Modern Art PDF

CHAPTER 3: Early 20th Century Art Read through pages 90, 91 92 (NB!) and 93 in your textbook FIRST Make sure you understand the timeline on page 90 and how many of these movements overlapped during the first 40 years of the 20th century (1900’s)  20th Century a time of uniqu...

CHAPTER 3: Early 20th Century Art Read through pages 90, 91 92 (NB!) and 93 in your textbook FIRST Make sure you understand the timeline on page 90 and how many of these movements overlapped during the first 40 years of the 20th century (1900’s)  20th Century a time of unique change, exploration, discovery and invention Key Points The first two decades of the 20th century were marked by enormous industrial, economic, social, and cultural developments. International trade brought with it increasing growth and prosperity, along with a rise in poverty and slums in major cities. Urbanization, advances in science and technology, and the spread of goods and information were markers of the times. Art from the Early th 20 Century is also known as… “Modern Art”  Modernism is a term applied to the innovative development of the arts in the 20th Century which saw a break with realism and naturalism and other such traditional art forms. Early modern art of the nineteenth- century movements (Impressionism and Post-Impressionism), where the artist was free to choose his own style of expression, “Modernism” were continued and expanded by the “High Modern” artists of the early 20th century avant-garde. Fauvism, Cubism, Futursim, German Expressionism, Surrealism and Dadaism, were all born in this era and the artists saw themselves as shifting boundaries, the ‘avant-garde'; confronting the widely accepted ideas that already existed.  Modernism can be seen to represent the breakdown of appearance in works from naturalism to more expressive and abstracted or abstract works of art. SO Exaggeration, distortion and abstraction are all tools used. Modernism rejected and Basically…. challenged anything traditional. Consisted of a variety of movements that were all revolutionary in their approach to art. Artists Searched for new ways to communicate about the “modern world”.  Important terminology Avant-garde comes from the word vangaurd (the leading unit in an army) and means before the group – Avant- garde art is radical and is critical of political and social institutions (Revolutionary). Watch video posted on Google classroom https://www.youtube.com/w atch?v=7hqzexxZqRc Major Early 20th Century Art Movements: The “isms” Fauvism (chapter 3) German Expressionism (chapter 3) Cubism (chapter 3) Futurism (chapter 3) Dadaism (chapter 5) Surrealism (chapter 5) Chapter 6 is about Art after 1946 (after WW2)  Where artists had previously worked under the instructions of wealthy patrons associated with the church or state, in the 20 century art became part of the market economy, and art itself came to be seen as personal self- expression. The high value placed on the individual, which emerged in ancient Greece and Rome and then again in the Renaissance, became the primary value of Western culture. Position Where artistic styles (for example, Baroque) of the had once covered numerous artists working over broad regions and periods of time, in the artist late Nineteenth and through the 20th Century, successive styles of art change with increasing speed and fracture into a kaleidoscope of individual artistic practices. Also see page 92 in your textbook  Quick overview of the movements: Fauvism in Paris introduced heightened non-representational colour into figurative painting. Die Brücke (A German Expressionist group) strove for emotional Expressionism. Another German group was Der Blaue Reiter ("The Blue Rider"), led by Kandinsky in Munich. He was a pioneer of abstract (or non-representational) art. Cubism, generated by Picasso and Braque, rejected the naturalistic norms of the Renaissance by introducing multiple perspectives into a two-dimensional image. Futurism incorporated the depiction of movement and machine age imagery. Dadaism, with its most notable artist, Marcel Duchamp, rejected conventional art styles altogether by exhibiting found objects, notably a urinal. Dadaism came before Surrealism, where the theories of Freudian psychology led to the depiction of the dream and the unconscious in art in work by Salvador Dalí.  Abstraction involves simplifying and changing shape and form to be less realistic / less naturalistic. It has a tendency to abstract shapes but is still figurative as there is reference to images. Abstraction (or abstracted) must not be New confused with “Abstract” – which means tendency there are NO references to reality. towards Expressive Abstraction Affects of Photography (Move away from Realism – “the camera can already take real images”) Multiple Views (element of time and movement)  Abstract Wassily Kandinsky Composition VII, 1912 Kandinsky is credited with creating the first abstract work Realised a ‘subject’ was unnecessary and that only colour, lines and shapes can create a painting. Painting were non-figurative/non-representational as they contained no recognizable images/figures  Abstracted and Figurative Naturalistic and Figurative Joan Miro, Dutch Interior, Oil on Canvas, 1928 Hendrick Sorgh, The Lute Player, Oil on Canvas, 1660 Can you spot the similarities between the composition and subject matter of these two works?? FAUVISM  PG: 94 - 98 ARTISTS and DATES:  Henri Matisse*  Maurice Vlaminck  Andre Derain The Fauvist movement, led by Henri Matisse and Andre Derain, officially lasted for only four years: 1904–1908. Quick summary  Vivid colour, simplification, divisionism/pointillis m abstraction, and unusual brush strokes are characteristics of the Fauvist style. INFLUENCES: Impressionism - Seurat Divisionism – whereby pure colours applied in small brushstrokes or dots mix optically in the viewers eye was an influence on the broken brushstrokes of the Fauves at the beginning. They later revolted against these broken areas of colour. (see next slide for example of Seurat’s work) Vlaminck Matisse Study for The Chahut - Georges Seurat The Eiffel Tower - Georges Seurat INFLUENCES: Post Impressionism: Van Gogh: non-descriptive and emotive colour / importance of feeling/emotion in the creation process Gauguin: large areas of flat non-representational/ non-naturalistic colour, cloisonism, ‘primitive’ character of shapes. His idea that sensations/feelings can be conveyed by colour. Gauguin Van Gogh INFLUENCES: Non-western cultures (Africa/Americas) – textiles, colours and bold shapes / non-representative decorative qualities. Japanese woodcuts: simplified shapes and forms; outlines INFLUENCES: Henri Rousseau for his naïve art and bright colours. Naïve art by Henri Rousseau SUBJECT MATTER: Images of contemporary life (influence of Impressionism) Everyday scenes such as landscapes, portraits and interiors. Worked from reality but believed artist should portray his emotional