Contemporary Arts and Its Evolution PDF

CONTEMPORARY ARTS AND ITS EVOLUTION ART - Art is “ar” in Aryan, which means “to join or put together” - It is “artizein” in Greek, which means “to prepare”. - It is “ars” or “artis” in Latin, which means “ability or skill”. - Art is the use of skill and imagination in the creat...

CONTEMPORARY ARTS AND ITS EVOLUTION ART - Art is “ar” in Aryan, which means “to join or put together” - It is “artizein” in Greek, which means “to prepare”. - It is “ars” or “artis” in Latin, which means “ability or skill”. - Art is the use of skill and imagination in the creation of aesthetic objects, environments, or experiences that can be shared with others. (Britannica Online, 2017). - Art is the human ability to make things of beauty and things that stir us. (Atkins & Snyder, 2017). - Whether art represents something beautiful or meaningful, or is the arrangement of lines, colors, shapes, and other aesthetic elements, for as long as the completed work is a product of expressing ambitions, emotions, experiences, or thoughts, it is considered Art. - Art has long been evident and it has been used as one of the earliest and most basic forms of communication in the olden times (ex: cave paintings). - What constitutes art has changed over time and the production of art forms has indeed evolved. This, then, leads us to the very center of this subject – CONTEMPORARY ART. CONTEMPORARY ART - The term used for art of the present day. Usually artists are alive and still making works. - Contemporary art is often about ideas and concerns, rather than solely the aesthetic (the look of the work). - “Art of the modern-day.” DIFFERENT ART ERAS 1. Prehistoric Art (40,000-4,000 B.C.) - The origins of art history can be traced back to the Prehistoric era, before the advent of written language. - The earliest artifacts are found in the Paleolithic era/Old stone age: rock carvings, engravings, pictorial imagery, sculptures, and stone arrangements. - During this period, natural pigments and carvings were used to create representations of objects, animals, and rituals that prove the existence of such civilization. 2. Ancient Art (4,000 B.C.-A.D. 400) - produced by advanced civilizations from Mesopotamia, Egypt, Greece, and the Americas during the time when written language has been established. - The medium of a work of art from this period varies depending on the civilizations that produced it – mostly served similar purposes that include telling stories, decorating utilitarian objects like bowls and weapons, displaying religious and symbolic imagery, and demonstrating social status. Many works depict stories of rulers, gods, and goddesses. Code of Hammurabi (1792 B.C.) - a famous work from ancient mesopotamia. - “Someone is innocent, until proven guilty” and “an eye for an eye”. - Contains the Babylonian set of laws carved in stone. Roman Empire: largest empire before it was destroyed by the Persians. 3. Medieval Art (A.D. 500 - A.D. 1400) - “Dark ages”. The middle ages marked a period of economic and cultural deterioration following the fall of the Roman Empire in 476 A.D. - Most of the artwork in the early years of this period reflects that darkness, characterized by grotesque imagery and brutal scenery. Overtime, artwork was centered on more sophisticated and elaborately decorated churches with windows and silhouettes adorned with biblical subjects and scenes from classical mythology. - It was also during this period that the illuminated manuscript and gothic architecture style emerged. (Ex of influential art: Catacombs in Rome, Hagia Sophia in Istanbul, the Lindisfarne Gospels the best example for illuminated manuscripts, and Notre Dame, a Parisian cathedral and prominent example of Gothic architecture). 4. Renaissance Art (1,400 - 1600) - Characterized by natural elements, individualism, and realism. Artwork produced has attention-to-detail and precision of the human anatomy. - It flourished in Florence, Italy. Due to the Medici, a wealthy merchant family, who adamantly supported the arts and humanism, a variety of beliefs and philosophies that the human realm. - Italian designer Filippo Brunelleschi and sculptor Donatello were key innovators during this period. Leonardo Da Vinci was a well-known painter in this period. - Influential artists such as da Vinci, Michelangelo and Raphael brought creative power and led the ideals of emotional expression. - Artists during this time used linear perspective and created depth through intense lighting and shading. Art began to change stylistically shortly after the High Renaissance, when clashes between the Christian faith and humanism gave way to the next period. 