Art, Culture, and History 2.1 The Movements

Early Aboriginal art

(from Australia) included rock paintings and carvings now found throughout the country, many are protected in national parks; European colonization of Australia had a large impact on its artwork. Since the 1700s, Europeans began depicting Australian scenes, landscapes, and natural history illustrations

Minimalism Art

1960s; extreme form of abstract art where artists reduced artwork to its barest form, not wishing it to represent anything; they used geometirc shapes and challeneged the previous conventions of creating and viewing artwork; artists wanted their artwork to simply exist in its own form rather than a representational form; shows traits of simplicity, harmony, and purity

Op Art

1960s; used geometric forms to create visual effects and optical illusions; abstract and nonrepresentational; artists consider how our vision works and how the planes of the figure and the ground can work with or against each other; Notable Artists: Bridget Riley, Josef Albers

Fauvism

A painting style developed by Henri Matisse in 1905 that formally lasted until 1908. The means "fierce animal." The style rejects Neo-Impressionism and expresses flat, bold, un-naturalistic color with impulsive brushwork; sometimes the blank canvas shows between brushstrokes; emphasized strong and unusual colors, using color to express mood without being representational of actual colors; Notable Artists: Henri Matisse and André Derain

The Ashcan School

Also known as The Eight, a group of American Naturalist painters formed in 1907, most of whom had formerly been newspaper illustrators, they believed in portraying scenes from everyday life and that poor and working- class people were a worthy artistic subject matter; they used starkly realistic detail with a dark palette, a sketchy quality, and visible brushwork; Their 1908 display was the first art show in the U.S. but after the Armory Show in 1913, as well as the advent of cubism and fauvism, their work no longer seemed as radical as it initially did.

The Hudson River School

American artistic movement that produced romantic renditions of local landscapes; began with depicting the Hudson River Valley and areas surrounding it; the themes were exploration, discovery, and settlement; detailed and somewhat idealized, often showing a juxtaposition and harmony of settlers or agriculture with nature; also showing their belief in nature as a revelation of God; first native art movement in America; Notable Artists: Thomas Cole, Albert Bierstadt

street art

Began with graffiti that initially consisted of politically charged protest slogans and graphics illegally painted in public areas; often times tied to hip-hop culture and lower income areas; was eventually shown in public spaces and museums in the 1970s and 1980s and today is commissioned by well know. Artists and regarded as an art form; Notable Artists: Jean-Michel Basquiat, Keith Haring, Banksy, Shepard Fairey

Pop Art

British and American movement in the 1960s partly inspired by the readymades of Dadaism; used items from popular culture and incorporated them into artwork; went against the disengagement of abstract expressionism and celebrated popular culture and consumer items; used bright, flat colors from advertising and imagery from comic books as well; used hard edges instead of painterly techniques and impersonal, everyday reality instead of personal symbolism; Notable Artists: Andy Warhol, Roy Lichtenstein, Jasper Johns

Social Realism Movement

During the 1920s and 1903s; sought to highlight the "forgotten" members of society, such as the poor, immigrants, and racial minorities

De Stijl

Dutch art movement that started in 1917 is also known as neoplasticism; art movement promoted the reduction of artwork into geometric shapes, lines, and primary colors; attempted to turn this style into a universal form of expression, departing from individual expression; Notable Artists: Piet Mondrian

North American Art

Early colonial art was based on European traditions, and artists mainly painted portraits and landscapes; American Revolution brought a demand for patriotic artwork, and artists began to document rural America; 19th-century painters created portraits and painted a wide range of subjects including pioneers, soldiers, and sailors. American impressionism flourished in the 19th century, and in the 20th century which gave rise to the abstract art scene including pop art, minimalism, and photorealism.

