ARTS Lesson 1: Impressionism & Expressionism PDF

Lesson 1: Impressionism and Expressionism On the turn of the 20th century, two art movements arose. Both Impressionism and Expressionism are responses to the now modern lifestyle of the people. Let us learn more about them in this lesson. Learning Targets In this lesson, you should be able...

Lesson 1: Impressionism and Expressionism On the turn of the 20th century, two art movements arose. Both Impressionism and Expressionism are responses to the now modern lifestyle of the people. Let us learn more about them in this lesson. Learning Targets In this lesson, you should be able to: analyze art elements and principles in the production of work following a specific art style from the various art movements; create artworks guided by techniques and styles of the various art movements; and reflect on and derive the mood, idea, or message from selected artworks. Warm-up Make Face and Draw Each learner will have a partner in this activity. One student will make a face according to the emotion the teacher will say. The partner will draw his/her face. Drawings should not be realistic and should focus on the emotion. After three rounds, they will change roles. Let the students compare their works. Suggested emotions: 1. happy 2. sad 3. afraid 4. angry 5. excited 6. disgusted 5  Learn about It! An artwork can give a glimpse of reality and also evoke the emotion of the audience. Let us learn more about Impressionism and Expressionism. Impressionism For about 150 years Impressionism shaped the world of arts. In the 1870s, it defied the rules of fine arts by featuring impressions rather than perfect forms and symmetry. Critics say that Impressionists’ works look unfinished and amateurish in quality. Impressionists believe that what the eye can see is different on what the brain can understand. Their artworks are like the glimpse of images, focusing on the perception of the artists as much as the subject. The paintings feature pure bright and vibrant colors that are applied in small touches contrary to the conventional broad strokes. Most of these colorful works feature outdoor scenes. Famous Impressionists include: Edouard Manet who is considered to be the influencer of the development of the art movement. Camille Pissarro and Alfred Sisley loved to paint the river and countryside scenes. Edgar Degas painted horse races and ballet dancers while Pierre Auguste Renoir focused on the effect of sunlight to different things such as flowers. Claude Monet who arguably the most popular Impressionist featured the changes in atmosphere in his artworks while Berthe Morisot loved to paint everyday things. 6  Fig. 1.1 One of the most popular Impressionist artworks is Claude Monet’s Impression, Sunrise in 1872. One of the most popular Impressionist artworks is the Impression, Sunrise in 1872. Painted by Claude Monet, it is the perfect example of Impressionism. Having the Le Havre harbour in France as the subject, it suggested the place instead than defined it. With very loose brush strokes, the colors captured the essence of the scene. Edouard Manet’s The Luncheon on the Grass shocked the French people in 1863. It featured a nude woman with two fully dressed men. The artwork which was part of the Salon des Refuses raised the eyebrows of many but also considered as a statement for artistic freedom. The work continued to puzzle the audience and is said to be the greatest work of the artist. Fig 1.2. Edouard Manet’s The Luncheon on the Grass shocked the French people in 1863. 7 Monet’s series of 250 paintings called the Nympheas is called “The Sistine Chapel of Impressionism.” Displayed in different museums across the globe, it treats the audience with the diversity and mysteries of nature. Painted in the last 30 years in the life of the artist when his sight was deteriorating because of cataract, the artworks influenced generations of artists. Fig. 1.3 Monet’s series of 250 paintings called the Nympheas is called “The Sistine Chapel of Impressionism.” Impressionism continues to influence artists in the world. Filipino artists support the movement and create Impressionist artworks of their own. Boy Go of Arts & Craft Philippines paints impressionistic works on the different landscapes and countryside scenes. Bueno Silva creates a name in America by creating artworks that awe people of different nationalities. Oscar Ramos, on the other hand, is known to be “The Filipino Impressionist.” His Impressionist works such as Gelbe Wilde Rose and Stillleben mit Trauben were featured on art exhibits in Germany. 