reaction to subject. Although they painted the world around them, their colour is arbitrary (free of choice) The fauves were all about COLOUR: Colour is used non-naturalistically. Colour is used pure: rarely mixed, squeezed directly onto the canvas from the tube Large flat areas of pure colour Synthetic colours were developed through new technology and helped the Fauvists to achieve unusually bright colours. The fauves were all about COLOUR: Colour expressed emotion Colour is used to define form and space Colour is vibrant and intense Bright clashing colours equally bright in fore- and background LINE AND FORM: Drawing is simplified and child-like; outlines Forms are distorted and combined with often incorrect perspective Space is flat and shallow, often no illusion of depth, forms are ‘flat’ with no perspective or shading and modeling Very decorative BRUSHWORK: Direct, powerful, energetic – every stroke carries emotion Technique changes between broken divisionism and pure flat colours Henri Matisse PG: 97-98 Style and technique: Early style shows the influence of Seurat, this was later replaced using broad flat areas of intense colour like Gauguin  The subject matter of Matisse was was mostly still lives, interiors of rooms and the female form. For most of his life he lived in an apartment overlooking the sea in the French coastal town of Nice. His art reflects his life, the view inside his apartment and the view outside his window. Although he lived through both world wars, this experience is not reflected in his art. Matisse, ‘The Green Stripe’ 1905 Discussion on pg.98 Henri Matisse, Red Room, 1908 – 1909, Oil on Canvas  ‘Sorrows of the King’ ‘The Snail’, 1952 “Painting with scissors” Towards the end of his life he created colourful paper cut collages Maurice Vlaminck  We are about to embark on a new phase. Without partaking of Andre the abstraction apparent in van gogh’s canvases, abstraction which I don’t dispute, I believe that lines and colours are intimately related and enjoy a parallel existence from the very Derain start, allowing us to embark on a great independent and unbounded existence…Thus we may find a field, not novel, but more real, and, above all, simpler in its synthesis… André Derain German Expressionism GERMANY 1905 - 1914  Page 100-110 ARTISTS DIE BRÜCKE DER BLAUE REITER ERNST LUDWIG KIRCHNER* WASSILY KANDINSKY* KARL SCHMIDT-ROTTLUFF FRANZ MARC* ERICH HECKLE EMIL NOLDE* MAX PECHSTEIN OTTO MUELLER  Concept of expressionism is a permanent tendency in art: The artist portrays his own emotional reaction in a highly individual style where free distortion of shape and colour take place. Expressionism (capital letter) – is a specific art movement in Germany in the early 20th century that is characterized by an expressionistic style expressionism (lower case ‘e’) is a general art style where emphasis is placed on the expression of the emotions and feelings of the artist. Characteristics of this art style include distortion and exaggeration. This distinction is similar to one we delt with earlier: It is similar to realism (art that looks realistic/naturalistic) and Realsim ( a specific art movement from 1850-1900)  After the relative peace of most of the 19th century, rivalry between European powers erupted in 1914 with the outbreak of the first World War. Over 60 million European soldiers were mobilized from 1914–1918 as countries around the world were called into the conflict. With the widespread death and destruction of the greatest war the world had ever seen, art increasingly became a means for escapism, a way to abstract life and escape the difficulties of the human condition. With (and before) the outbreak of World War I in 1914, art became heavily influenced by the desire to abstract life and escape the horrific possibilities of the human condition. Artists began to question and play around with themes of reality, perspective, space, and time. German Expressionism as an organized movement ended with the start of WW1 but the uncertainty and anticipation of the war before 1914 was the perfect conditions for an expressionistic movement to develop. WW1  The arrival of Expressionism announced new standards in the creation and judgment of art. The standard for assessing the quality of a work of art became the character of the artist's feelings rather than an analysis of the composition. German Expressionist painters rejected the naturalistic depiction of objective reality, often portraying distorted figures, buildings, and landscapes in a disorienting manner that disregarded the conventions of perspective and proportion. This approach, combined with jagged, stylized shapes and harsh, unnatural colours, were used to convey subjective emotions as a reaction to the anxieties of the modern world. Key ideas  Through their confrontation with the urban world of the early twentieth century, Expressionist artists developed a powerful mode of social criticism in their elongated figural renderings and bold colours. Their representations of the modern city included alienated individuals - a psychological by-product of recent urbanization - as well as prostitutes, who were used to comment on capitalism's role in the emotional Key ideas distancing of individuals within cities.  Van Gogh, as the typical expressionistic artist who worked according to his subjective feelings. Passionate distortion of nature, strong use of colour, linear brushwork and compassion for his fellow man, influenced the Expressionists Influence 1  Non-Western cultures as the Expressionists viewed these arts as excluding the superficiality of art in Western society. African masks were -Art from Africa and the Pacific Islands an important that could be seen in museums in influence, because it Dresden – the was felt that they were German Expressionists created in a more pure found this art very society. exciting Influence 2 Faces are mask-like – Stylized and geometric, pointed ovals, triangular and cylindrical noses, broad lips, full round or oval mouths, facetted into planes/flat shapes. African mask inspiration Art of Children and the mentaly ill – as they offer direct expression of emotions Influence 3  Germanic character The Germanic countries had an inherent character for searching behind appearances (French art on the other hand, was more involved with appearances and the pure solution of formal elements as in Impressionism and Cubism. There was for instance no real Impressionistic tradition in Germany.) Influence 4 Northern European Renaissance eg. Grunewald Themes and subject matter of pain, suffering, distorted figures (ties in with influence #4) Influence 5  Edvard Munch His violent distortions of colour and shape gives form to emotional states. Influence 6 German history in the 20th century is one of tension and division. The unstable political, social and economic climate before World War I was thus an excellent breeding ground for Expressionism. Unstable political climate Gothic Sculptures Angular bodies and facial features, distorted body forms, long stretched cylindrical bodies. Influence 7 Die Brucke (The Bridge) Der Blaue Reiter (The Blue Rider) TWO GROUPS OF GERMAN EXPRESSIONISM  Formed in Dresden in 1905 ◦ Founding artists were: Kirchner, Emil Nolde, Erick Heckel, Fritz Bleyl and Karl Schmitt-Rottluff  Interested in expression of extreme emotion through high-keyed colour that was very often non-naturalistic  Crude drawing technique  Die Brücke aimed to challenge the traditional academic style and find a new mode of artistic expression, which would form a bridge (hence the name) between the past and the present.  