associated with the Abstract Expressionist movement in American art, but it has also influenced many other artists and styles around the world.