8 Expressionism Developed in Germany and Austria in the 19th and 20th century, Expressionism focused on the feelings of the artist rather than the depiction of the subject. Instead of painting the reality of an object Expressionists use images that they believe will represent the true meaning of their works. The artists picture personal emotions through exaggeration, distortion, fantasy, and primitivism. To convey the feelings of the artists, gestural swaying and swirling brush strokes were used in the artworks. The colors are arbitrary, not natural and very intense. The subjects include alienated individuals and prostitutes that were used for social criticisms. There are many notable Expressionists in Western countries. In Germany, the names Otto Dix, George Grosz, Max Beckmann, Ernst Ludwig Kirchner, Lionel Feininger, Emil Nolde, August Macke, and Max Pechstein are famous. The Russian Kandinsky, Czech Alfred Kubin, Austrian Oskar Kokoschka, and Norwegian Edvard Munch were also known for their Expressionist artworks. The 1893 painting of Edvard Munch, "The Scream," is one of the most popular Expressionist artworks. It was about an individual's battle against society. It was inspired by his experience while walking in a bridge when he saw the sky turned a bloody red. It feared him and heard the screams of nature. The result is a painting that evokes a strong feeling of fear and anxiety toward the real world. 9 Fig 1.4 The Scream of Edvard Munch is one of the most popular Expressionist artworks. 10 The painting Street, Berlin in 1913 features an alienated urban street procession. Painted by Ernst Ludwig Kirchner who is known for many street scenes, the work featured two prostitutes as the highlight. The figures in the artwork are narrow, contorted and bent making it unnatural. Fig. 1.5 The painting Street, Berlin by Ernst Ludwig Kirchner in 1913 features an alienated urban street procession. 11 12 Lesson 2: Cubism Cubism is a modern art movement that became popular in the 1900s. Its impact was so significant that it inspired Filipino artists to draw Cubists paintings. Let us find out more in this lesson. Learning Targets In this lesson, you should be able to: identify representative artists and Filipino counterparts from the various art movements; use artworks to derive the traditions/history of the various art movements; and show the influence of Modern Art movements on Philippine art forms. Warm-up Blind Drawing The students will draw their faces on their notebooks with eyes closed. They will be allowed to open their eyes for five seconds after every 30 seconds. After three minutes, they will show each other their drawings. Share your work to the class. 16  Learn about It! In 1907, a new Art Movement was born. Cubism features subjects in a fragmented and deconstructed manner viewed in different angles. The term cubism came from a critic named Louis Vauxcelles who said that the artworks were reduced to geometric outlines and cubes. The Cubists do not want to be restricted by perspectives. They introduced relativity by fusing memories and observations. For them, the audience’s sight of the image is the totality of different views and the memory of it from different angles. There is no fixed point of view in Cubism, and the elements of the artworks are interchangeable. Though abstract in form Cubist’s artworks aim to show a realistic way of looking at things. Paul Cézanne An artist named Paul Cézanne inspired the two major players in Cubism. His paintings can be seen on slightly different perspectives. He believed that the flat surface of the art should be emphasized to highlight the difference between the artwork and reality. For him, colors should be arranged and constructed on two-dimensional surfaces. Picasso and Braque Fig. 2.1 Pablo Picasso’s Les Demoiselles d'Avignon. 17 Influenced by the later works of Cézanne are the pillars of Cubism, Pablo Picasso, and Georges Braque. In 1907, Picasso painted the Les Demoiselles d'Avignon which featured distorted figures, subdued palettes, and fragmented planes. Braque, on the other hand, painted the Houses at L'Estaque in 1908 which used cubes and pyramids. The two later collaborated and worked together to develop the art movement. They met regularly and even dressed alike. Fig. 2.2 Georges Braque’s Houses at L'Estaque in 1908. 18 Gris and Other Notable Cubists With Their Works Other than the two biggest names, there are also other notable Cubists. Juan Gris worked with both Picasso and Braque and was known for different paintings such as the Still Life with Open Window, Rue Ravignan in 1915. Jean Metzinger combined classicism and modernity in his artworks. As shown on his work Tea Time dubbed as "The Mona Lisa of Cubism," he maintained legibility while giving different points of view in painting. Fig. 2.3 Jean Metzinger’s Tea Time is considered as "The Mona Lisa of Cubism." 