September 2013
Recent Art History: Impressionism- Present
Students in the Advanced Art Classes researched different movements in recent Art History and presented them in class. Each student entered information about each movement below.
Impressionism
The Impressionist movement began is the late 19th century with the formation of the Anonymous Society of Artists. At the time photography was on the rise and these artists strove to challenge it. Impressionism is a combination of short thick brush stroke, which was intended to relax the boundary between the subject and background. Impressionist paintings usually are made to viewed from a distance. this makes for an overall effect that photography cannot replicate. notable artist in this field include Claude Monet and Edgar Degas, who specialized in creating works centering around ballerinas. by Danielle Landau
Evenings' Moment by Robert Hagan
Soleil levant by Claude Monet
Post Impressionism
Post impressionism started in the late 1880s and lasted until the early 1900s. There were many compelling reasons why artist started working the way they did during this movement. Young artists wanted to challenge Impressionism and its ideals. They left behind the naturalism of Impressionism and instead looked for independent artistic styles for expressing emotions rather than optical impressions. Their art work consisted of themes of deep symbolism, simplified colors, and abstract works. Well known artists of the time period were Paul Gauguin, Georges Seurat, Vincent Van Gogh and Paul Cezanne. Key attributes of the movement were that each artist had their own individual style. There were no unifying characteristics rather each artist took an aspect of Impressionism and exaggerated it. They used vibrant colors and painted thickly. They had complex brush work, but exhibited individuality. Famous paintings of the time period included “A Sunday on La Grande Jatte” by Georges Seurat and “Self Portrait with a Straw Hat” by Vincent Van Gogh. This movement exhibited individualistic ideals and deeper themes. Elizabeth Knox
Georges Seurat
Sunday Afternoon on the Island of Grande Jatte, 1884-85
Sunday Afternoon on the Island of Grande Jatte, 1884-85
Vincent Van Gogh
Self-Portrait with Straw Hat
Winter 1887/88
Self-Portrait with Straw Hat
Winter 1887/88
Fauvism
Morgan Zakarin
Fauvism was a post-impressionist style of art that was popular from 1869 to 1954. The artists that had the biggest impact on Fauvism broke the trend of impressionism. Fauvism was bold, vibrant, and the pigments came right out of the tubes, giving the paintings a "simplified forms” look. Examples of the artists that influenced Fauvism were Henri Matisse, Andre Derain, Maurice De Vlamnick and George Braque. Matisse and Derain were inspired by the post-impressionist styles of Van Gogh, Gaugin, and Paul Cezanne. Braque took cubism and incorporated the style into fauvism. Fauvism introduced movement through “color planes”, and some of its key attributes were that the paintings featured portraits and street scenes and unnatural colors. The aesthetic was an expressionist movement. Fauvism, literally pronounced “foe-viz-um” was French for “Wild Beasts”. The name came from a critic, and was no form of a compliment. In the paintings, complimentary colors exaggerated a person’s facial characteristics, or a scene. Of course, the warm colors popped, and the cold colors receded. Unfortunately, the style of painting was short lived.
Fauvism was a post-impressionist style of art that was popular from 1869 to 1954. The artists that had the biggest impact on Fauvism broke the trend of impressionism. Fauvism was bold, vibrant, and the pigments came right out of the tubes, giving the paintings a "simplified forms” look. Examples of the artists that influenced Fauvism were Henri Matisse, Andre Derain, Maurice De Vlamnick and George Braque. Matisse and Derain were inspired by the post-impressionist styles of Van Gogh, Gaugin, and Paul Cezanne. Braque took cubism and incorporated the style into fauvism. Fauvism introduced movement through “color planes”, and some of its key attributes were that the paintings featured portraits and street scenes and unnatural colors. The aesthetic was an expressionist movement. Fauvism, literally pronounced “foe-viz-um” was French for “Wild Beasts”. The name came from a critic, and was no form of a compliment. In the paintings, complimentary colors exaggerated a person’s facial characteristics, or a scene. Of course, the warm colors popped, and the cold colors receded. Unfortunately, the style of painting was short lived.
Maurice De Vlaminck 'The Potato Pickers' 1905
German Expressionism
German Expressionism was part of the larger Expressionist Movement happening throughout Europe before the first World War. It reached its peak in Berlin around 1920. Artists associated with this Movement were interested in capturing emotion as you can see through the exaggerated lines in the works below. Much of the work during this time was very graphic and often utilized print making as a medium and often had dark, moody undertones.
KATHE KOLLWITZ
The People, Woodcut (1922-23)
The People, Woodcut (1922-23)
Ernst Ludwig Kirchner, Street, Berlin (1913)
The style of German Expressionism also included other arts such as dance, theater and film.