Die Brucke art expressed radical social views through modern urban scenes, landscape and figure painting. Witness its garish colour-palette, bold outlines and direct compositions. Die Brücke 1905-1913  Criticized social conditions Message of work more NB than formal elements personal - portrayed strong individual feelings. Angst-ridden with underlying themes such as hate, jealousy, love etc. Die Brücke themes  Themes reflected deeply humanistic concerns and an uncertain attitude toward modernity. These include a fascination with the enticing yet often sordid experiences of modern urban life; the enduring comfort associated with nature and religion; the naked body and its potential to signify primal emotion; emotionally charged portraiture; the need to confront the devastating experience of a society at the brink of World War I and its aftermath. Sordid: involving immoral or dishonourable actions and motives  Initially used strong primary colours and secondary colours, but their colours became increasingly more sombre and dark. Strong colour contrast portrayed conflicts of life. Harsh colours such as yellow, red, green and colour black were used non- naturalistically  Used vivid, non- naturalistic colour (Fauvist influence), but unlike the Fauves the colour was: ► harsh + discordant (yellows, reds, greens and blacks) ► sour + cold colour  The emphasis on emotion led to their simplified and distorted shapes. The works seem unfinished because of the distortion. Figures are unnaturally distorted, often thin and elongated. shape  Shapes are often outlined with a strong dark colour. Gothic angularity with jagged shapes developed to express emotion. Often man figures are crowded claustrophobically into the picture space. shape  Space is unrealistic, and diagonal lines often stretch from the foreground to the background. space  Broad, free brushstrokes are created by emotion. Spontaneous works create a new “barbaric” beauty. Very linear; brushstrokes are the evidence of the artist’s emotion. Paint is applied freely and roughly, as if in haste, and often very brushwork thickly.  The emphasis on the expression of personal emotion make their best works very powerful and lively, while poorer works may seem to be unfinished and without shape. brushwork  Kirchner and other artists of this group created woodcut prints with harsh, angular carved lines. When it came to painting, they used the same harsh, angular lines but used paint to create the effect.  Founded Die Brücke group as an architecture student  Interested in gothic period in art.  Focussed on atmosphere  Media: woodcuts, drawings and painting. ◦ The drawings and paintings resembled woodcuts in the use of harsh angular lines.  Subject matter: often makes use of satire, bringing attention to the political and economic climate in Germany. Figures and portraits. Ernst Ludwig Kirchner  He was drafted into the army in 1915.  His brief experience of fighting in World War I led to a nervous breakdown, and he spent the next few years in sanatoria and clinics. Ernst Ludwig Kirchner, Self-portrait as a sick person, 1918  In 1918 Kirchner moved to Switzerland where he continued to paint and at the same time battle extreme depression.  Like many other Expressionist artists of the time, Kirchner’s art was tragically included in the Nazi Exhibition of degenerate art in 1937 and over 500 of his priceless works were destroyed.  This caused Kirchner even Ernst Ludwig Kirchner, further depression and in 1938 Self-portrait as a soldier, 1915 he committed suicide.  When Kirchner moved to Berlin in 1911 he started with a series of street scenes that are some of the best examples of die Brucke.  In these works Kirchner satirizes the rich who, as Germany totters on the brink of war, think only of parading their finery in the streets.  These years were a time of emotional conflict for him that can be seen in his Expressionistic works often characterized by Ernst Ludwig Kirchner, Two Women in the Street jagged angular structures. How has Kirchner created focus points in the painting? What is the obvious key element in this painting? Berlin Street Scene (1913) Analyse these four elements: Colour Composition Mood Line The Girl Under a Japanese Umbrella (1906)  What printmaking method influenced line in this painting? Erna with a Cigarette (1905) How does Kirchner make use of distortion? Alpküche,  He was one of the first Expressionists and is considered to be one of the great oil and watercolour painters of the 20th century  When he joined Die Brücke, he was much older than the other artists  He trained as a craftsman and worked in woodcarving  Vigorous brushwork and expressive choice of colours  Golden yellows and deep reds appear frequently in his work, giving a luminous quality to otherwise sombre tones  Inharmonious use of colour  His watercolours include vivid, threatening storm-scapes and brilliant florals. Emil Nolde  Nolde is known for his vigorous brushwork and expressive choice of colours. In his works, Nolde articulated his growing dissatisfaction with contemporary Western society, which he countered with his own idealized concept of the “noble savage”.  Analyse these four elements: Colour Composition Mood Line St Mary of Egypt among sinners (1912)  Nolde was a supporter of the Nazi party from the early 1920s. He expressed negative opinions about Jewish artists, and considered Expressionism to be a distinctively Germanic style. However Hitler rejected all forms of modernism as "degenerate art", and the Nazi regime officially condemned Nolde's work. Until that time he had been held in great prestige in Germany. A total of 1,052 of his works were removed from museums, more than those of any other artist. Some were included in the Degenerate Art exhibition of 1937 despite his protests. He was not allowed to paint—even in private—after 1941. Nevertheless, during this period he created hundreds of watercolours, which he hid. He called them the "Unpainted Pictures". Complete Activity 3.2 on Nolde’s work, “The Last Supper “(1909)”  Kathe Kollwitz A female German artist whose work portrays an expressive and intense account of the human condition, especially of the poor and figures in war. She worked with painting, printmaking (including etching, lithography and woodcuts) and sculpture. Kollwitz was the first woman to not only be elected to the Prussian Academy of Arts but to also receive honorary professor status.  