19 Robert de la Fresnaye was known for his positive and colorful artworks which were highlighted on his work in 1913 titled Conquest of the Air. Fernand Léger combined Cubism with Futurism by using geometric forms and machine-like images. One of his most famous works is the Three Women in 1921. The couple Robert and Sonia Delaunay used overlapping scenes that suggested the fourth dimension. Together they founded a movement influenced by Cubism, the Orphism. Fig. 2.4 Robert de la Fresnaye’s Conquest of the Air is an example of colorful Cubist Artwork. 20 Analytic Cubism From 1908 to 1912, Cubism artworks were chaotic. Painted with earth tones and muted grays, they featured fragmented objects, and overlapping planes and lines. They can be viewed in different standpoints. Examples of works during this phase are Picasso's Ma Jolie and the Violin and Palette by Braque. Fig 2.5 Georges Braque’s Violin and Palette is an example of Analytic Cubism Artwork. 21 Synthetic Cubism In 1912 until 1914, Cubism artworks became simpler and brighter. They also started to include real objects. The patterns, lines, textures, and colors are interchanged. It is a collage with patterned paper and newspaper. Examples of works during this phase are Picasso’s Still Life with Chair-Caning in 1912, and Juan Gris’ The Sunblind in 1914. Fig. 2.6 Juan Gris’ The Sunblind is an example of Synthetic Cubism Artwork. Filipino Cubism Two National Artists for Visual Arts used Cubism in their Artworks. Cesar Legaspi refined Cubism in the Philippines. His works which feature geometric fragmentation technique are intense and powerful — the mythical and modern overlaps with his social comments in his paintings. His works include The Survivor, Avenging Figure, the Third Eye and Bayanihan among others. Vicente Manansala is known for his Cubist artworks. He used fragmented images, but his works are not overly distorted. His common subjects were the unique Filipino objects such as sabong, jeepneys, and barung-barong. Examples of his notable works are the Stations of the Cross, Kalabaw and Madonna of the Slums. 22 23 Lesson 3: Dadaism, Surrealism and Abstract Expressionism Several Modern Art Movements challenged the critical thinking of its viewers. Some were created to protest while some were for meditation. Let us take a look at these unique groups. Learning Targets In this lesson, you should be able to: identify distinct characteristics of arts from the various art movements; compare the characteristics of artworks produced in the various art movements; describe the influence of iconic artists belonging to the various art movements; and realize the influence of a movement to arts and culture. Warm-up Make Him Beautiful Make the boy on a poster posted on the board beautiful by drawing makeup and accessories using colorful pens. Stickers and stamps can also be used to add spice to your work. The more creative the drawings, and use of stickers and stamps, the better. 27  Learn about It! In the turn of the 19th and 20th century, artists started to break free from the conventions. They shifted their style to techniques where they can express their beliefs and opinions. Dadaism Dadaism is an art movement created as a protest to the bourgeois culture. The members question the society, the artists and the arts itself. They manipulate ready-made objects and transform them into artworks. Dadaist artworks are abstract, formed by deconstructed images that challenge the norms and challenging to understand. They were irreverent, random and accidental. The ironies on the works show the wit and humor of the artists. Fig. 3.1 In 1919, Marcel Duchamp drew a mustache and a goatee to the most revered Mona Lisa to show irreverence to traditional art. The label L.H.O.O.Q. was also offending for it sounds like “Elle a chaud au cul” which means "She has a hot ass." 28 Just like its artworks, the meaning and the origin of the word “Dada” is still uncertain. Initiated by Emmy Hennings and Hugo Ball in 1916 at their Cabaret Voltaire in Zurich, the first artists of the movement aimed to stop the war and express discontent on the nationalist and bourgeois traditions. Publishing magazines and mounted exhibits, as well as the return of the artists to their homelands, Dadaism spread in different countries. Each place has its own themes and characteristics. Dadaism in Germany started in 1917. The themes of the Dadaist artworks are political and satirical. Commentaries on war, politics, and government can be seen in the paintings and collages. Artists such as Richard Huelsenbeck, Max Ernst, Johannes Theodor Baargeld, George Grosz, Raoul Hausmann, Johannes Baader, and Hannah Höch pioneered the movement. Hans Arp, on the other hand, made important developments by creating collages by chance. Fig. 3.2 Hannah Höch’s Cut with the Dada Kitchen Knife through the Last Weimar Beer-Belly Cultural Epoch in Germany in 1919 features the faces of Lenin, Kollwitz, Negri and Marx shows the extremes of Weimer politics. 