Film Still from: The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1920),
Cubism
Cubism is an abstract form of art that was created by Pablo Picasso and Georges Braque in Paris between 1907-1914. These painters did not like the idea of copying nature and they wanted to make their paintings feel more two-dimensional. They made the objects in their paintings geometric. In addition to using more geometry, they used multiple or contrasting vantage points, that created a feeling of looking from different perspectives. Common subjects in cubism were still lifes with musical instruments, bottles, pitchers, glasses, newspapers, playing cards, and the human face, not typically landscapes. Cubism was adopted by many painters which included Juan Gris and Diego Rivera. In this form of art, the subject matter is broken up and then analyzed in abstract form. The nature in cubism is the three geometric shapes of the cylinder, the sphere, and the cone.
Erica Wiener
Erica Wiener
PABLO PICASSO
'Factory, Horta de Ebbo', 1909 (oil on canvas)
'Factory, Horta de Ebbo', 1909 (oil on canvas)
Picasso The Guitar Player 1910
Futurism
The Futuristic Movement was started in the early 20th century and founded by Filippo Tommaso Marinetti. During 1909 through 1916, artists destroyed older forms of culture and demonstrated the beauty of modern life. By doing this, they included machine, technology, speed, violence and power to their works of art. Most Futuristic artists were interested in embracing popular media and new technologies to communicate their ideas. They were also inspired by Post-Impressionist ideas. Some Futuristic artists include Umberto Boccioni, Antonio Sant’Elia and Giacomo Balla. Umberto Boccioni created The City Rises (1910) and Unique Forms of Continuity in Space (1913). The City Rises demonstrates action and speed in its busy background. Unique Forms of Continuity in Space was a sculpture that was an expression of movement. Antonio Sant’Elia created La Citta Nuova (1912-1914) which demonstrated machine and technology with its advanced building structure. Giacomo Balla designed Abstract Speed and Sound (1913-1914) which is an example of speed and action due to its intense choice of color and stroke.
Gabby Accurso
Gabby Accurso
Suprematisim
Suprematism is a form of art invented by Kazimir Malevich in 1913. The main reason of its start was because Malevich wanted his artistic style to be superior to all other forms of art at that time period. Another reason that it started was because Malevich wanted to go against another art movement happening at that time, constructivism. Suprematism is the opposite of constructivism and is very anti-materialist as well as anti-utilitarian. Malevich limited his color use to black, white, red, green, and blue for the first three years of this movement. In 1916, he finally added a few more colors including brown, pink, and mauve. Many motifs were used by a variety of artists, which include squares, circles, and crosses. Shapes, sizes, and angles were key factors of how these paintings were created with a sense of depth. Few artists joined Malevich, but those who did include Kseniya Boguslavska, Ivan Klyun, Mikhail Menkov, Ivan Puni, and Olga Rozanov.
Daniela Rietti
Daniela Rietti
Painterly Realism of a Boy with a Knapsack
Kazimir Malevich
1915
Kazimir Malevich
1915
Suprematist Relief
Jean Pougny
1920s
Jean Pougny
1920s
Constructivism
Liza Hollander
The constructivism movement flourished in Russia in the 20th century. This movement hoped to abolish the traditional artistic concern with composition. Constructivism was born when Tatlin exhibited his “monument for the third international”. The biggest constructivism artist was Vladimir Tatlin, he had a non-objective subject matter. His main working were on sculptor and he put materiality onto his work. Another artist was Kasimir Malevich and he began to experiment with possibilities of 3 dimensional relief. He began to encourage artists to explore the decorative and applied arts. Lastly, Alexandra Exter brought in the sphere of design.
The constructivism movement flourished in Russia in the 20th century. This movement hoped to abolish the traditional artistic concern with composition. Constructivism was born when Tatlin exhibited his “monument for the third international”. The biggest constructivism artist was Vladimir Tatlin, he had a non-objective subject matter. His main working were on sculptor and he put materiality onto his work. Another artist was Kasimir Malevich and he began to experiment with possibilities of 3 dimensional relief. He began to encourage artists to explore the decorative and applied arts. Lastly, Alexandra Exter brought in the sphere of design.