Realism Movement

France 1850s; document people and ordinary life faithfully, rather than avoiding unpleasant subjects or romanticizing them; depicted laborers and ordinary people engaged in everyday life activities, realistically documenting and preserving life and culture at that time; using dark, serious tones to show serious-looking people

Postimpressionism

French art movement from 1886 to 1905; sought to explore the emotional response of the artist and depart from the naturalism of impressionism. These artists still used bold and pure colors as well as real-life subject matter, but they also leaned toward more geometric shapes, distorted forms, exaggerated or arbitrary colors, and sometimes heavy outlines;

Buddhism

Heavy use of mandalas, which represent the universe; sought to depict man's understanding of natural forces and to understand the pattern of nature; objects in nature were seen as "alive," and rather than depicting nature realistically, Asian artists would try to capture the inner essence of these things; artwork is full of symbolism

Egyptian Art

Painting, sculpture, and jewelry created 3,000 B.C. to 30 A.D; most found in monuments and tombs; mostly formal, and it follows their own guidelines for depicting figures; combination of people, animals, and symbols; used soft stones such as limestone, sandstone, and calcite for sculpture; for metalwork used copper, bronze, gold, and silver; used many stones in jewelry including lapis lazuli, feldspar, jasper, amethyst, and quartz

Art Nouveau

Popular between 1890 and 1910; sought to distance itself from historical styles and challenge the hierarchy of fine arts over decorative arts; wanted to revive good craftsmanship, lift the status of crafts, and skillfully create modern designs that did not rely on past design; decorative style that focused on linear contours and outlines, used muted, limited colors such as blues, greens, yellows, and browns; applied to art, architecture, as well as everyday objects such as furniture, lamps, and jewelry

Islamic Art

Religion is the most important aspect of this culture's art, and the artwork will often include patterns that could be repeated into infinity; includes architecture, mosaics, calligraphy, manuscript illumination, metalworking, textiles, and more; concept is the dissolution of matter, which can be achieved by applying patterns and decoration to surfaces

Harlem Renaissance Art Movement

Started between 1920 and 1930; a group of African American artists created a movement that sparked a racial pride that challenged racism and stereotypes; aims to uplift African-Americans' spirits and the race as a whole; common themes were racism, the effects of slavery, folk traditions, and how to convey the experience of black life or black neighborhoods; Notable Artists: Jacob Lawrence, Aaron Douglas

Greek Art

Where great classical art began; used art to express noble ideas and emotions; wanted to highlight the great accomplishments of man and honor their gods through their artwork; mostly sponsored by the government and made for the public to see; includes stone and wood statues and pottery in red figure and black figure styles. They also painted on panels and pottery

Pointillism

a technique of neo-impressionist painting using tiny dots of various pure colors, which become blended in the viewer's eye. It was developed by Georges Seurat with the aim of producing a greater degree of luminosity and brilliance of color.

Romanesque Art

art included massive churches built with stone arches, similar to Roman architecture. Romanesque painters created frescoes and used encaustic on panels.

Outsider Art

art produced by those with no formal training, outside the established channels of art exhibition

Abstract Expressionism

art style from the 1940s and 1950s in New York City but its influence extended into the 1970s; artists grouped under this style sought total freedom of expression through their artwork; thought to be the first truly American art movement; influenced by the surrealist idea of expressing the subconsciousness in artwork; includes color field painting and action painting, and mixes of these two, among other techniques; Notable Artists: Jackson Pollock (action painter), Mark Rothko, Barnett Newman, Clyfford Still (color field painter), Helen Frankenthaler (both)

Expressionism

began in Germany at the beginning of the 20th century, and it spanned from roughly 1905 to 1920; used strong colors and distorted forms to express their feelings in their artwork; Artwork came from within the artist, rather than being copied from what they observed; sought to evoke emotional responses to their works; Notable Artist: Edvard Munch

Gothic Art

began in Paris and spread throughout Europe. Its greatest contribution was the cathedral and elaborate architecture with complicated decoration; included animated figures and expressions