29 There were also Dadaism clubs in Paris and New York. Different exhibits and performances were mounted to promote the art movement. There were also publications in journals and manifestos. Artists such as Louis Aragon, Andre Breton, Paul Eluard, Tristan Tzara continued to create Dadaist artworks. It was Marcel Duchamp who pioneered the use of ready-made objects and refused the definition of art. Fig. 3.3 In his 1917 artwork ‘The Fountain” Marcel Duchamp questioned the basic definitions of art by using a urinal in his artwork. Source: Photoshop (me), original photo GNU from Gtanguy, Fontaine Duchamp, CC BY-SA 3.0 Surrealism Another modern art movement that challenged the critical thinking of people was the Surrealism. Founded by French André Breton in 1924, it aimed to liberate the human thoughts, language, and experience from Rationalism. With its founder inspired by the psychoanalysis writings of Sigmund Freud and the beliefs of Karl Marx, Surrealists wanted to emphasize on the power of imagination by tapping the unconscious mind and oppose the rational orders of the society. 30 The artworks of Surrealists are difficult to categorize and to define. They were usually based on their dreams, making them weird, puzzling and mysterious. Dadaism also influenced the anti-rationality of the art movement. Dadaists such as Marx Ernst, Tristan Tzara, Jean Arp, Francis Picabia, and Marcel Duchamp also created Surrealism artworks. Fig. 3.4 Max Ernst’s The Elephant Celebes is an example of surrealist artwork. Breton led the movement with artists Salvador Dali, Meret Oppenheim, Frida Kahlo, René Magritte, Joan Miró, and Yves Tanguy. They introduced avant-garde techniques and ideas that artists until this date use. The game cadavre exquis or exquisite corpse was also promoted which gave way to the collective creation of artworks. Here, an artist will start a collage or a sentence which will be continued by another artist without looking on what was already placed, written, or drawn. 31 Fig. 3.5 Breton with the other Surrealists popularized the game exquisite corpse which promoted which gave way to collective creation of artworks. Source: Sailko, André breton, jacqueline lamba, yves tanguy, cadavre exquis, 1938 (edimburgo, scottish ng of ma) 01, CC BY 3.0 Abstract Expressionism Another art movement that changed the landscape of arts is Abstract Expressionism. Kickstarted by Clyfford Still after the Second World War, the campaign was heavily influenced by Surrealism. The members were also interested in Carl Jung’s belief in archetypal symbols. There were two major groups within the art movement: the action painters and the color field painters. 32 The action painters use large brushes spontaneously to make gestural marks. One of its leaders, Jackson Pollock, used drip paintings by dancing around his canvass which was placed on the ground pouring and splattering paint all over it to put their impulses to the artwork. Other notable action painters include Franz Kline and Willem de Kooning. Fig. 3.6 The two paintings of Pollock at the Museum of Modern Art are examples of action painting. Source: Gorup de Besanez, Ame02128 18, CC BY-SA 4.0 The color field painters led by Clyfford Still, Barnett Newman and Mark Rothko used a single flat color to large areas which were believed to produce a meditational response. Rothko was known for his richly mixed colored rectangles which provoke religious experience. Newman’s simple paintings, on the other hand, liberates the viewer from the conventions of Western European paintings. Fig. 3.7 The Untitled Etching of Barnett Newman is an example of color field art. 33 34 Lesson 4: Pop Art Everyday objects and common people can be subjects of artworks. Pop art aimed to remove hierarchy in arts and used machines on the creation of works. Let us learn more about this modern art movement. Learning Targets In this lesson, you should be able to: analyze art elements and principles