In the years after World War I, her reaction to the war found a continuous outlet. In 1922–23 she produced the print cycle War in woodcut form, including the works The Sacrifice, The Volunteers, The Parents, The Widow I, The Widow II, The Mothers, and The People. Much of this art was inspired by pro-war propaganda which she and Otto Dix riffed on to create anti-war propaganda. Kollwitz wanted to show the horrors of living through a war to combat the pro-war sentiment that had begun to grow in Germany again.  War (Krieg) was Produced between 1921–1922, this series of seven woodcuts have an urgency and power to them and include perspectives of the women of war – those who are left behind. The Widow II The Sacrifice The Widow I “I intend to have an effect on these times in which human beings are so distraught and helpless.” The Parents  The Volunteers (Die Freiwilligen)depicts a group of young men who have offered themselves to the cause. We see them all moving together and following the beat of a drum. At the left of the scene, we can see that the leader of the group is none other than Death himself; he Kathe Kollwitz, The Volunteers' ('Die Freiwilligen'), (1921), woodcut. Sheet two of seven from the cycle War (Krieg), marches Germany's youth into their own demise.  The most moving image in the series is The Mothers (Die Mütter) – the sixth sheet in the cycle. It shows a group of grieving mothers all huddled together – it's no accident that their bodies form the shape of a tombstone. Again, Kollwitz is interested in the importance of solidarity amongst people. Kathe Kollwitz, The Mothers' ('Die Mütter'), (1921–22), woodcut. Sheet six of seven from the cycle War (Krieg), (1923). This image shows that there is a sense of strength to be found in the unity of people. As an artist, Käthe Kollwitz gave shape to war, but sadly, war also shaped her. The sixth print in the cycle titled “Peasants’ War”, was completed in 1907 and was set on a battlefield at night. It shows a horrific scene of a mother being confronted by the body of her dead son. For this work, Kollwitz would have used herself and her own son Peter as models for the mother and child. Seven years later, Peter would himself die on the Kathe Kollwitz, 'Battlefield' ('Schlachtfeld'), (1907), etching. Plate six of seven from battlefields of Belgium. the cycle Peasants' War (Bauernkrieg), (1908).  The group was founded by a number of Russian emigrants, including Wassily Kandinsky, Alexej von Jawlensky, Marianne von Werefkin, and native German artists, such as Franz Marc, August Macke and Gabriele Münter.  Began in Munich, Germany  Der Blaue Reiter lacked an artistic manifesto, but it was centered around Kandinsky and Marc.  The group dissolved when Franz Marc was killed in WW1, although Kandinsky went on to be an extremely important and influential artist. Der Blaue Reiter 1911-1914  Kandinsky  The name Der Blaue Reiter derived from Kandinsky and Marc’s love of the colour blue : Franz Marc and I both love blue, Marc blue horses, I blue riders.”  Where Die Brucke was the purest Marc form of German Expressionism, Der Blaue Reiter was more international and the most important manifestation of modernism in Germany before 1914.  They believed in an art that expresses the inner and spiritual life. They believed in experimenting. Der Blaue Reiter was more international for example, Marc was influenced by Cubism. Although emphasis was also placed on emotion, their work was more planned than Die Brucke. 1911 - Franz Marc, Blue Horse  THEMES Lyrical, romantic, spiritual and sometimes abstract. They wanted to express THES what Kandinsky called the inner necessity. There was no real social commentary. Wassily Kandinsky, Improvisation IX, (1910)  COLOUR They experimented with the emotional and symbolic use of colour and excluded somber colours. 1911 - Franz Marc, The Large Blue Horses  SHAPE They experimented with shapes and distorted shapes to express emotion. 1913 - Franz Marc, The Tower of Blue Horses  BRUSHWORK A variety of brushstrokes were used with an emphasis on the process of painting. Lines created by brushstrokes were important as an expression of the artist’s personality.  Franz Marc (1880-1916) was one of the founding members of Der Blaue Reiter.  He died during the battle of Verdun in WWI.  Marc was the most romantic of the German Expressionist painters.  Marc wished in his paintings to contrast the sordid reality of man’s life with the natural beauty of the animal world. Franz Marc  Highly influenced by Van Gogh  Marc met Robert Delaunay, whose use of colour and futurist method was a major influence on Marc's work.  Fascinated by futurism and cubism, Marc created art that with time became increasingly simple and abstracted in nature.  Marc believed that art was a spiritual activity  Subject matter: animals and nature.  Vivid use of colour, line was bold and curved or sometimes angular  Used colour symbolically 1914 - Franz Marc, Deer in the Forest  He looked to nature for the harmony he was seeking.  He was a pantheist so the animal was seen as a symbol of innocence and goodness.  The animal is thus a symbol of the utopia that man has lost. The next few slides show his work in chronological order (from 1910): Be sure to note the progression of his style to become more and more abstract and darker as WW1 slowly approaches. 1910 - Franz Marc, Siberian Dogs in the Snow 1911 - Franz Marc, The Yellow Cow  After marrying Maria Franck in 1911, Marc painted The Yellow Cow as an homage to their union. The cow represents the safety and security Marc felt in this, his second, marriage. Marc built upon van Gogh's emotional use of colour, by using colours to humanize natural forms in the landscape, emphasizing his own interest in pantheism. The large yellow cow represents the feminine, since Marc saw the colour yellow as evoking feminine emotions. The blue spots on its hide represent the masculine, since he viewed blue as evoking masculine emotions. The combination of the two colours indicates a merging of masculine and feminine, in a reference to his marriage to Franck. Franz Marc, The Yellow Cow  His repetition of colour connects the animals with their background. This is most evident in the small herd of red cows grouped together at the left of the composition; they are camouflaged, blending into the rocky, red landscape around them. Marc also uses colour and line repetition with the large yellow cow. The cow dominates the foreground of the dreamlike composition, exuding a mood of blissful serenity as it leaps over the rocky landscape in the foreground. The blue hills in the background echo the shape of the cow's upper leg. The repetition of colour and line throughout reverberate with a sense of energy as well as safety and happiness. Franz Marc, The Yellow Cow 1911 - Franz Marc, Dog Lying