Art History Final Essay

Futurism examples

Balla: Street Light 1910 Boccioni: States of Mind 1: Farewells 1911

Examples of New Objectivity

Dix: Big City (Triptych) (1927) Grosz: John, the Sex Murderer (1918)

Weber: New York 1913 (American Modernism)

Flattened space, excitement, skyscrapers become dynamic forms, add curved lines, circular rhythms, arching shapes and lines flattened space and shapes is cubist influence, dynamic excitement of city is futurism, slighting abstracted- expressionism

Dada examples

Heartfield: The Meaning Behind the Hitler Salute: Little Man Asks for Big Donations. Motto: Millions Stand Behind Me!- 1932 Dix: War (1914)

Examples of Bauhaus

Kandinsky: Composition VII (1913) Albers: Fruit Bowl 1924

New Objectivity

Looked at reality with clear eye, still life, straightforward work, moving away from abstract to more representational- figures you can regonize LOTS OF VIOLENCE AFTER WAR also war war I, trench warfare- defense technology, more advanced than other side, could mow people down with tanks, constantly being defeated by tanks a pseudo-Expressionist movement founded in Germany in the aftermath of World War characterized by a realistic style combined with a cynical, socially critical philosophical stance. Many of the artists were anti-war. Two major trends were identified under Neue Sachlichkeit. The so-called Verists, including Otto Dix and George Grosz, aggressively attacked and satirized the evils of society and those in power and demonstrated in harsh terms the devastating effects of World War I and the economic climate upon individuals. Max Beckmann was connected with these artists. SHOWED THE DISABLED VETS AS EFFECTS OF WAR -A new and intentional fidelity to the outlines of the objects, which contrasts in particular with the mobile, expansive, generalizing manner of the Expressionists. -Visual sobriety and acuity, an unsentimental, largely emotionless way of seeing. -Concentration on everyday things, on banal, insignificant and unpretentious subjects, betraying no aversion for what is "ugly." -Isolation of the object from any contextual relationship, thus calling its identity into question. -Static pictorial structure, often suggesting a positively airless, glassy space, and a general preference for the static over the dynamic. -Manifest construction of a picture out of heterogeneous details which form no organic whole (the collage-like assemblage of "particles of experience" suggests no experiential connection, is confirmed by no unified perspective, and is illuminated by no single light source). -Eradication of the traces of the process of painting, and elimination of all gestural elements which might betray the hand of the individual painter. -New mental relationship with the world of objects.

Examples of Surrealism

Magritte: Le Viol (The Rape)- 1934 Dali: The Persistence of Memory- 1931 Magritte: The Human Condition- 1945

Essay Examples for De Stijl

Mondrian: The Red Tree 1908 Mondrian: Flowering Apple Tree 1912

The Bauhaus

Move away from conventional art- no life paintings or nature, also use other mediums to do art- household items The motivations behind the creation of the Bauhaus lay in the 19th century, in anxieties about the soullessness of manufacturing and its products, and in fears about art's loss of purpose in society. Creativity and manufacturing were drifting apart, and the Bauhaus aimed to unite them once again, rejuvenating design for everyday life. Although the Bauhaus abandoned much of the ethos of the old academic tradition of fine art education, it maintained a stress on intellectual and theoretical pursuits, and linked these to an emphasis on practical skills, crafts and techniques that was more reminiscent of the medieval guild system. Fine art and craft were brought together with the goal of problem solving for a modern industrial society. In so doing, the Bauhaus effectively leveled the old hierarchy of the arts, placing crafts on par with fine arts such as sculpture and painting, and paving the way for many of the ideas that have inspired artists in the late 20th century. The stress on experiment and problem solving at the Bauhaus has proved enormously influential for the approaches to education in the arts. It has led to the 'fine arts' being rethought as the 'visual arts', and art considered less as an adjunct of the humanities, like literature or history, and more as a kind of research science.

American Modernism

Move from traditional american art- go further American artists went to Europe to reinvent themselves. only wealthy artists. most couldn't afford to go to europe. couldn't really see european art from america. big deal to go to Europe. influence from expressionism movement in europe captured dynamism of modern world kind of like futurism mix of futurism and expressionist together- futurism is cubisit but not too abstract, expressionist is bright vivid colors and expressive colors Mention Stieglitz: his guy was very important to development of American art- used his own money to establish a gallery in Manhattan- only place you can see experimental art in NYC says you don't ave to manipulate chemicals in photos to make them exciting photos: choose your own subject and angle correctly, you can make a straight photograph possible to create a moving and interesting work even though its a straight shot without manipulation- organization and composition is most interesting