in the production of work following a specific art style from the various art movements; create artworks guided by techniques and styles of the various art movements; and appreciate the beauty of the art movement. Warm-up Iconic Students will shout out the terms, brands, and names when they hear the following words: 1. soda 2. singer 3. fast food 4. TV show 5. actor/actress 38  Learn about It! Pop Art emerged in the 1950s. It used the images of the things people see everyday. It is cheap, gimmicky, mass-produced, impermanent, young, sexy and popular. These characteristics raised the eyebrows of many critics. Fig. 4.1 Pop art use popular personalities as subjects of artwork. Photo from pixabay.com Pop artists wanted to remove hierarchy in culture and arts. They believed that everything is connected and it should be seen in their works. They also rejected the methodologies of Abstract Expressionism by their dull subjects and used machine-like techniques such as the use of silk screen. 39 Beginnings The art movement started in Britain early 1950s with the Independent group of artists, architects, and critics of Richard Hamilton, Eduardo Paolozzi, Alison and Peter Smithson, Reyner Banham and Lawrence Alloway who saw the potential of world pop culture as subjects or artwork. They thought of billboards, science fictions, western movies, car designs, and comics among others. Meanwhile, in New York, Neo Dadaists influenced artists James Rosenquist, Andy Warhol, Claes Oldenburg, and Roy Lichtenstein began using popular images on their artworks. They used everyday objects and ordinary people in their work in the hopes that it can be elevated as fine art. The works became recognizable at became popular. Tabular Image Hamilton and Paolozzi both praise and criticize American pop culture with their artworks. They presented mass media as well as the challenges of traditional art after the world war. In Hamilton's “Just what is it that makes today's homes so different, so appealing?” different mass media images were combined to show post-war culture. Pulp Culture Roy Lichtenstein wanted to erase the distinction between high art and mass culture. By editing, shifting, eliminating and adding elements from comic books, he was able to produce creative re-imagination of compositions than facsimiles. He also incorporated the Ben-Day dots from comics into his paintings. 40  Fig. 4.2 Roy Lichtenstein used elements of comics as well as the Ben-Day dots in his artworks. Source: © Estate of Roy Lichtenstein, Nurse, CC BY 4.0 Monumental Image James Rosenquist placed the common things in the level of high art subjects by creating pop arts that were taller and wider than 20 feet. By creating collages from magazine clippings of photos and advertisements, and turning them subjects of his paintings, he was able to insert political messages in his work. Fig. 4.3 An artwork by James Rosenquist Source:"For Kiesler's Endless House (1963) - James Rosenquist (1933)" by Pedro Ribeiro Simões is licensed under CC BY 2.0 41 Repetition Andy Warhol’s works were inspired by mass consumer culture. He reproduced infinite copies of different common objects such as Coca-cola bottles and Campbell cans then place it on a wall as if it is a supermarket shelf. He favored silk screen printing to make replications easier and to oppose artistic authenticity and genius. Fig. 4.5 The Royal Scottish Academy decorated its entrance to advertise its exhibit on the works of Andy Warhol Source: Andy Warhol cc-by-sa/2.0 - © M J Richardson - geograph.org.uk/p/512306 Pop Sculpture In a rented storefront in New York in 1961, which he called “The Store,” Claes Oldenburg sold soft sculptures. The sculptures which are made of stuffed fabrics recreated common objects from ranging from ice cream cones, cake slices, to mixers. His playful interpretation of the objects leaves his audience in awe. His most famous work was the Clothespin in 1974 which was 45-feet high. 42  Fig. 4.6 Claes Oldenburg’s most famous work was the Clothespin. Source: By Sarah Stierch (Sculptor: Claes Oldenburg) - flickr https://www.flickr.com/photos/sarahvain/3776089701/in/photostream/, CC BY 2.0, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=32968297 Signage Ed Ruscha used phrases and words on his paintings. By interchanging the place, text, experiences, and image, he was able to remove divisions between artistry and commercialism as well as painting and advertisement. 