in the Snow 1912 - Franz Marc, Blue Horse 1 1912 - Franz Marc, Red Deer 1912 - Franz Marc, Yellow Horses 1912 - Franz Marc, Red and Blue Horses 1912 - Franz Marc, The Tiger  The calm, dreamlike world of The Yellow Cow, is here replaced with a restless tension. The tiger, whose bodily strength is represented with intersecting shards of colour and acute angles, is tightly contained within the bold, black outline. Marc depicts the tiger in a moment just before attack; it is ready to break out of whatever is restraining it. There is a sense of a violent threat. The calmness and security of his earlier work is altogether absent in this work. Marc's use of Cubist techniques allowed him to create the feeling of tension without changing his approach to either colour or subject matter. Even during such experimentation, Marc never wavered from his interest in bold, primary colours and their potential to convey emotion. Franz Marc, The Tiger 1913 - Franz Marc, Fate of the Animals  The Fate of the Animals is a vision of annihilation as seen through the eyes of the animals. The sharp angles and jagged shapes of the composition convey angst as the image serves as a premonition of the horrors of war. Marc shows the world being utterly ripped apart. All of the animals are panicked, their faces and bodies contorted to express the terror of trying to escape their inescapable demise. Despite the chaos and destruction of the work, Marc manages to create a balanced and ordered composition. A blue deer, symbolizing hope, stands in the center foreground, twisting away from the falling tree that threatens to crush it. That Marc chose to place this symbol of hope in the center foreground of the composition, suggests that he himself had a hopeful vision of the future. Franz Marc, Fate of the Animals 1914 - Franz Marc, Broken Forms  Broken Forms is one of Marc's final works and showcases his ultimate move away from representation in painting – ie it became completely abstract. After becoming increasingly disillusioned with nature and animals - seeing them as tainted and impure as human beings - Marc sought solace and meaning in the symbolism of colour and abstract form. Although this is a break from his earlier direction, Marc's strong interest in colour is still evident in this work, and his signature blues, yellows, and reds, are highlighted. It also reveals Marc's continued interest in representing emotions, especially as they relate to the anxiety of the coming war. Franz Marc, Broken Forms  The painting is one of a series of four that Marc painted in 1914, the other three works being : Cheerful Forms (now destroyed), Playing Forms, and Fighting Forms. While representational forms can be interpreted from these works, especially with the help of their titles, they are ultimately free from depicting anything from real life, allowing Marc to depict the spiritual world he had so long sought to represent via animals in his earlier paintings. Franz Marc, Broken Forms 1914 - Franz Marc, Playing Forms 1914 - Franz Marc, Fighting Forms  Russian Artist  Said to be the first artist to create purely abstract works  He began painting studies (life-drawing, sketching and anatomy) at the age of 30.  He taught at the Bauhaus school of art and architecture  He called his devotion to inner beauty, fervour of spirit, and spiritual desire inner necessity; it was a central aspect of his art.  He explored the relationship between art and music. ◦ He claimed to ‘see’ music and ‘hear’ colours Wassily Kandinsky This water colour painting is said to be the first abstract painting that has been documented – after this art became completely liberated from the need to describe the real world = abstract art was born! 1910 – Wassily Kandisky, Untitled  One of his influences was an exhibition of Monet’s Haystack-series he saw in Moscow. This made him realize that a subject was unnecessary and that only colour, shapes and lines can create a painting. Kandinsky said abstract art is like music and that by using only the art elements in a non-naturalistic way, emotions can be evoked in the viewer. Monet’s Haystack Series (Impressionism)  Kandinsky translated the beauty of music into Visual Art, by defining rhythm with patterns of paintings and feelings with colour.  “Colour is the keyboard, the eyes the hammers; the soul is the piano with many strings.”  His titles were taken from music as in Improvisations and Compositions where he approached the canvas with no preconceived theme, but allowed the colours to come as they would, prompted by unconscious feelings. ART IS LIKE MUSIC 1911 – Wassily Kandisky, Composition IV 1911 – Wassily Kandisky, Improvisation 28  “In these works the brilliant colour flow across the canvas with as little conscious control or order on the artist’s part as possible.  With Kandinsky art was completely liberated (set free) from the need to describe the real world for the first time. 1913 – Wassily Kandisky, Composition V  But how do you describe/analyse it? Back to basics! Think in terms of elements of art: geometric/organic, light/dark, warm/cool, long/short, straight/curved/jagged etc and use your vocabulary to describe the shapes, lines colours etc and where they appear on the canvas. Also remember Principals of design: Is there a focal point/emphasis? If so where is it and how is it created? Are there busy or calm areas, what types of rhythms can you identify etc. Don’t forget to SAY WHAT THE EFFECT IS ON THE ATMOSPHERE /FEELING Don’t try to “find pictures” of real things. 1913 – Wassily Kandisky, Composition VI  Analysis example: Composition VI (Previous slide) There are many different lines in this work that create different rhythms and movements: Flowy lines and soft organic shapes are intercepted by freely painted, straight, parallel, diagonal lines. Bright colours of blue, red, yellow and some green seem to flow across the canvas in a mix of geometric and organic shapes and with as little conscious control as possible. There is an equal balance between warm and cool colours which are applied in organic patches all over the canvas. Some colour areas are closed off by lines, while others seem to flow into one another creating a continuous flowing rhythm in the work (Music people, think staccato and legato) The flatness of the canvas is accentuated with tonal variation applied to various organic shapes but not in such a way as to indicate three dimensional form – rather just for the sake of creating a patchwork of light and dark values. On the top left, shapes take on a more angular appearance and colours darken to form a ring surounding the light tinted colours inside. This could be the climax (or focal point) , or the calm eye of the storm in of this very active, energetic composition. 