De Stijl (Neo-Plasticism)

Response to crazy of WWI- trying to find order through precise and uniform line and color in grid form- become more and more grid like started somewhat representational- became more and more abstract, widdling things down to the essence of what they are, utilizing analytical cubism, grids, balance, harmony of life, essence of line and color Like other avant-garde movements of the time, De Stijl, which means simply "the style" in Dutch, emerged largely in response to the horrors of World War I and the wish to remake society in its aftermath. Viewing art as a means of social and spiritual redemption, the members of De Stijl embraced a utopian vision of art and its transformative potential. Among the pioneering exponents of abstract art, De Stijl artists espoused a visual language consisting of precisely rendered geometric forms - usually straight lines, squares, and rectangles--and primary colors. Expressing the artists' search "for the universal, as the individual was losing its significance," this austere language was meant to reveal the laws governing the harmony of the world. Even though De Stijl artists created work embodying the movement's utopian vision, their realization that this vision was unattainable in the real world essentially brought about the group's demise. Ultimately, De Stijl's continuing fame is largely the result of the enduring achievement of its best-known member and true modern master, Piet Mondrian.

Magritte: Le Viol (The Rape) 1934 (Surrealism)

Very strange, very uncomfortable to look at, doesn't make any sense, some parts look real but we can't make sense of them in this context.

American Modernism Examples

Weber: New York 1913 Dove: Nature Symbolized , No2 1911

Heartfield: The Meaning Behind the Hitler Salute: Little Man Asks for Big Donations. Motto: Millions Stand Behind Me!- 1932 (Dada)

all about money, "millions stand behind me"- millions of dollars are what stands behind him- Natzi position themselves as speaking for working class, but he's actually taking all their money, soldiers in working class felt betrayed by war real strength came from wealthy industrialists who backed hitler because they saw him as someone who could command authority- not from working class all this craziness set the stage for new objectivity

Albers: Fruit Bowl 1924 (The Bauhaus)

assembled his fruit bowl using industrial products like chrome, glass and brass. He reduced its form to elementary components such as the sphere and the circle. The Bauhaus was founded on the central idea of comprehensively training a new generation of competent and committed designers to revolutionise everyday life and to create a new and better world. To this end, Gropius developed the Bauhaus teaching; different masters gave the teaching an individual note. Experimenting and designing in the Bauhaus workshops formed the core of the design training. In the workshops, the separation of teaching and practice were largely removed.

Dove: Nature Symbolized No 2 1911 (American Modernism)

capture essence/spirt of human contact with nature, rather than painting actual animal or nature, not interesting in depicting nature but capturing essence of nature

Boccioni: States of Mind I: The Farewells: 1911 (Futurism)

central panel of 3- cubist influence. broken down into flat plains and recompressing. analytical cubism. insetting numbers to anchor and not become too abstract. looking at train, figures moving around train. farewells between people leaving on train

Dada

collage- response to craziness and context of WWI time, a crazy and irrationality that people perceived in what was around them, presence of technology, mechanical world, interrelated with human figures- machines huge in relation to human figures. technology so big in relation/competition with human activity. jumps without logical or rational connection- adds element of chance response to strange and irrational nature of life, WWI and post WWI period intense transition in Germany, came into industrialization more suddnely than other countries bc of world war I, people had to overcome great hurdles bc of modernization, particularly dramatic in germany bc happening quickly world war one redefined government structure of germany- created new central government instead of different states, art influenced by economic and social craziness plus government shift and losing the war- country in chaos germany struggled after wwI bc of penatlities from those who on the war- physical and economic devestation, government in transiition- war reparations eneromous sums, caused great hardship even before great depression Artists like Hans Arp were intent on incorporating chance into the creation of works of art. This went against all norms of traditional art production whereby a work was meticulously planned and completed. The introduction of chance was a way for Dadaists to challenge artistic norms and to question the role of the artist in the artistic process. Dada artists are known for their use of readymade objects - everyday objects that could be bought and presented as art with little manipulation by the artist. The use of the readymade forced questions about artistic creativity and the very definition of art and its purpose in society.

