Bay Area Figuration / Bay Area Figurative Movement

Bay Area Figuration refers to an art movement that emerged in the San Francisco Bay area beginning in the 1950s, lasted for about two decades, and is often divided into three generations. The predominant style of Abstract Expressionism is abandoned in favor of a return to figurative representation, although the works are still strongly influenced by the broad and bold brushwork of Abstract Expressionism. Characteristic motifs included genre scenes, local landscapes, and figures rendered in a bright color palette. Beginning in the 1960s, the works became increasingly idiosyncratic until they became part of the funk art movement of the San Francisco underground.