Art Deco Movement

began in Paris with architecture and decorative arts in the 1920s; major style in the 1930s throughout America and Western Europe; characterized by streamlined forms, symmetry, geometric shapes, smooth lines, and bright vibrant colors; influenced by the geometric forms of cubism, the industrial components of futurism and constructivism, and the bright colors of fauvism; used to improve the style of mass-produced objects and was meant to be pleasing to the eye

Surrealism

began in the 1920s in France; sought to express unconscious thoughts and resolve contradictions between reality and dreams; eventually affected literature, music, and film in many countries as well; drew heavily on Freudian theories of sexuality, fantasy, dreams, and irrationality; Notable Artists: Salvador Dali and René Magritte

Feminist Art

began in the late 1960s; artists sought to revise the history of a male-dominated art world and bring attention to the contributions of female artists; sought to abolish stereotypes as well as challenge and influence cultural attitudes; artists began to embrace and use materials in their works that were tied to their gender, such as textiles and embroidery; they also incorporated newer styles such as video, body, and performance art that did not have such a long history as a male-dominated style; Notable Artists: Barbara Kruger, Cindy Sherman, and Faith Ringgold

European Art

began with prehistoric rock painting and carving, developed over the centuries through many different movements. Middle ages: art was commissioned by church or state and depicted religous or political context; academies trained artists in methods, materials, and anatomy, which attempted to elevate art from a craft to a fine art. The industrial revolution brought changes in technology that included premade, portable paints and artists became independent and could use their own creativity. However academies resisted these changes, and innovative artists became avant-garde while academic art stuck to traditions.

Baroque Art

dominated Europe in the 17th and 18th centuries. The style was propagated by the Catholic Church, often in the form of monumental works of public art (Trevi Fountain) characterized by exaggerated motion and attention to detail; meant to counter the rationality and simplicity of the Renaissance style and inspire a sense of awe; scenes are created to enhance a sense of drama and grandeur; use of strongly contrasting tones of light and dark, usually in a dramatic, high-contrast scene; artists departed from tranquil scenes and expressions of that time and instead showed intense emotion and movement in their work

Cubism

early-20th-century art movement, began in 1907 and ended around 1915; influnced by Cezanne's exploration of geometric shapes and bold color during the postimpressionism era; artists would analyze a form, break it apart, and reassemble it visually in a more abstracted format; several viewpoints are shown simultaneously, and simple geometric shapes or interlocking planes are used to construct a scene; Notable Artists: Pablo Picasso and Georges Braque

Futurism

early-20th-century movement that began in Italy in 1909; emphasized movement, technology, speed, and violence; included objects such as cars, airplanes, and industrial elements; expressed dynamic elements in artwork; praised originality, admired technology over nature, and sought to convey movement through space

Mannerism Style

end of the Renaissance in the 1520s to the beginning of baroque art in 1590; emerged as a reaction to the high Renaissance; focused more on style and technique than the meaning of the subject; new scientific discovery that man was not the center of the universe, but, rather, the earth revolves around the sun; highlighted a need for church reforms, bringing turmoil and religious uncertainty; changing proportions and portraying people in new and strange ways; elongated limbs, small heads, and dramatic, unnatural, contrived poses; flattened the composition and arranged the figures on a flat plane; artists experimented with form, portraying emotions, and bright and unusual colors,

Eastern Art

focuses more on landscapes and spiritual ideas, rather than representational subjects or realism; flat planes rather than perspective

Latin American Art

from Central and South America, begins with the indigenous people; first art objects were utilitarian, but eventually they began to produce artwork that represented the values and religions of the different regions; blend of three cultures: Indian, African, and European

Byzantine Art

from the Eastern Empire called Byzantium, and it was highly stylized; favored symbolism over realism, and the subject matter included imperial and religious subjects; painting shows religious subject matter

Folk Art

handmade items, such as pottery, woodcarving, and traditional costumes, produced by rural people with traditional lifestyles, instead of by professional artists; decorative in purpose not influenced by art movements or styles

