Harold Rosenberg’s 1959 collection, "The Tradition of the New," redefined mid-century art criticism by introducing the concept of "Action Painting," which viewed the canvas as an arena for existential expression. While the full text is under copyright, key essays and a digital lending version are available online through academic and archive resources. Access a PDF of the foundational essay through Brooklyn College .
Furthermore, critics like Michael Fried later argued that Rosenberg’s "theatricality"—the idea that the painting is a performance—undermines the absorptive quality of modernism. By making the viewer conscious of the artist's struggle "behind" the canvas, Rosenberg arguably turns the painting into a stage prop. Harold Rosenberg The Tradition Of The New Pdf Version