UNIT 6
Avant-garde – Art historians use this term to describe a fairly precise form of artistic activity, both in conception and practise. Typical of much twentieth-century art, it favours an innovative, revolutionary approach, rejecting tradition as an obligatory point of reference. From the chronological point of view it is possible to distinguish between historical avant-garde, which developed in the first three decades of the century (and which is represented by Expressionism, Cubism, Futurism, Abstractionism and Dada) and recent avant-garde, which after the Second World War adopted similar attitudes, attempting to revive comparable methods and techniques (Conceptual Art, Minimalism, Body Art, Arte Povera, etc.)
Modern art is a term that refers to artistic works produced during the period extending roughly from the 1860s through the 1970s, and denotes the style and philosophy of the art produced during that era. The term is usually associated with art in which the traditions of the past have been thrown aside in a spirit of experimentation. Modern artists experimented with new ways of seeing, and with fresh ideas about the nature of materials and functions of art. A tendency toward abstraction is characteristic of much modern art. More recent artistic production is often called Contemporary art or Post-modern art. The notion of modern art is closely related to Modernism.
Expressionism, in simplified terms, was some kind of a German modern art version of Fauvism. The expressionist movement was organized in two groups of German painters. One was called Die Bruecke, literally meaning The Bridge. The group was located in Dresden with the artists Ernst Ludwig Kirchner, Erich Heckel, Emil Nolde, Max Pechstein, Otto Mueller and Karl Schmidt-Rottluff. After World War I, this group was followed by another group of artists, calling themselves Dresdner Sezession. The second Expressionist gathering of artists was centered in Munich. The group is known by the name Der Blaue Reiter, meaning The Blue Rider. The famous names are Franz Marc, August Macke, Gabriele Münter, Wassily Kandinsky, Paul Klee and Alexei Yavlensky.
Cubism, another modern art movement, was primarily restricted to painting and sculpture. Nevertheless it had a major influence on the development of modern art. Cubism was initiated by the Spaniard Pablo Picasso and the Frenchman Georges Braques in Paris before World War I. Paul Cezanne, usually categorized as a Post-Impressionist, can be considered as their predecessor. Cubism had strong roots in African tribal art. In cubism, geometrical forms and fragmentations are favored. Everything is reduced to cubes and other geometrical forms. Often several aspects of one subject are shown simultaneously. As famous artists besides Pablo Picasso and Georges Braques, Robert Delaunay, Marcel Duchamp, Juan Gris and Lyonel Feininger are to be mentioned. Cubism paved the way for abstract art.
Surrealism is another of the many modern art movements in the 20th century. Its philosophical "father" was Andre Breton, a French poet and writer who published the Surrealist guidelines, called Manifesto in 1924 in Paris. Surrealism emphasizes the unconscious, the importance of dreams, the psychological aspect in arts. Surrealism became an important movement in the fine arts, literature and in films (by the Spaniard Bunuel for instance). For the fine arts, the best-known names are Salvador Dali, the Italian Giorgio de Chirico with his strange and eerie town views, Marcel Duchamp, Max Ernst, Joan Miro, Yves Tanguy, Rene Margritte and the Russian Marc Chagall.
Abstract art. Russian-born painter Wassily Kandinsky is said to be the father of abstract art. If you should ever come to Munich, you should not miss a visit of the Lenbachhaus Museum. It has many Wassily Kandinsky paintings on display and you can recognize very well how his style developed by and by to semi-abstract and then to abstract painting. Piet Mondrian, a Dutch painter, is another dominant character in establishing abstract painting. Mondrian had experienced cubism in Paris. During World War II many leading artists emigrated to the US, for instance Max Ernst, Marcel Duchamp and Marc Chagall. Thus, New York became the new center for modern art and abstract painting.
Pop art. The word Pop Art is an abbreviation for Popular Art. The name says it all. The Pop Art movement wanted to bring art back into the daily life of people. It was a reaction against abstract painting, which pop artists considered as too sophisticated and elite. Pop artists' favorite images were objects from everyday's life like soup cans for Andy Warhol or comics for Roy Lichtenstein.
Op art. After Pop Art it was Op Art, a short form for Optical Art. Op Art expressed itself with reduced geometrical forms - sometimes in black and white contrasts and sometimes with very brilliant colors. The most prominent artist is Hungarian-born Vasarely. In the seventies Op Art even made its way into fashion design. But Op Art never succeeded in becoming a really popular mass-movement of modern art like Pop Art.
Figurative painting: representing people, etc as they are: a figurative animal sculpture.