1913 – Wassily Kandisky, Composition VII 1921 – Wassily Kandisky, Blue Segment 1923 – Wassily Kandisky, Composition VIII  Abstract Kandinsky’s artworks are called “Abstract” because they don’t depict recognizable scenes or objects. Shapes, lines, colours etc. exist without any reference to reality, but have aesthetic value (they look beautiful without having to look like something from real life). The artworks are read in terms of line, texture, value, shape and colours.  Wassily Kandinsky, Improvisation on Klamm, Oil on Canvas Activity 3.3 Wassily Kandinsky, Interior , My Dining Room Page 111-118 ARTISTS Pablo Picasso* George Braque* Juan Gris  BACKGROUND Cubism was developed by Pablo Picasso and George Braque between 1907 and 1914 but up until about 1925 many other artists were also working in variations of Cubism. Since the Renaissance artists worked perceptually, where the eye rules and the artwork is naturalistic, a window upon the world with depth created by perspective (see image below)  BACKGROUND As you have seen, this Kandinsky created idea was challenged in abstract paintings different ways by artists unrelated to the natural since Impressionism. world, by expressing his For example by creating spiritual side. emotional responses Fauvism liberated colour (Van Gogh, German from its descriptive use. Expressionists).  Cubism moves even further away from naturalism and deals with the abstraction of everyday figures and objects. However, is NOT about expressing emotions. It is a Formalist movement (see page 29 in your textbook) The brain rules and the Cubist artist is concerned with what he knows, not what he can see. Georges Braque, Pedestal Table, 1911  They worked conceptually (the idea behind the artwork is more important than looking naturalistic) For instance the artist knows the table has four legs, so he shows all of them. (even though you often see only three legs of a table at any given time). Or a showing more sides to a cube than you can see at a given point. Georges Braque, Pedestal Table, 1911 MULTIPLE VIEWPOINT/ MULTIPLE PERSPECTIVES They brought different views of subjects (usually objects or figures) together in the same picture, resulting in paintings that appear fragmented and abstracted MULTIPLE VIEWPOINT/ MULTIPLE PERSPECTIVES They brought different views of subjects (usually objects or figures) together in the same picture, resulting in paintings that appear fragmented and abstracted. Normal cube Cubist cube (3 sides) Pablo Picasso, The Reservoir, Horta de Ebro, 1909  The flatness of the painting is emphasized with no traditional depth as if the shapes are presented on a tray. It is not a ‘new’ way of making art, because many non-Western cultures have worked with ideas (such as in African art), rather than portraying accurate visual appearances. Georges Braque, Bottle, Newspaper, Pipe and Glass 1913. charcoal and various papers pasted on paper  INFLUENCE 1: AFRICAN ART Both Picasso and Braque collected African masks. The African sculptor approaches his subject in a conceptual way; ideas about his subject are more important to him than a naturalistic depiction of it, so he is led to forms that are more stylized and simplified. Picasso with his collection of African artifacts  INFLUENCE 1 : AFRICAN ART Picasso and Braque took over this idea of working conceptually. Four rectangular shapes in a triangle represent a face. It does not describe the differences between people, but is rather a universal representation of man. Cubism used a similar approach to the African artist – what you KNOW about the subject is more important than what you see.  INFLUENCE 1 : AFRICAN ART These African masks are highly stylised, or non-naturalistic, but nevertheless present a vivid human image. ‘A head’, said Picasso, ‘is a matter of eyes, nose, mouth, which can be distributed in any way you like’.  INFLUENCE 2 : CEZANNE Cubism was partly influenced by the late work of artist Paul Cézanne in which he can be seen to be painting things from slightly different points of view. Paul Cézanne, Still Life With Cherries And Peaches, 1885-1887 Paul Cézanne, Kitchen table, 1888-1890  INFLUENCE 2 : CEZANNE Cezanne’s ideas of numerous viewpoints and the underlying structure (cone, cylinder and sphere) of things. His ideas about the flatness of painting and the emphasis on the two-dimensional were also influential. Paul Cézanne, Mount Sainte- Victoire 1902- 1904. oil on canvas Juan Gris, Breakfast Table (Le Petit déjeuner),1914 Picasso’s first masterpiece. The painting depicts five naked women with figures composed of flat, triangular shapes and faces inspired by Iberian sculptures and African Masks from the Congo. In this painting, Picasso moves away from a traditional European painting by studying Primivitism (see page 79) and chooses to paint two-dimensionally. This technique led to Cubism. ‘Les Demoiselles d’Avignon’, 1907 – READ PAGE 112 Influences – Romanesque Catalan frescoes; Iberian sculpture; African sculpture African Mask Iberian Mask African Masks  By painting Les Demoiselles d’Avignon Picasso provoked Cubism. It was the spontaneous and, as always, primitive insurrection out of which, for good historical reasons, the revolution of Cubism developed.  Picasso drew each figure differently.  The woman pulling the curtain on the far right has heavy paint application throughout.  Her head is the most cubist of all five, featuring sharp geometric shapes.  The curtain seems to blend partially into her body.  She also seems to have been drawn from two different perspectives at once, creating a confusing, twisted figure.  The woman above her is rather manly, with a dark face and square chest. The whole picture is in a two-dimensional style, with an abandoned perspective.  The rounded contours of the features of two women in the center can be related to Iberian sculpture, but not obviously the fragmented planes of the two on the right, which are influenced by African masks. ❑ Cézanne Phase (1907-1909) ❑ Analytical Phase (1910-1911 ❑ Synthetic Phase (1912-1914) and later Cézanne Phase In 1908 George Braque made a pilgrimage to L’Estaque, a favourite place of Cezanne’s and painted this artwork. The painting prompted art critic Louis Vauxcelles to mock it as being composed of cubes which led to the name of the movement. Houses at l'Estaque is a Proto-Cubist painting consisting both of Cézannian trees and houses depicted in the absence of any unifying perspective. Houses in the background do, however, appear smaller than those of the foreground, consistent with classical perspective. Georges Braque, Houses at L'Estaque, 1908, oil on canvas.  