Vladimir Tatlin, Model for the 3rd International Tower, (1919-1920)
De Stijl
De Stijl is the Dutch word for style. It is also called neoplasticism, and was predominant from 1917 to 1931. It was established by Theo Van Doesburg, a painter, sculptor, architect, poet, typographer, and lecturer. He created De Stijl magazine from 1917 to 1928. His most famous painting was called, “The Cow”, and showed the simplicity that can be created when De Stijl is applied to real life forms. Other popular painters were Piet Mondrian, Vilmos Huszar, and Bart Vander Leck. De Stijl emphasizes the utopian ideal of spiritual harmony and order, and reduced to the essentials of form and color. De Stijl focuses on primary colors, black, and white. In addition it displays vertical and horizontal lines, and squares and rectangles. De Stijl was influenced by cubism, and occurred as a response, and return to order from the chaos of World War One. De Stijl is a social message of utopia. It is the basis for windows design.
Bauhaus
Bauhaus is a form of art and architecture that was produced by Walter Gropius, and later shaped by the rest of the world. In 1919, Bauhaus came about in Weimar, Germany - a year after Gropius came up with the idea. It was originally meant to be used as a style of architecture, but later evolved into a much broader art form. The main reason artists began working this way was to combine all aspects of art into one, unifying skill to create a universal style of living. The angular and colorful designs are included in the clear, simplicity of the piece, creating a wild and bright piece but also an unpretentious and reserved work of art. Gropius intended for this to be an unusual combination, and for each viewer to have a different interpretation of his work each time they looked at it. One of the major artists of this time period (aside from Walter Gropius) was Josef Albers. Albers was of the first to teach Bauhaus under Gropius's leadership at Yale. He studied painting, writing, teaching, and most of all color theory. With the help of Albers, as well as many others, Bauhaus grew into one of the world's most appreciated art forms that is still well used and respected today.
- Bauhaus, by Alexa Maizes
- Bauhaus, by Alexa Maizes
Josef Albers
Josef Albers
Dadaism
Dadaism is an artistic movement that took place for a small amount of time from 1916 to 1923. This movement was created to rebel against something, like many other movements. Considering World War II was taking place, the artists decided they didn't want anything to do with the current society and wanted to rebel against everything, including "Common" art. Marcel Duchamp is one of the most famous Dadaist out there alone with Tristin Tzara and Hans Arp. Their art was whatever they wanted with no restrictions. There were no rules and decided they didn't want their artwork to make sence because society didnt make sense to them either at this time in history. One of the most famous Dadaist prices is titled "the fountain" and was done by Marcel Duchamp in 1917. This pice demonstrates the lack of reason in Dadaism because there really is no sense behind him using a fountain. Hans Arp has portraits with random circles placed on the persons face which is my favorite form of dadism because it feels like a rebel.
Marcel Duchamp 1917
Hans Arp 1953
Surrealism
Surrealism was a movement founded in the 1920's, and influenced both art and writing. Its primary influential period lasted until the 30's, but it continues to be extremely popular today. In terms of art, Andre Breton was the premier developer of the movement. Surrealism itself was fueled by Dadaism in Paris, and aims to resolve the previously contradictory conditions of dream and reality. It was heavily influenced by Freud and psychoanalysis; Surrealist artists believed that their paintings would prompt free association and bring their unconscious mind to the forefront. Surrealist paintings all contain similar elements. For example, most paintings include unnerving, illogical scenes that were founded on chance and spontaneity. Likewise, they all include an almost dreamlike quality, due to their unrealistic character. Popular artists from the time, other than Breton, include Rene Magritte, Salvador Dali, Max Ernst, and Joan Miro.
-Surrealism, by Lindsey Smith
-Surrealism, by Lindsey Smith
"Lange du Foyer" by Max Ernst
"The Persistence of Memory" by Salvador Dali
Abstract Expressionism
Isabella Weinshank
Abstract Expressionism started developing during the great depression in 1912. The Great Depression was a time when everything went downhill. People experienced food shortages and do to the economy, people were unemployed. Artists such as Jackson Pollock and Helen Frankenthaller decided to use their art to express how they feel visually. When looking at the paintings you not can see an event or a story, instead the action and strokes express feelings. Personally, I believe that Abstract Expressionism is such a unique and fascinating way to express oneself.
Abstract Expressionism started developing during the great depression in 1912. The Great Depression was a time when everything went downhill. People experienced food shortages and do to the economy, people were unemployed. Artists such as Jackson Pollock and Helen Frankenthaller decided to use their art to express how they feel visually. When looking at the paintings you not can see an event or a story, instead the action and strokes express feelings. Personally, I believe that Abstract Expressionism is such a unique and fascinating way to express oneself.
