Modern movements: Realism

• Artworks from this period often depict realistic figures with psychological depth.
• Common artistic characteristics include individualism, exoticism, emphasis on emotions
• There is a revival of Gothic elements.

The Modern Period

• This movement provides endless opportunities for artists and enthusiasts, leading to advancements in sculptural mediums.
• There was a revolutionary shifts in sculptural techniques, subjects, and materials.
• Art movements of this period are Cubism, Futurism, Constructivism, Surrealism, and Dadaism.
• The primary aim was to appeal to the public.
• Artworks are typically innovative, free-style, figurative, and sometimes confusing.

Realism

• Realism started in France, and was adopted by artists who aimed to depict contemporary subjects realistically.
• It began in the 1850s after the 1848 Revolution
• Realism is known as the first modern art movement, breaking away from traditional art, writing, and social norms.
• Artworks provide a truthful and objective view of modern life.
• Famous Realists:
  • Gustave Courbet: A leading French Realist painter known for “YOUNG LADIES OF THE VILLAGE” and “THE STONE BREAKERS”.
  • Winslow Homer: An American landscape painter and printmaker, known for “THE BLUE BOAT”.
  • Edward Hopper: Known for “NIGHT HAWKS”, “AUTOMAT”, and “SELF PORTRAIT”.

Impressionism

• Impressionism focuses on capturing the effects of experience on artists' and perceivers' minds.
• The movement started in Paris, named after Claude Monet's “Impression, sunrise”.
• Artists used photography to inform their pieces, capturing fleeting moments of natural light
• Paintings feature visible brush strokes, a free style, common subject matter, and unusual angles, also new tools that were portable.

Impressionist Artists

• Oscar Claude Monet: Founder of French Impressionist painting, famous for “WATER LILIES” and “THE JAPANESE FOOTBRIDGE".
• Vincent Van Gogh: A major impressionist painter known for “THE STARRY NIGHT” and “THE POTATO EATERS”.
• Pierre-Auguste Renoir: Key influencer known for "PONT NEUF" and "BY THE SEASHORE".
• Edgar Degas: A founder of Impressionism, known for “LITTLE DANCER OF FOURTEEN YEARS” and “BALLET REHEARSAL”.

Post-Impressionism

• Post-Impressionism emerged after Impressionism, marking the start of modern art
• It consists of diverse artistic styles with a focus on foreign cultures, South African cultures, vivid colors, thick paint, geometric forms, and real-life subjects.
• Famous Post-Impressionists:
  • Paul Cezanne: Known for “THE CARD PLAYERS”, “CURTAIN”, and “JUG AND FRUIT".
  • Paul Gaugin: Known for “TAHITIAN WOMEN OF THE BEACH”.

Symbolism

• A movement that followed Post-Impressionism, known for its fascination with fantasy and imagination, it presents images with symbols.
• Artists seek to represent truth through symbolic images, giving meaning to objects and events.
• It found inspiration in Charles Baudelaire’s “Les Fleurs Du Mal”.
• Famous Symbolists:
  • Gustav Klimt: An Austrian painter known for “THE KISS” and “PORTRAIT OF ADELE BLOCK BAUER". Another known artwork is Judith.
  • Edvard Munch: A Norwegian painter known for “THE SCREAM”, “MADONNA”, and “VAMPIRE”.
  • Frida Kahlo De Rivera: A self-portrait artist, with works like "SELF-PORTRAIT WITH THIRN NECKLACE AND HUMMINGBIRD" and "SELF-PORTRAIT DEDICATE TO LEON TROTSKY".
  • Gustave Moreau: A French symbolist painter with biblical and mythological themes, known for “ZEUS AND SEMELE” and “THRACIAN GIRL CARRYING THE HEAD OF ORPHEUS ON HIS LYRE”.

