Western painting critic Robert Coates. Abstract expressionism, Action painting, and Color Field painting are synonymous with the New York School. Technically Surrealism was an important predecessor for Abstract expressionism with its emphasis on spontaneous, automatic or subconscious creation. Jackson Pollock's dripping paint onto a canvas laid on the floor is a technique that has its roots in the work of André Masson. Another important ear<nowiki>ly m</nowiki>anifestation of what came to be abstract expressionism is the work of American Northwest artist Mark Tobey, especially his "white writing" canvases, which, though generally not large in scale, anticipate the "all over" look of Pollock's drip
Fractal expressionism paint onto the canvas. Taylor points to two aspects of Pollock's painting process that have the potential to introduce fractal patterns. The first is Pollock's motion as he moved around the canvas, which Taylor hypothesized followed a Levy flight, a type of chaotic motion that is known to leave behind a fractal pattern. More specifically, a number of studies have shown that the motions associated with human balance have fractal characteristics. The second source of chaos could be introduced through Pollock's pouring technique. Falling fluid has the capability of changing from a non-chaotic to a chaotic flow, meaning that Pollock