Autumn Rhythm, 1950
Helen Frankenthaler
Pop Art
Beginning in England from the mid-1950s to the late-1970s, the Pop Art movement was an extremely influential part of the art world's evolution. The cause of the movement was due to the end of World War II, as the artwork provided optimism after the hardships of the war. In addition to this, Pop Art challenged abstract art as it attempted to reincorporate reality into artwork. The most popular artists in the United States were Roy Lichtenstein, and Andy Warhol. The bold colors, flat imagery, and use of popular culture were key elements of their work, which main focused on celebrities, comic book scenes, and mass-produced images. The progression of art that ended the Modernist movement was necessary in order to recognize the booming entertainment industry, as well as providing hope in desperate times after the war.
Op Art
During the twentieth century, the new art form of op art, or optical art, was created. This new form of art used the repetition of simple shapes and colors to create a vibrating effect allowing the foreground-background to confusion to disorient its viewers. This illusion makes the art piece seem to have depth through manipulating the typical rules of perception to create a 3-D effect. Also, from mixing colors to create light and shadows in the piece helps confuse the viewer on separating the foreground from the background. Artists such as Victor Vasarely and Bridget Riley have created magnificent pieces of art such as Zebras (1977) by Vasarely and Descending (1965) by Bridget Riley.
By: Katelyn Kim
By: Katelyn Kim
Color Field
Color field was a movement that went on during the 1950’s. The movement was branched off of abstract impressionism but instead of focusing on brush strokes, color field focused more on the colors. Color field paintings are usually large and include bright colors and geometrical shapes. The flatness of the canvas is also emphasized. An example of a color field artist is Mark Rothko. The lines in his paintings were usually no hard and straight edged. One of his paintings is called no.3/no.13 (magenta, black, green, orange) and was painted in 1949. Another example of a color field artist is Ellsworth Kelly. His work usually includes very bright colors and hard and straight edges. One of His paintings is called Spectrum Iv and was made in 1967.
-Color Field by Taylor Liga
-Color Field by Taylor Liga
"Spectrum IV" by Ellsworth Kelly
"No.3/No.13 (Magenta, Black, Green, on Orange)" by Mark Rothko
Photorealism
Photorealism is an art movement that started in the late 1960s and is continuing on today. It is composed of paintings that are made to look exactly like photographs. Photorealism evolved from pop art and acted as a counter to abstract expressionism and minimalism, and its art cannot exist without the photograph it is based off of. Most of photorealism is based on simple objects or urban landscapes. Some major artists in this movement are Ralph Goings, Glennray Tutor, Chuck Close, and Richard Estes. Photorealism was originally an American movement but it was spread through the Prague Project, where photorealist artists travelled across the world to spread the movement.
Minimalism
Minimalism was an important and monumental movement in the history of art. It was founded during the early 1960’s, and was centered primarily in New York. Art and artists of this time were unconventional, and focused mainly on objects that were not commonly associated with art. In other words, materials used were not necessarily paint and canvas; many using things such as ply wood or scrap metal. Artists of minimalism stressed a “lack of meaning” in their artwork. Rather then creating analysis-lending pieces, the art aimed to evoke feeling based on the interaction one had with what they saw. Because of this, minimalism in a way was the first time the impressiveness of the art was directly related to the space and way in which it was shown to the public. Minimalism also retaliated against abstract expressionism, crafting pieces that transcended the notion of self-expression, the importance of the medium, and the indication of any planned out composition. Some of the most valued artists of this time were Donald Judd, Robert Smithson, and Frank Stella. Without minimalism, the course of art history would be incredibly different, possibly lacking important risk and originality.
By: Hannah Mook
Citations:
Wolf, J.. N.p.. Web. 23 Sep 2013. <http://www.theartstory.org/movement-minimalism.htm>.
anonymous, . N.p.. Web. 23 Sep 2013. <http://wwar.com/masters/movements/minimalism.html>.
By: Hannah Mook
Citations:
Wolf, J.. N.p.. Web. 23 Sep 2013. <http://www.theartstory.org/movement-minimalism.htm>.
anonymous, . N.p.. Web. 23 Sep 2013. <http://wwar.com/masters/movements/minimalism.html>.
Land Art
Land art is a form of art that is created in nature; using all natural materials. Usually, land art pieces cannot be placed in museums or galleries due to the fact that they are stuck somewhere on the earth and aren't movable. The only way to see them is through photographs, unless of course you go visit them at their locations. They are usually created out in the open somewhere far from civilization. Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, and Arizona, states with a lot of empty space, are prime locations for land art to be created. Also, it is most common in the United States than any other country. Land art started in the 1960's and simmered down with the death of Robert Smithson, who some say was the “leader” of the movement. It is certainly still around today but not as prominent as it was in that decade. Robert Smithson, Richard Long, Michael Heizer, Andy Goldsworthy, James Turrell, and Alan Sonfist are just a few successful land artists. “Sprial Jetty” by Robert Smithson is by far the most famous piece of land art for its absolutely astonishing features.