43  Fig. 4.7 A photograph of Ed Ruscha’s 20th Century Fox Source: "Ed Ruscha: 20th Century Fox" by Juan de Dios Santander Vela is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0https://www.wikiart.org/en/edward-ruscha/large-trademark-with-eight-spotlights-1962 44 Lesson 5: Op Art Optical Art plays with the eyes of its viewers. It challenges visual perception and makes people think. Let us know more about it in this lesson. Learning Targets In this lesson, you should be able to: determine the role or function of artworks by evaluating their utilization and combination of art elements and principles; create artworks guided by techniques and styles of the various art movements; and evaluate works of art in terms of artistic concepts and ideas using criteria from the various art movements. Warm-up Is it Moving? Look at the picture. Do you think it is moving? Why or why not? Prove your answer. Photo from pixabay.com 49  Learn about It! In the 1960s, Op Art or Optical Art became popular in South America and Europe. This art movement explores optical phenomena which can be subtle, disturbing or disorienting. With the use of different effects such as brightness, after images and irregular wavy lines, it challenges the eyes of the viewer to comprehend images. It is very flexible with no coherence on the works. Most Op artworks are in black and white. It is because the contrasts it produces, confuse the eyes. There were also colored works such as the Vasarely's Plastic Alphabet which utilized colors to provide an illusion of space. The Grandfather of Op Art In 1931, Victor Vasarely who is a French-Hungarian who was called the Grandfather of Op Art explored unusual perceptual effects in some designs. He created mind-boggling images that seem to change, move or swell. He then started exhibiting his works in 1955 in Le Mouvement in Paris and later on the international “New Tendency” exhibit. This attracted many artists to work on Optical Art. Fig. 5.1 A photo of Victor Vasarely work Source: anonymous, Hungary pecs - vasarely0, CC BY-SA 3.0 50 The Responsive Eye In 1965, the exhibit called “The Responsive Eye” intrigued the guests with the fusion of science and arts in the works. With 123 works of art which include paintings and sculptures, artists such as Carlos Cruz-Diez, Bridget Riley, Josef Albers, Frank Stella, and Jesus Rafael Soto joined Vasarely in exhibiting Optical artworks. Bridget Riley British Bridget Riley was one of the pioneers of the Op Art movement. Instead of science, she relied on her experiments on curves, ovals, stripes, and squares. Her works stimulate imagination more than a mere optical illusion. While she designs the artworks, it was her assistants who paint the final outputs. Fig. 5.2 A photo of Bridget Riley’s work “Current” Source: smallcurio from Austin, TX, Bridget Riley. Current (1964) (38932493384), CC BY 2.0 51 Carlos Cruz-Diez The South American Carlos Cruz-Diez was an instrumental artist in Op Art. He was behind the "additive color" technique which uses evenly spaced strips of colored cards. The paralleled strips give the illusion of moving image. Fig. 5.3 A photo of Carlos Cruz-Diez artwork “Arcos Cromáticos.” François Morellet François Morellet used movements to generate effects. He experimented curve effects using grids. He also created motorized sculptures. Neon’s ability to shut on and off and its luminosity made it another favorite material for Morellet. Several exhibits featured his work with neon tubings. Fig. 5.4 A photo of François Morellet’’s "Sphère - trames" in Museum Abteiberg in Mönchengladbach Source: Hans Weingartz, Mgmorellet, CC BY-SA 3.0 DE 52 Jesus Rafael Soto The Venezuelan Jesus Rafael Soto continued doing OP Art many years after its decline. He started the optical and kinetic movement when he came to France in the year 1950. He used geometric figures for illusory effects and designed artworks in which people can walk through. With the use of thin rubber tubings, images appear to vanish in the air when the viewer walks around it. Fig. 5.5 A photograph of Jesus Rafael Soto’s “Sphere” in Caracas, Venezuela Source: Guillermo Ramos Flamerich, Soto Sphere, CC BY-SA 3.0 Richard Anuszkiewicz Richard Anuszkiewicz is a contemporary American artist that explores the effect of lines, light, and color to the perception of humans. He gained interest to Op Art after being mentored by another Op Artist, Josef Albers. He also studied the optical phenomena in sculptures, suggesting that geometric works mimic 2D compositions. Search for his most famous work, the “Deep Magenta Square” in 1978, in the internet. People say it is hypnotic which gave the swinging illusion to the image. 