African Art

includes painting, sculpture, pottery, masks, textiles, body decoration, jewelry, and rock art; aesthetic, some is political or ideological, and some is used for ritual or relligious purposes stylized realism, emphasis on sculpture, geometric forms, and an emphasis on the human figure; tend to visually abstract, or stylize, figures rather than represent them in a naturalistic way; Sculpture is a preferred art form; geometric forms and symmetry, with repeated geometric shapes throughout an artwork; emphasis on health and physical strength as well as youth; could also be used to present sacrificial offerings, to commemorate leaders, or to contact spiritual ancestors

Postmodernism

mid- to late-20th-century art movement that departed from modernism; artists would not recognize the authority of previous art movements, and this movement was skeptical and antiauthoritarian; included elements of confrontation, tongue-in-cheek humor, and ludicrousness; built on the ideas of previous movements such as pop art and feminist art, but they questioned the ideas and subjectivity, authorship, and originality; Notable Artists: Sigmar Polke, Gerhard Richter

Roman Art

more for aesthetics and decoration, rather than for lofty ideals; statues of gods and goddesses; created skillful and realistic portrait sculptures. In addition to sculptures, they created paintings and mosaics for homes, showing scenes of daily life.

Dada

movement began around 1915 in Zurich, New York, Germany, and Paris; movement came about as a reaction of disgust and revolt to the horrors of World War I, and the movement was also antibourgeois; sought to depart from traditional values of art and create a new kind of art; techniques include readymades (presenting a premade object as art) and the photomontage (using scissors and glue to assemble images from images printed in the press); Notable Artists: Marcel Duchamp

Constructivism

movement began as a Russian abstract style of art and architecture that started in the 1910s; This movement consisted of constructing dynamic three-dimensional forms from objects such as plastic, wood, glass, or iron; movement began with Vladimir Tatlin, who was influenced by Picasso's cubist constructions and wanted to "construct" art with dynamic components

Romanticism Art

movement began in 1770; encompassed art, literature, music, and culture; movement emphasized emotion and individualism; often illustrated literary themes; depicted emotions such as terror, awe, and apprehension, and they attempted to capture the beauty and sublime feel of nature; No traditional religious art came from this period

Impressionism

movement began in the late 1800s as artists in Paris began to practice plein air painting together; departed from a faithful depiction of a scene, and instead they attempted to capture their interpretation of it, or the momentary effect of lighting on the scene; small brushstrokes and pure color; recent invention and availability of paint in a tube helped spur on this movement; able to paint outside more easily and capture scenes as they saw them; Notable Artists: Monet and Pierre-Auguste Renoir

Prehistoric Art

produced in preliterate times, prior to writing or recordkeeping; The first known art is from the Paleolithic era, and it consisted of petroglyphs, cave paintings, and sculptures and carvings in bone; Humans were making art to express ideas and to represent their beliefs and surroundings visually or convey information or for religious purposes. Some might even be a form of prewriting, or a way to map the stars. five main colors: black, white, yellow, red, and brown

Renaissance Art

revival of drawing, painting, sculpture, and architecture was partly driven by humanism, which is a philosophy that attached importance and worth to the individual; sought to capture the value of the individual and the beauty of the natural world (Sistine Chapel); period of art was a rebirth of interest in classical learning and arts; looked to the past for inspiration, while innovating and producing some of the best-known art in history; studied anatomy and perspective, as well as light and shadow, to use them accurately in their artwork

Medieval Art

spans more than 1,000 years, from the fall of the Roman empire to the Renaissance period; includes mythology, Christian themes, and biblical stories; separated into Byzantine, Romanesque, and Gothic

Neoclassicism

studied anatomy and perspective, as well as light and shadow, to use them accurately in their artwork movement coincided with the Age of Enlightenment, attempt to revive the classical Greek style and depart from the highly ornate baroque style; artwork was serious, stoic, and heroic; moral narratives of ethical superiority; characterized by somber colors, shallow space, balance, clarity, and restraint. Artists sought to show smooth paint surfaces with no brushstrokes visible in their artwork