Dali: The Persistence of Memory 1931 (Surrealism)

elements feel real but defy logic and understanding in real world. Seem tangible; seem to exist in real space. Watches defy logic, sense of space changes from linear to beach. Clocks melting- time shaped objects they are on top of. Strange things define the shapes of the memory

Surrealism

how we look at the world and what we mean by it. Raises questions about perception and concepts in our mind. Superimpose other realities- chance, random, what is reality, what is imagined, random things in real world environments, beyond what's real André Breton defined Surrealism as "psychic automatism in its pure state, by which one proposes to express - verbally, by means of the written word, or in any other manner - the actual functioning of thought." What Breton is proposing is that artists bypass reason and rationality by accessing their unconscious mind. In practice, these techniques became known as automatism or automatic writing, which allowed artists to forgo conscious thought and embrace chance when creating art. The work of Sigmund Freud was profoundly influential for Surrealists, particularly his book, The Interpretation of Dreams (1899). Freud legitimized the importance of dreams and the unconscious as valid revelations of human emotion and desires; his exposure of the complex and repressed inner worlds of sexuality, desire, and violence provided a theoretical basis for much of Surrealism. Surrealist imagery is probably the most recognizable element of the movement, yet it is also the most elusive to categorize and define. Each artist relied on their own recurring motifs arisen through their dreams or/and unconscious mind. At its basic, the imagery is outlandish, perplexing, and even uncanny, as it is meant to jolt the viewer out of their comforting assumptions. Nature, however, is the most frequent imagery: Max Ernst was obsessed with birds and had a bird alter ego, Salvador Dalí's works often include ants or eggs, and Joan Miró relied strongly on vague biomorphic imagery.

Dix: Big City 1927 (New Objectivity)

is this what has replaced religoin? new religion- prostituion, new style of thin female skinny flapper dress, disconnect between middle scene and two side scenes- sides are darker, contrast between wealthy and poor, night club vs alley life, contrating two worlds during this time after WWI and before great depression- oblivious to suffering of the poor

Balla: Street Light 1910 (Futurism)

motion of light and electricity, light coming out from street lamp, street lamps greatly effect urban life, before lights, very dangerous because no light. dynamic, moving experience, rays of light captured as diagonals expanding out in dramatic way. dramatic state of possibility of modern again

Magritte: The Human Condition 1945 (Surrealism)

questioning representing reality, where fact and representation begins. One representation on another. Humans are fated to always question difference between reality and interpretation. Where truth and reality are as opposed to invention- ball also invention.

Kandinsky: Composition VII 1913 (The Bauhaus)

shows the artist's rejection of pictorial representation through a swirling hurricane of colors and shapes. The operatic and tumultuous roiling of forms around the canvas exemplifies Kandinsky's belief that painting could evoke sounds the way music called to mind certain colors and forms. Even the title, Composition VII, aligned with his interest in the intertwining of the musical with the visual and emphasized Kandinsky's non-representational focus in this work. As the different colors and symbols spiral around each other, Kandinsky eliminated traditional references to depth and laid bare the different abstracted glyphs in order to communicate deeper themes and emotions common to all cultures and viewers.

Mondrian: The Red Tree 1908 (De Stijl)

structured, starts out complicated , visual details, little branches going different ways, arching trunk, vivid colors, detailed branches

Mondrian: Flowering Apple Tree 1912 (De Stijl)

symmetry reinforced, vertical composition in center, horizontal branches become horizontal lines, distilled down- what constitutes what a tree is- spirit/essence of a tree, nature of trees, dynamic pressure. color: experiments without abandoning color, reflects influence of cubism, idea of transforming natural object to order, geometric composition, way of thinking of the world in a positive light, more restrictive but positive in nature.

Dix: War 1914 (Dada)

totally caught up in nature of war, explosivness and power of war, influenced by Boccioni- futurism and cubism geometry and flat plains, broken apart, intense color that comes from expressionists- die bruke, sharp harsh areas of color that come from german expressionism- all this characteristic of futurism

Grosz: John, the Sex Murderer 1918 (New Objectivity)

violence against women intensifies, horrific sex crimes, a lot of violence, death in cities, murdering people form different political groups, staggering violence in germany in between wars

Futurism

wild radicals, about the excitement of the modern world, possibility of dynamic movement, most exciting. trains then cars then airplanes, great speed. The Futurists were fascinated by the problems of representing modern experience, and strived to have their paintings evoke all kinds of sensations - and not merely those visible to the eye. At its best, Futurist art brings to mind the noise, heat and even the smell of the metropolis. Unlike many other modern art movements, such as Impressionism and Pointillism, Futurism was not immediately identified with a distinctive style. Instead its adherents worked in an eclectic manner, borrowing from various aspects of Post-Impressionism, including Symbolism and Divisionism. It was not until 1911 that a distinctive Futurist style emerged, and then it was a product of Cubist influence. The Futurists were fascinated by new visual technology, in particular chrono-photography, a predecessor of animation and cinema that allowed the movement of an object to be shown across a sequence of frames. This technology was an important influence on their approach to showing movement in painting, encouraging an abstract art with rhythmic, pulsating qualities.