53 54 Lesson 6: Performance Art, Happenings, and Mob Before you mount an exhibit on the following weeks, let us discuss the last three art movements that we have in this chapter. These art movements will make you move and use your body in presenting artworks. You may want to include them on your presentations. Learning Targets In this lesson, you should be able to: apply different media techniques and processes to communicate ideas, experiences, and stories showing the characteristics of the various art movements; mount exhibit using completed artworks influenced by Modern Art movements; and evaluate works of art in terms of artistic concepts and ideas using criteria from the various art movements. Warm-up Moving Tableau Divided into five groups, the students will present moving tableaus of the following: 1. market 2. hospital 3. zoo 4. park 5. cinema 58  Learn about It! Modern art movements include performances of artists on exhibits and even on the streets. Some of these are rehearsed while some are improvisational. Let us take a look at them. Performance Art Usually presented live, this genre can be performed either by a single artist or by a collaboration of performers. The performances of this non-traditional art can also be recorded in film or video. Aimed to challenge the conventions and provoke the audience, the body of the performers became the medium of art. Performance Art was inspired by the different performances during the events of Dadaists, Surrealists, and Futurists which were made in accordance with the current themes of their time. In the United States, dancer Merce Cunningham and composer John Cage from North Carolina influenced different postwar Performance Artists such as Robert Rauschenberg, Yoko Ono, George Brecht, and Allan Kaprow. In Europe, artists such as Joseph Beuys staged performances in Cologne, Paris, Amsterdam, and Dusseldorf. Several elements separate Performance Arts from the rest of the art movements. Here, the action is the highlight of the presentations. It can be an encounter with the artwork or a participational activity for the audience like Yoko Ono’s works. Body art brings the feeling of an authentic first-person point of view. The use of the body as a tool was explored by artists Hannah Wilke, Rebecca Horn, Carolee Schneemann, Ana Mendieta, Gina Pane, Valie Export, and Chris Burden. 59 Many performance artists have to show endurance to beating, violence, and torture. This approach was very evident on the works of Tehching Hsieh, Claes Oldenburg, Marina Abramović and Allan Kaprow. Rituals were also used to demystify art. It makes the performances sacred and quasi-religious. There are many forms of Performance Art throughout the world. Actionism in Austria is a ritualistic theatre used as a protest to censorship and government surveillance. Art corporel from France used experimental practices to show body language. Japan’s Gutai showed the relationship between the body and matter through large multimedia environments. Objects were destroyed on Auto-Destructive art performances in Britain to show nuclear destruction. 60 Happenings One branch of Performance Art is the Happenings. It is a term for several performance artworks and not an organized group like Fluxus. Unlike other Performance Art forms, the aspect of chance plays a significant role in the presentations. Instead of repeated actions from the audience, each participation of the audience is unique. It is symbolic and expressionistic. Notable artists who used Happenings include George Brecht whose in his work A Chair with a History in 1966 asked the audience to write the history of the chair by sitting and documenting their actions on the book. The artist who coined the term “Happening,” Allan Kaprow, introduced sounds to the performances. He also used everyday objects like in his work “Yard” in which he piled tires on the floor and asked his audience to climb on them. Flash Mob Another form of participatory Performance Art emerged at the turn of the century. In 2003, several performers presented unrehearsed, spontaneous mass action in Manhattan, New York. Flash mobs became popular and soon used for protests. Notable examples of this kind of performance art include the flash mob of the group called “Revolution through the Social Network” in which the participants clap their hands in unison to challenge the government in Belarus. Flash-mob-tactics were used to overthrow the leader of Egypt. Protesters to the regime of Hosni Mubarak started gathering in small groups before they move to the streets with a larger number of people. In October 2010, the UK Uncut forced Vodafone stores to shut because of flash mob performances. 61