5. Mannerism (1527-1580) - Inspired by the ideals of Michelangelo, Raphael, and other late Renaissance artists, mannerists emerged by their focus on style and technique overshadowed the meaning of the subject matter. - Figures had stylized features and exaggerated details instead of using classical ideals of harmonious composition and linear perspective used by their predecessors. - Some of the most celebrated Mannerists artists include Giorgio Vasari, Francesco Salviati, Domenico Beccafumi, and Bronzino, who is widely considered to be the most important Mannerist painter in Florence during this time. - Difference with Renaissance, this has a more exaggerated expression. 6. Baroque (1600-1750) - Is characterized by ornate, over-the-top visual arts and architecture. Artwork depicted grandeur and richness, which described artists as stylistically complex. - Baroque paintings were dramatic as seen in the iconic works of Italian painter, Caravaggio and Dutch painter Rembrandt. Painters used an intense contrast between light and dark and had energetic compositions matched by rich color palettes. (vibrant colors) - Popularized the “Still life” paintings. Some say that the etymology of the period name came from pearls with an unusual shape. 7. Rococo (1699-1780) - Characterized by lightness and elegance, focusing on the use of natural forms, asymmetrical design, and subtle colors. - Painters like Antoine Watteau and Francois Boucher used lighthearted treatments, rich brushworks, and fresh colors. - The Rococo style also easily translated to silver, porcelain, and french furniture. Many chairs and armoires featured curving forms, floral designs, and an expressive use of gilt. 8. Neoclassicism (1750-1850) - “New Classicism”. - Obtained the elements of classical antiquity where artists tried to recreate the great works of ancient art taken from archaeological ruins of ancient civilizations in Athens and Naples. - This paved the way for a renewed interest in harmony, simplicity, and proportions, that were present in classical art, mixed with modernity. - Neoclassical artists include Italian sculptor Antonio Canova who used the classical elements in his marble sculptures, but shunned the cold artificially found in its early creations. 9. Romanticism (1780-1850) - Romantic artists reject order, harmony, and rationality, which were embraced in both Classical art and Neoclassicism. - The individual and imagination are emphasized with an appreciation for nature that brought artists out of dark interiors and enabled them to point outside. - Artworks shoved passion, emotion, and sensation over intellect and reason. - Renowned Romantic painters include Henry Fuseli for his strange macabre (unpleasant/unsettling) painting that depicted dark recesses of human psychology, and William Blake, whose mysterious poems  and images conveyed mystical visions and his disappointment in societal constraints. - Applied in literature and arts. 10. Realism (1848-1900) - Believed to be the first modern art movement, this period was a result of the anti-Romantic movement in Germany, the rise of journalism, and advent of photography, which in turn encouraged new interest in capturing activities of everyday life in a more precise manner. - Hence, artwork featured detailed, life-like depictions of the subject matter. - Gustave Courbet is known as one of the most influential leaders of the Realist movement. He is a French artist committed to painting only what he could physically see. 11. Impressionism (1865-1885) - “Impression of the moment”: Encapsulating the impression of an exact moment. - They use short, quick brushstrokes, unfinished sketch-like feel, modern-life subjects. - Impressionists prefer painting dance halls and sailboat regattas rather than historical and mythological events. Claude Monet is one of the leading contributors of this period. Impression, Sunrise was where the period’s name is derived from. 12. Post-impressionism (1885-1910) - “Vision of the moment”: Concentrated on subjective visions and symbolic, personal meanings rather than observations of the outside world in the form of abstraction. - Influential artists like Georges Seurat known for his pointillism (using small, distinct dots to form an image) and Vincent Van Gogh known for his rugged brushstrokes and dark tones. 13. Art Nouveau (1890-1910) - “New art” tried to create a totally genuine movement free from any imitation of styles that came before it. - Influenced by applied arts, graphics, and illustration. Focused on the natural world, characterized by long, sinuous lines and curves. - Significant Art Nouveau artists worked in a variety of media such as architecture, graphic and interior design, jewelry-making, and painting. - Alphonse Mucha is well-known for his theatrical posters of French actress Sarah Bernhart. Antoni Gaudi, a Spanish architect, creates curving, brightly-colored constructions (Basilica de la Sagrada Familia in Barcelona). 