Installation Art
Most people view art as something collectable- something you can frame and hang in your house and see every single day. There is one art movement of the 70’s, however, that challenged this mindset- and that is installation art. Installation Art, rooted in conceptual art, uses sculptural materials, natural materials, and media to modify an interior space. Some artists even use sound, video, and virtual reality. Usually, these pieces cannot be moved or collected, because the room is a part of the piece. Installation Art lets you submerge yourself in the piece- almost like a 4D art medium. It heightens the viewer’s awareness and perception- only natural, of course, when surrounded by bright fun-fair like colors, spiraling elements, and tense yet organic spaces. Installation art is specific to its site and works around the room to turn an ordinary space into a work of art. An extremely influential artist of installation art, Judy Pfaff, truly expresses the key elements of this movement. Her art including extravagant spiraling structures that combined architecture, landscape, and color. Her works were described as “pierc[ing] through walls, careen[ing] through the air” (PBS). Several of her pieces have been made into set designs that captivate the audience, and she has won multiple awards for her unsettling but beautiful works. Many successful artists followed her steps, such as Marcel Duchamp, Kurt Schwitters, Bill Viola, Donald Judd, and Christo. Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama is also a very famous installation artist. Her works are known for their psychedelic color patterns, minimalism, and pop art tones. Kusama’s art was a part of feminist art movements. She even inspired Andy Warhol and Claes Oldenburg with her unique pieces. Her thinking paved a path for other artists to elaborate on, which influenced the installation art of the 70’s that we appreciate today. Two other notable artists are Sandy Skoglund and Sarah Sze. Sandy Skoglund created surrealist pieces by using sets and tableaux (actors or models), colored furniture and other objects as well. Her most known work is Radioactive Cats. Sarah Sze is an artist who used her talent in sculpting along with her installation pieces. Her works penetrate walls, hang from ceilings, and even go underground. Her installations are huge yet site-specific. Her works have been described as gravity defying. These influential artists have fueled the movement that still continues today. The breakaway from traditional art connected the artist, the viewer, and the environment together as one.By Jordan Cohen
Citations:
"Installation Art." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 19 Aug. 2013. Web. 11 Sept. 2013.
Hutton, David. "Art Movements." David Hutton. N.p., 15 Jan. 2009. Web. 11 Sept. 2013.
"Installation Art." TalkTalk. Helicon Publishing, n.d. Web. 11 Sept. 2013.
“Judy Pfaff.” PBS. PBS, n.d. Web. 11 Sept. 2013.
"Sandy Skoglund." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 24 Aug. 2013. Web. 12 Sept. 2013.
"Sarah Sze." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 22 Aug. 2013. Web. 12 Sept. 2013.
Pfaff, Judy. BQE. Digital image. Abstract Art in the Era of Global Conceptualism. Old Mill Books, 28 May 2013. Web. 12 Sept. 2013.
Skoglund, Sandy. The Cocktail Party. Digital image. Museum of the Street Art. Adria Baquer, 30 May 2011. Web. 12 Sept. 2013.
Sze, Sarah. Tilting Planet. Digital image. Night (and Days) on the Toon (newcastle). N.p., 17 Aug. 2009. Web. 12 Sept. 2013.
"Yayoi Kusama." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 09 Jan. 2013. Web. 12 Sept. 2013.
Citations:
"Installation Art." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 19 Aug. 2013. Web. 11 Sept. 2013.
Hutton, David. "Art Movements." David Hutton. N.p., 15 Jan. 2009. Web. 11 Sept. 2013.
"Installation Art." TalkTalk. Helicon Publishing, n.d. Web. 11 Sept. 2013.
“Judy Pfaff.” PBS. PBS, n.d. Web. 11 Sept. 2013.
"Sandy Skoglund." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 24 Aug. 2013. Web. 12 Sept. 2013.
"Sarah Sze." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 22 Aug. 2013. Web. 12 Sept. 2013.
Pfaff, Judy. BQE. Digital image. Abstract Art in the Era of Global Conceptualism. Old Mill Books, 28 May 2013. Web. 12 Sept. 2013.
Skoglund, Sandy. The Cocktail Party. Digital image. Museum of the Street Art. Adria Baquer, 30 May 2011. Web. 12 Sept. 2013.
Sze, Sarah. Tilting Planet. Digital image. Night (and Days) on the Toon (newcastle). N.p., 17 Aug. 2009. Web. 12 Sept. 2013.
"Yayoi Kusama." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 09 Jan. 2013. Web. 12 Sept. 2013.
Yayoi Kusama
Sandy Skoglund 1992