There is feeling of solidity , as if one can pick up the houses and the trees. There is still a link with reality, but in an extremely simplified manner so that the buildings transformed to basic geometric shapes/ GEORGES BRAQUE (1882-1963) 'Viaduct at L'Estaque', 1908 (oil on canvas) Pablo Picasso, Landscape with Bridge, 1909. Pablo Picasso, Houses on the Hill, 1909. Georges Braque, Houses at L'Estaque, 1908, Paul Cezanne, Bibemus Quarry, 1895, oil on oil on canvas. canvas. Analytical Phase Picasso and Braque worked together (realized they had something in common) Analytical means to break up. The subjects painted and the space around them were broken up (therefore analytic) into small geometrically shaped areas or facets. The artworks look more complicated and less solid than the Cézanne phase. Space was flattened. The distinction between background and foreground virtually disappears. Pablo Picasso, Portrait of Khanweiler 1910. Oil on canvas. Simultaneous viewpoints was used: The subject was examined and painted from many different of viewpoints, therefore the concept of time is introduced. Georges Braque Georges Braque Bottle and Fishes Violin and Jug c.1910–12 1910 Oil on canvas oil on canvas  Themes were portraits and still lives Colour palette was restricted to monochromatic ochres, browns, blues and greens.  Broken up forms, but still based on reality (they gave clues so it doesn’t become completely abstract) George Braque,The Portuguese,1911. George Braque, Girl with cross.1910.  To enrich the surface, they used small broken brushstrokes which also distinguished between facets. George Braque, Man with a Guitar 1911-1912. Oil on canvas  The following four analytical Cubist works by Picasso show the development of the analytical phase and how the works became increasingly abstract. Pablo Picasso, Pablo Picasso, Pablo Picasso, Pablo Picasso, Seated Nude Girl with a Mandolin Ambroise Vollard The Poet 1909–10 1910 1910 1911 oil on canvas oil on canvas oil on canvas oil on canvas Pablo Picasso, Ma Jolie 1911-1912 oil on canvas Synthetic Phase Picasso and Braque were joined by Juan Gris. The discovery of collage and paper collé was important. Collage was first used when Picasso glued a piece of paper onto his canvas in 1908. Analytical Cubism worked from reality, but their art was increasingly becoming abstract and difficult to read. They wanted a link with reality. Pablo Picasso, Still life with Violin and Fruit 1913, Collage  The term collage derives from the French "coller" meaning "glue". This term was coined by both Georges Braque and Pablo Picasso in the beginning of the 20th century when collage became a distinctive part of modern art. The inclusion of real objects directly in art was the start of one of the most important ideas in modern art. Pablo Picasso, Violin Hanging on the Wall, 1912, oil, spackle with sand, enamel, and charcoal on canvas  Their method of working was now different to the analytical phase. They first glued the pieces of paper to the canvas creating a free composition. Then reality was introduced. Contours were not the same. For instance when a bottle was drawn onto a piece of grey paper, we know the bottle to be green even if its shape differs from the grey paper. Juan Gris, The Bottle of Banyuls, 1914, Collage  Their method was synthetic – a synthesis or combination of different elements. Meaning was introduced later for example; pieces brown paper became a mandolin through the lines on it. The picture plane became less complex in contrast to the extreme faceting of the analytical phase. A very flat space is presented. George Braque, Mandora, 1909-1910, Oil on canvas George Braque, The Mandolin, 1914, Charcoal, collage, gouache, cardboard  Colour was re-introduced. A variety of textures for example, collage, plaster of Paris etc. enriched the surface. No illusionist space was created. Subject matter is virtually exclusively still lives. Pablo Picasso, Bowl of Fruit, Violin and Bottle, 1914, Oil and Collage on Canvas  The first Cubist collage was Picasso’s Still Life with Chair Caning (1912). In this work Picasso glued a piece of oilcloth to the work, on which is printed a pattern of woven seat caning, which represents the whole chair. On it he painted an analytical still life. The work is framed with real rope Pablo Picasso, Still Life with Chair-Caning, 1911-1912, Oil and Collage on Canvas  This work offers different ways of representing reality – a real rope, a piece of printed chair caning that looks real, the still life which combines different viewpoints and the word ‘jou’ referring to a journal (newspaper). The work is a synthesis or combination of different elements. The picture plane becomes less complex. It has an extremely flat space. Pablo Picasso, Still Life with Chair-Caning, 1911-1912, Oil and Collage on Canvas  SUMMARY OF CUBISM Cubism drew attention to the contradictions involved in depicting a three- dimensional scene on a two-dimensional surface. Analytical Cubism broke down real objects into different parts. Synthetic Cubism built up recognizable images from abstract parts using ready- made materials such as newspaper. Cubism always kept a link with reality and was never totally abstract.  Cubism was about REASON, FORM and DESIGN not feeling and sensation!  PABLO PICASSO  Is one of the greatest and most influential artists of the 20th century  Picasso demonstrated extraordinary artistic talent in his early years  He painted in a realistic manner through his childhood and adolescence.  His style changed as he experimented with different theories, techniques, and ideas.  By 1905, Picasso became a favourite of the American art collectors Leo and Gertrude Stein.  Picasso painted portraits of Gertrude Stein, Gertrude Stein became Picasso's main patron, collecting his drawings and paintings and exhibiting them in her informal Salon at her home in Paris.  He is known not only for his paintings, but also for his drawings, prints, sculptures, and ceramics and stage designs.  Picasso became a legend in his time known for the enormous output of works. He was above all an innovator who moved between styles. Science and Charity 1897 Oil on canvas Harlequin Sitting on a Red Couch 1905 Oil on canvas The Tragedy 1903 Oil on canvas THE THREE MUSICIANS (1921) Picasso’s work shows characteristics of the post Analytical Phase of Cubism. It has more colour than the Analytical Phase, which was monochromatic, and it shows a return to a strong outlined, decorative style that was not seen in the Cezanne Phase or the Analytical Phase. It is a style almost of cloissonism, where black outlines hold areas of strong colour in them, like a stained glass window, and where pattern is strong. The geometric distortion of facial features and planes is also typical of all phases of Cubism. WEEPING WOMAN (1937) GUERNICA (1937)  Cubism had a major influence on art in the twentieth century. Many styles such as Orphism, Purism, Russian Constructivism, Futurism, etc. were variations and/or influenced by Cubism. Cubism had a major influence on the development of 20th century art in architecture, sculpture, painting (formalism and abstraction), as well as in the applied arts as typography, furniture design etc. Robert Delauney, Eiffel Tower, Umberto Boccion Fernand Leger, Soldier with 1914. Oil on canvas. Dynamism of a Soccer Player, 1913. pipe, 1916. Oil on canvas. Oil on canvas. FUTURISM MILAN, ITALY 1909-1914  BACKGROUND In 1909 the poet and publisher Fillippo Tommaso Marinetti wrote the First Futurist Manifesto and had it published in Le Figaro newspaper in France. Filippo Tommaso Marinetti “Founding Manifesto” Le Figaro February 20, 1909  Marinetti felt that the vast burden of Italy’s past was too inhibiting and that Italy was not in touch with modern life.  