14. Fauvism (1900-1935) - Vincent Van Gogh and Georges Seurat use the expressive use of intense color, line and brushworks, a bold service of surface design, and flat composition. - Henri Matisse led Fauvism and his works were accentuated by painterly qualities and strong color rather than the representational or realistic value of Impressionism. - Precursor of Expressionism and Cubism 15. Expressionism (1905-1920) - Due to the growing conflict in world views and loss of spirituality, this period sought to display anxieties and raw emotions through the artist’s works that show distortion of form and strong colors. - Origins of expressionism can be traced to Vincent Van Gogh, Edvard Munch (Painter of “The Scream”), and James Ensor. - Prominent groups that were formed to allow artists to publish their works and express their ideals collectively: Die Brücke (The Bridge) and Der Blaue Reiter (The Blue Rider) 16. Cubism (1907-1914) - Led by Pablo Picasso and Georges Braque. Cubism discarded the idea that art should imitate nature. - Moved away from customary techniques and perspectives, creating radically fragmented objects through abstraction. - Artwork during this period is characterized by flat, two-dimensional surfaces, geometric forms, or cubes of objects, and contrasting vantage points. 17. Surrealism (1916-1950) - Artwork in this period defied reason, denouncing rational mindset. - It was believed that surrealists attribute this kind of thinking to events like World War I (1914-1918), which made people repress their imaginative thoughts. - Surrealist artists like Salvador Dali sought to tap into the unconscious mind to portray revelations found on the street and everyday life. Dali’s painting depicts historical accuracy painted with vivid and bizarre dreams. 18. Abstract Expressionism (1940s-1950s) - Preferred to do away with traditional techniques and instead used spontaneity and improvisation to create abstract artwork whose size could no longer be placed on an easel but instead, canvases are directly placed upon the floor. - Abstract Expressionist painters include Jackson Pollock, known for his unique style of drip painting and Mark Rothko, whose Orange and Yellow painting employed large blocks of color to convey a sense of spirituality. 19. Op Art (1950s-1960s) - “Optical art” is greatly influenced by developments in science and technology as well as an interest in optical effects and illusions. - Artists use shapes, colors, and patterns to create images or patterns that appear to be moving or blurring and most of the time produced in black and  white for maximum contrast. Which are meant to both confuse and excite the eye. - One of the known Op artists/practitioners is Bridget Riley (English Artist) in her 1964 artwork called “Blaze” which featured zigzag black and white lines that create the illusion of a circular descent. 20. Pop Art (1950s-1960s) - Use everyday objects to create innovative works of art that feature bold and vivid colors, and challenge consumerism and mass media. - Launching of this period is a shift towards modernism. Pop art like Andy Warhol’s Campbell’s Soup Cans is perhaps the most famous pop culture work of art which paved the way for the idea that art can be drawn from any source. 21. Arte Povera (1960s) - “Poor Art”. Introducing commonplace materials into artworks to challenge the modernist, contemporary systems. - Many of the notable works during this period are sculptural in nature wherein soil, rocks, paper, rope, and other natural elements were used to evoke a pre-industrial sentiment. - Giap’s Igloo (anti-elitist work) is made from everyday life, focused on the necessities of life: shelter, warmth, and food. 22. Minimalism (1950s-1960s) - Founded by younger artists in New York who probed the overly expressive works of Abstract Expressionism, minimalist artists invite the viewers to focus on what exactly the art portrays rather than draw interpretations that are beyond one’s emotions and reality. - Using purified forms, order, simplicity, and harmony. - Frank Stella (American artist) features patterns of recti-linear strips of uniform width printer in metallic black in in his non-representational painting called “Black Paintings”. 23. Conceptual Art (1960s-1970s) - This period is focused on ideas and concepts, therefore, there is no distinct style or form. - Conceptual art completely rejected the previous periods of art where artists valued ideas over visual components. Artworks are in the form of performance, ephemera ( any transitory written or printed matters that are not meant to be retained or preserved), and other forms. - Joseph Kosuth delved into the production and role of language within art, as evident in his “One and Three Chairs”, which featured one chair in 3 different ways to convey different meanings of the object. Art Exhibit - this includes not paintings, but as well as performances and displays. These performances focuses on the message behind the object. 24. Contemporary Art (1970s-present) - This period is marked by the exploration of Postmodernism, Feminist Art, Neo-Expressionism, Street Art, Appropriation Art, Digital Art, and other small movements. - Jeff Koons is the leading contributor of this period whose famous work is Michael Jackson and Bubbles (1988).