The term "Abstract Imagists" originated from a significant 1961 exhibition at the Guggenheim Museum, New York, which investigated new tendencies in American painting and sculpture. This group, though diverse, was characterized by artists like Josef Albers, Barnett Newman, Mark Rothko, and Adolph Gottlieb, who aimed to convey symbolic content through "dramatic statement of isolated and highly simplified elements."
Artists achieved this striking simplification through various methods, including the use of geometric forms, bold, unified color shapes, intricate surface textures, or prominent isolated signs. This movement represented a fascinating exploration of how a reduced visual language could evoke profound meaning, marking a distinct tendency within the broader American abstract tradition.