Art Nouveau

• This movement occured from from 1890 to 1910 in Europe and the United States.
• Focused on the "New Art" and "New Style."
• Characterized by long, flowing organic lines used in jewelry, architecture, interior design, posters, and illustrations.
• It signifies modernism's start with complex lines and flowing patterns derived from nature.
• Famous Art Nouveau artists:
  • Alfons Maria Mucha: A Czech painter and artist known for “THE SLAV EPIC” and “THE SEASONS (Spring, Summer)”.
  • Henri Marie Raymonde De Toulouse-Lautrec Monfa: A French painter and artist known for “AT THE MOULIN ROUGE” and “THE HANGOVER”.
  • Aubrey Vincent Beardsley: An English illustrator known for “THE PEACOCK SKIRT”.
  • Koloman Moser: An Austrian artist known for “FLOWER BASKET” and “VENUS IN THE GROTTO”.

Fauvism

• Popular in France, utilizing vivid colors to portray comfort, leisure, and joy.
• Key features: bright clashing colors, distorted forms, and vigorous brushes.
• Bare canvas is visible in the artworks.
• Heavily influenced by Van Gogh, Gauguin, Seurat, and Cezanne, and named after “The Wild Beasts”.
• Famous Fauvist artists:
  • Henri Matisse: A French artist celebrated for color and his use of fluid forms, known for “WOMAN WITH A HAT” and “BLUE NUDE”.
  • Andre Derain: A founder of Fauvism, known for “PORTRAIT OF A YOUNG GIRL” and “CHARING CROSS BRIDGE FISHING BOAT”.
  • Henri Charles Manguin: Known for "NUDE BENEATH THE TREES" and "VIEW OVER GRIMAND".

Expressionism

• It focuses on emotional experiences, intending to depict subjective and personal expression rather than objective reality.
• The movement started in early 20th century Germany, influenced by Cubism.
• Artworks distort reality to express the artists' inner feelings, emphasizing extreme emotional properties.
• Famous Expressionists:
  • August Macke (1887-1914): A German painter known for “WOMAN IN GREEN JACKET”, “PEOPLE BY THE BLUE LAKE”, and “ST. MARY’S HOUSES AND CHIMNEY”.
  • Frank Kupka (1871-1957): A Czech artist and painter who experimented with abstract expressionist colorism.

Cubism

• Introduced in France around 1909 by Henri Matisse.
• Artworks display objects from various angles, breaking them apart to show multiple perspectives.
• Key characteristics: abstract forms, broken mirror effects, geometric shapes, multiple angles, reconstructed objects rendered as distinct planes.
• Famous Cubists:
  • Pablo Ruiz Y Picasso: A Spanish painter, sculptor known for “THE OLD GUITARIST”, “GUERNICA”, and “LES DEMOISELLES d’AVIGNON LA MENINAS"
  • George Braque: Known for “WOMEN WITH A GUITAR”, “STILL LIFE WITH A BOTTLE”, and “VIOLIN AND THE CANDLESTICK THE GUITAR”.

Futurism

• Started in Italy during the early 20th century.
• Celebrated advancements in science and technology.
• Filippo Tommaso Marinetti advocated for an artistic revolution.
• Artworks focus on speed, power, dynamism, and the energy of modern technology and urban life.
• Famous Futurists:
  • Umberto Boccioni: An Italian painter known for “DYNAMISM OF THE BIKER” and “DYNAMISM OF A SOCCER PLAYER”.
  • Gino Severini: A key member of the Futurist movement known for “ARMORED TRAIN IN ACTION” and “DYNAMIC HIEROGLYPHIC OF THE BAL TABARIN”.
  • Luigi Russolo: Known for "CROCIFISSIONE CON LE PIE DONNE" and "TOWER BRIDGE".

Constructivism

• An artistic and architectural concept that emerged in Russia in the early 20th century.
• Arts should serve a social purpose beyond aesthetics.
• Rejects autonomous art, focusing on constructed art.
• Artworks feature abstract geometric shapes, combining Futurism and Cubism.

Constructivist Artists

• Vladimir Yevgrafovich Tatlin: Along with Kazimir Malevich, one of the most important figures of the Soviet avant-garde art movement of the 1920s.
• Kazimir Malevich: A Russian painter who pioneered geometric abstract art.

Dadaism

• European artistic and literary movement which disregards conventional aesthetic.
• Artworks are nonsensical, without rules or values.
• Known as the first anti-art movement.
• Artwork includes random objects that shock or offend.
• Famous Dadaists:
  • Henri-Robert-Marcel Duchamp: Known for “NUDE DESCENDING A STAIRCASE”.
  • Hans Bellmer: Known for his life-sized pubescent female dolls and “THE MACHINE GUNNERESS IN A STATE OF GRACE”.