His aim with the manifest was to bring Italy in line with modern life and to create a plan for cultural development.  The name Futurism was chosen to express positive feelings about modern technology.  Futurismwas the first of the modern movements where the IDEA behind the STYLE was important.  “We affirm that the world’s magnificence has FUTURISM been enriched by a new beauty: the beauty of speed…”  Began as a literary movement in Italy in 1909, but later included visual arts, film, theater, music, and architecture  Ended at WW1  Saw the future as a glorious age made possible the machine and manufactured products. New in the 20th century: telephones, motorcars, railway trains electricity and later aeroplanes  Glorified the future, the machine, speed and power  Effects of Movement and Noise  Artists had a socio-political agenda  Published several manifestos – a written document that explains the overall intentions of the group – in this case, advocating a revolution in society and art  IN THE FIRST FUTURIST MANIFESTO MARINETTI PROCLAIMED STATEMENTS SUCH AS: “We will glorify war – the only true hygiene of the world!” “When called a madman, bear the title with pride and dignity.” “We will sing the great masses agitated by work, pleasure and revolt.” “The splendor of the world has been enriched by a new kind of beauty, the beauty of speed. A racing car adorned with great pipes like serpents with explosive breath… is more beautiful than the Nike of Samothrace.”  Marinetti gathered a few artists to express his ideas.  They included Umberto Boccioni, Giacomo Balla, Gino Severini, Carlo Carra and Luigo Russolo.  Boccioni wrote the Manifesto for Futuristic Painters which declared among other things: “All links with the past must be broken; museums, libraries etc. are like cemeteries and must be destroyed. All forms of imitation must be held in contempt and all forms of originality should be glorified. That we should rebel against the tyranny of the words harmony and good taste. That a clean sweep should be made of all stale and threadbare subject-matter in order to express the vortex of modern life – a life of steel, fever, pride and headlong speed.” A new art for a new age.” FUTURIST WORKS CREATE ECHOES OF:  Cubism - Forms are fragmented and space is flattened Umberto Boccioni, Elasticity, 1912 Umberto Boccioni, Simultaneous Visions, 1912 - Whereas one finds a centralized image in cubism, the Futurists spread forms all over the canvas to portray movement. They took the fragmentation of forms, linear framework and the use of letters and numbers from Cubism, but they used it for a different aim, (speed, movement and the portraying of modern life) and therefore it differs from Cubism.  FUTURIST WORKS CREATE ECHOES OF:  Pointillism (Seurat): The technique of applying paint in fragmented dots and lines is clearly seen in Boccioni. The dot that elongates into a line also serves as a depiction of a field of force Gino Severini, Spherical Expansion of Light ,1913-14 Umberto Boccioni , Close-up of The City Rises Giacomo Balla, Street Light, 1909, Oil on Canvas  FUTURIST WORKS CREATE ECHOES OF:  Fauvism – Colours are often brilliant, especially reds, yellows, oranges, and complementary blues.  Bright colours help to convey energy. Umberto Boccioni, The Street Enters The Carlo Carra, The Red Horseman, 1913 House, 1911 KEY FOCUS: MOVEMENT A key focus of the Futurists was the depiction of movement, or dynamism.  Thegroup developed a number of new techniques to express speed and motion, including blurring, repetition, and the use of lines of force.   The effect of motion by repeating shapes  Several frames from a particular motion in the same pictoral space. This can clearly be seen in Gonchorova’s The Cyclist (1913). This can be easily read as an attempt at portraying movement Giacomo Balla , Speed of a motorcycle , 1913 Natalia Goncharova The Cyclist, 1913 Marcel Duchamp, Nude Descending a Staircase, 1912, Oil on canvas Umberto Boccioni, Unique Forms of Continuity in Space, 1913, Bronze  Feeling of Motion  Symbolic of Dynamic modern life  Figure moving ahead in a brave, new world C.U.T.S The Futurists were not interested in stylistic and subject matter choices of past artists and embraced developments in technology for both subject and process. Their focus is what I refer to as C.U.T.S – cameras, urbanization, transportation and speed. Late 19th century photographer, Edward Muybridge Cameras – this recently developed tool allowed artists to visualize breakdowns of sequential movement. Futurists adapted this characteristic to create movement in their work. Antonio Giulio Bragaglia The Cellist 1913 gelatin-silver print Antonio Giulio Bragaglia Dynamism of a Typist 1913 gelatin-silver print Antonio Giulio Bragaglia Polyphysiognomic Portrait of Boccioni 1912-13 gelatin-silver print  Urbanization – with growing industries, citizens of Europe were leaving farm work for factory work in cities. Futurists saw the city, and the youth within it, as a central component to a forward-thinking society. Umberto Boccioni, The City Rises, 1910-12 Oil on canvas  Umberto Boccioni, The Morning, 1909, Oil on canvas Transportation – cars, trains, aeroplanes, you name it, people were able to travel farther and faster than ever (relatively speaking). Futurists conveyed speed and technology in their subject matter, composition, right down to their mark-making. Giacomo Balla, Speed of a motorcycle, 1913  Set in a train station, this triptych explores the psychological dimension of modern life's transitory nature. In The Farewells, Boccioni captures chaotic movement and the fusion of people swept away in waves as the train's steam bellows into the sky. Oblique lines hint at departure in Those Who Go, in which Boccioni said he sought to express "loneliness, anguish, and dazed confusion." In Those Who Stay, vertical lines convey the weight of sadness carried by those left behind. Umberto Boccioni, States of Mind: The Farewells; Those who Go; Those who Stay, 1913, Oil on canvas Gino Severini Armored Train 1915 oil on canvas 3 ft. 10 in. x 2 ft. 10 1/8 in.  Speed – the rapid social, political changes, and technological advances during the earth 20th no doubt influenced the Futurists “need for speed.” In the visual arts, artists abstracted reality to interpret “speed” and the collapsing of time. Umberto Boccioni, Dynamism of a Soccer Player, 1913, Oil on canvas Giacomo Balla, Dynamism of a Dog on a Leash, 1912, Oil on Canvas Umberto Boccioni Cavalry Charge (Charge of the Lancers) 1915 tempera and collage on pasteboard 32 x 50 cm  The effect of motion by repeating shapes  Several different views at the same time