Suprematism

• Founded by Kazimir Severinovich Malevich in Russia in 1931.
• Involves abstract art that prioritizes pure artistic feeling over visual depictions.
• Geometric shapes like circles, squares, rectangles, and lines painted in limited colors.
• Famous Suprematist artists:
  • Kazimir Severinovich Malevich: Founder of Suprematism, known for “WOMEAN PICKING FLOWERS”, “FOUR SQUARES”, and “BLACK CROSS”.
  • El Lissitzky: Known for “SELF-PORTRAIT” and “DESIGNS FOR USSR UNDER CONSTRUCTION”.
  • Lyubo Sergeyevna Popova: Known for “SUBJECT FROM A DYER’S SHOP”.

De Stijl (The Style)

• Dutch art and design movement that started in Holland in 1917.
• Founded by Theo van Doesburg and Piet Mondrian.
• Emphasized spiritual harmony, geometric shapes, and simplified forms.
• Uses squares, rectangles, vertical and horizontal directions.
• Uses primary colors with black and white.
• Famous De Stijl artists:
  • Ilya Bolotowsky: Known for “VERTICAL YELLOW PLANE” and “GREY DIAMOND”.
  • Max Bill: Known for “ENDLOSE TREEPE”.
  • Theo van Doesburg: Known for “ARITHMETIC COMPOSITION”, “CONTRA-COMPOSITION WITH DISSONANCES XVI” and “PURE PAINTING”.

Art Deco

• Popular art movement from the 1920s-1940s.
• Seen in graphic arts and decorative arts.
• Uses rich colors, geometric shapes, fashion-oriented designs.
• Uses lavish ornamentation.
• Reflects luxury, glamour, exuberance, and faith in social/technological progress.
• Famous Art Deco artists:
  • Romain de Tirtoff: Flourished in the different fields such as fashion, costume.
  • Santiago Martinez Delgado: Known for “A CENTURY COLOMBIAN EVOLUTION” and “RISE OF JESUS ON THE CROSS”.
  • Marcel Jano: Known for “COMPOSITION WITH RED ARROW”.

Abstract Expressionism

• Originated in New York City after World War II through the early 1960s, centered around the New York School of Modern Art.
• Characterized as non-representational and primarily improvisational.
• Uses distorted and exaggerated subjects in vivid and shocking colors.
• Famous Abstract Expressionist artists:
  • Paul Jackson Pollock: Known for “STENOGRAPHIC FIGURE” and “No. 5”.
  • Mark Rothko: Known for “GREEN AND MAROON” and “OCHRE AND RED ON RED”.
  • Jaques Rosas: Known for “STREET ART” and “OLIS IN CANVASS FROM LIFE”.
  • Franz Kline: Known for “LE GROS”, “CHIEF”, and “PAINTING NO. 2”.
  • Robert Motherwell: Known for “UNTITLED (FIGURATION)”, “UNTITLED (ULTRAMARINE)”, and “YELLOW OCHRE AND WHITE”.
• Jose Joya is known for “HILLS OF NIKKO”.

Optical Art

• Known as Op art.
• International movement which started in the 1960s.
• Employs optical illusions using non-representational geometric shapes to create hidden impressions.
• Famous Op artists:
  • Bridget Riley: Known for “MOVEMENT IN SQUARES”.
  • Victor Vasarely: Known for “ZEBRA”.
  • Maurits Cornelis Escher: Known for “LIBERATION”.
  • Jesus Rafael Soto: His artwork includes “CUBO POLICROMO (POLYCHROME CUBE).

Pop Art

• Emerged in the UK and the US during the 1950s.
• Created by the “Independent Group”.
• Lasted until the 1970s.
• Uses acrylic paints, plastics, photographs, fluorescent, and metallic colors.
• Influenced by Fauvism and Dadaism.
• Utilizes everyday objects.
• Reproduces artworks on mass on TV, magazines, and newspapers.
• Famous Pop artists:
  • Roy Lichtenstein: Known for “WOMAN WITH FLOWERED HAT” and “NURSE”.
  • Andy Warhol: His artworks include “RACE RIOT”, “FOUR MARLONS”, “MEN IN HER LIFE”, “TURQUOISE MARILYN”, “COCA COLA”, and “TRIPLE ELVIS”.

Minimalism

• Began post-World War II.
• Rejects personal reflection.
• Creates purely visual pieces.
• Doesn't use deeper meanings.
• Famous Minimalist artists:
  • Frank Stella: His artwork entitled, “Die Fahne Hoch!” (1959)
  • Tony Smith: His artwork entitled, “Die” (1962)
  • Carl Andre: His artwork entitled, “Lever” (1966)
  • Robert Morris: His artwork entitled, “Untitled (Mirrored Cubes)”
  • Richard Serra: His artwork entitled, “One Ton Prop (House of Cards)”
  • Sol Le Witt: His artwork entitled, “Two Open Modular Cubes/ Half Off” (1972)
  • Ronald Bladen: His artwork entitled, “The X” (1965)

Conceptual Art/Conceptualism

• Flourished during the mid-1960s and 1970s.
• Ideas and meaning are the most important part of art.
• Rejects the concept that “Art is Beautiful”.
• Uses everyday materials, objects, and photography.
• Famous Conceptual artists:
  • Yoko Ono: Known for “PLAY IT BY TRUST” and “MY MOMMY IS BEAUTIFUL”.
  • Yves Klein: His artwork includes, “ANTHROPOMETRY: PRINCESS HELENA”.

Social Realism

• International movement that portrays daily struggles.
• Depicts human flaws and cruelty.
• Famous Social Realist artists:
  • Philip Guston: Known for "HEAD", "BLUE LIGHT”, “BACK VIEW” and “INHABITER”.
  • Edward Steichen: His artworks include: “ROCK HILL”, “LONG ISLAND” and “OYSTER”.
  • Aaron Siskind: His artworks include: “CHICAGO FAÇADE 9”, "NEW YORK”, “GLOUCESTER 28”, and “TABERNACLE CITY”.
  • Thomas Hart Benton: His artwork is entitled, "HOMESTEAD".

Photo Realism/Super Realism

• Uses photographs.
• Depicts simple scenes from everyday life, such as trucks.
• Evolved as a reaction to Pop Art.
• Louis K. Meisel coined the term.
• Famous Photo Realist artists:
  • Elly Kurtz: His masterpiece includes, “SPACE ART”
  • Don Eddy: His masterpiece includes, “12:45 WAITING V”
  • Duane Hanso: His masterpieces include: “THE ARTIST IN HIS LOFT”, “TOURISTII”, and "BATON TWIRLER"
  • Richard Ester: His artwork includes, “DOWNTOWN”
  • Ralph Going: His masterpieces include: “WOMAN IN GIRDLE” and “BODY REFLECTION”.

Installation Art

• Emerged in the 1960s and 1970s.
• Employs three- dimensional installations.
• Transforms perceived space.
• Famous Installation artists:
  • Adamo Macri: His artwork features, “CLANDESTINE”
  • Nam June Paik: His artwork features, “ELECTRONIC SUPERHIGHWAY: CONTINENTAL U.S., ALASKA, HAWAII” (1995)
  • James Abbot McNeill: His installation art features, “THE PEACOCK ROOM".
  • Gabriel Orozco: His installation art features "HOME RUN"
  • John Pugh: His installation art features, “LIFE IMITATING ART IMITATING LIFE IMITATING ART"
  • Devon Dikeou: His installation art features, "MAMAS DON'T LET YOUR BABIES GROW UP TO BE COWBOYS"

Performance Art

• Presented live with or without an audience.
• Spontaneous or planned.
• Aims to shock and outrage.
• Traces roots to Futurism and Dadaism.
• Famous Performance artists:
  • Christopher Lee: Works in performance, sculpture, and installation art.
  • Marina Abramovic: Known as “the grandmother of performance art”.
  • Laura Phillips: An avant-garde artist, composer, musician, and film director.
  • damali ayo: A conceptual and performance artist.
  • Yves Klein: A forerunner of minimal and pop art.