Formal Analysis terms
Quick sheet
ELEMENTS OF ART
Subject form – Chapter 3
Still life
Landscape
Portrait
Narrative
Genre
Figure
Non objective
Color – Chapter 3
Scheme -
Analogous
Monochromatic
Primary triad
Secondary triad
Tetrad
Double complementary
Split complementary
Complementary
Full palette
Temperature -
Warm colors
Cool colors
Degree of abstraction – Chapter 5
Realistic
Impressionistic
Expressionistic
Stylized
Non objective
Dominant Shape Motif – Chapter 5
Triangle
Rectangle
Square
Circle
Other
PRINCIPLES OF DESIGN
Balance – Chapter 4
Asymmetrical/Dynamic
Symmetrical
Radial/Overall patterning
Harmony – Chapter 4
Rhythm/repetition
Proximity
Closure
Continuation
Variety – Chapter 4
Contrast
Embellishment/elaboration
Eye Tracks - Chapter 5
Location of focal point – Chapter 5
Center
Upper left quadrant
Lower left quadrant
Upper right quadrant
Lower right quadrant
Focus by – Chapter 5
Anomaly
Isolation
Placement
Direction
Format shape – Chapter 5
Rectangle
Square
Circle
Triangle
Other
Directional Emphasis – Chapter 5
Horizontal
Vertical
Diagonal
Circular
Friday, December 5, 2008
Visual Art Terms - Chap 3 and 4
How to Experience Visual Art
1. Medium – the materials and techniques used by the artist to create the work. Example – oil paint on canvas is a traditional painting medium. Plural is media.
2. Form – the components of the composition and how there are arranged. Form is made up of ELEMENTS and PRINCIPLES of design. The resulting composition of form can range from representational, abstract, or nonobjective art.
Elements – Individual building blocks of visual communication.
§ Line – leads the eye and is straight, curved, thick, thin, broken, solid, etc
§ Shape – can define solid vs. open forms, geometric vs. organic, etc. Solid shape in sculpture is referred to as mass.
§ Texture – relates to actual or implied surface qualities. Rough or smooth, matte or shiny, etc.
§ Space – the degree of depth implied in the work. Space can range from flat to shallow to deep.
§ Value – light and dark relationships. Value contrast can be limited or sharp, high or low.
§ Color – schemes can range from muted to vibrant, warm to cool, etc. Related terms – primary, secondary, monochromatic, complements, analogous, tint, tone, shade.
Principles – How the elements are combined to form relationships.
§ Unity conveys a sense that the elements are working towards a common visual goal
§ Harmony/Variety alleviates extreme sameness providing diversity
§ Repetition/Rhythm – the creation of pattern or regular recurrence of a motif or the use of interval and progression to lead the eye.
§ Balance – a sense of equilibrium in a work. Balance can be formal (symmetrical) or informal (asymmetrical).
§ Emphasis – drawing attention to particular parts of a composition to create a primary focal point or multiple areas of interest. Some compositions utilize the absence of emphasis for effect.
§ Scale/Proportion – scale is size relationship of one thing to another. Proportion is size relationship of parts to a whole.
§ Depth is the relationship of objects on the picture plane. Overlapping, larger objects closer to you, smaller objects are farther away, and size are basic ways to achieve depth in a flat surface.
§ Contrast strongly dissimilar elements create dramatic effects such as light and dark or large and small.
§ Movement can be created by actual or implied changes in position.
3. Content – the overall meaning conveyed by the work.
§ Subject and function – what is the work about and what is it for?
§ Expressive content – what is being communicated about the subject? Are there possible symbolic meanings to the overall aesthetic experience?
1. Medium – the materials and techniques used by the artist to create the work. Example – oil paint on canvas is a traditional painting medium. Plural is media.
2. Form – the components of the composition and how there are arranged. Form is made up of ELEMENTS and PRINCIPLES of design. The resulting composition of form can range from representational, abstract, or nonobjective art.
Elements – Individual building blocks of visual communication.
§ Line – leads the eye and is straight, curved, thick, thin, broken, solid, etc
§ Shape – can define solid vs. open forms, geometric vs. organic, etc. Solid shape in sculpture is referred to as mass.
§ Texture – relates to actual or implied surface qualities. Rough or smooth, matte or shiny, etc.
§ Space – the degree of depth implied in the work. Space can range from flat to shallow to deep.
§ Value – light and dark relationships. Value contrast can be limited or sharp, high or low.
§ Color – schemes can range from muted to vibrant, warm to cool, etc. Related terms – primary, secondary, monochromatic, complements, analogous, tint, tone, shade.
Principles – How the elements are combined to form relationships.
§ Unity conveys a sense that the elements are working towards a common visual goal
§ Harmony/Variety alleviates extreme sameness providing diversity
§ Repetition/Rhythm – the creation of pattern or regular recurrence of a motif or the use of interval and progression to lead the eye.
§ Balance – a sense of equilibrium in a work. Balance can be formal (symmetrical) or informal (asymmetrical).
§ Emphasis – drawing attention to particular parts of a composition to create a primary focal point or multiple areas of interest. Some compositions utilize the absence of emphasis for effect.
§ Scale/Proportion – scale is size relationship of one thing to another. Proportion is size relationship of parts to a whole.
§ Depth is the relationship of objects on the picture plane. Overlapping, larger objects closer to you, smaller objects are farther away, and size are basic ways to achieve depth in a flat surface.
§ Contrast strongly dissimilar elements create dramatic effects such as light and dark or large and small.
§ Movement can be created by actual or implied changes in position.
3. Content – the overall meaning conveyed by the work.
§ Subject and function – what is the work about and what is it for?
§ Expressive content – what is being communicated about the subject? Are there possible symbolic meanings to the overall aesthetic experience?
EXTRA CREDIT
EXTRA CREDIT
can only be done when all other work is completed from the class.
You can earn up to 20 points in extra credit in the following ways –
1. Write an Art article summary from a major magazine. Each summary is worth 5 points. Limit one article per magazine issue.
- Summary should be 1 ½ pages typed
- State what the content of the article was in your own words. Do not simply copy the article.
- Give your thoughts and conclusions on the article.
- Photocopy the article and appropriate pictures you discuss
- The text from the article should be at least 2 pages long
- List the author of the article and magazine title
Magazine list –
- Art in America
- ArtNews
- Art and Antiques
- Smithsonian
- National Geographic
- Sculpture
- Pottery Making
- Architectural Digest
- Ceramic Monthly
2. Go to an art exhibit at a professional museum, art center or gallery and write a response paper on the experience. Each exhibit is worth 10 points
- Chose an exhibition not covered in a previous assignment
- After a brief introduction, focus your discussion on two or three art works
- Concentrate on descriptive writing which mentions aspects of medium, form and content.
- 1 ½ - 2 pages typed with a dated ticket stub or brochure as evidence of the attendance
3. Show your talent with a creative project. Only one project can be submitted. 10 points
- Produce an original work of art based on the theme or style of an artist or era covered in the textbook
- Write a brief ½ page typed description of how your work ties into class concepts
- There is no size limit, but art work should show evidence of at least 2 – 3 hours of work and be done for this class only
can only be done when all other work is completed from the class.
You can earn up to 20 points in extra credit in the following ways –
1. Write an Art article summary from a major magazine. Each summary is worth 5 points. Limit one article per magazine issue.
- Summary should be 1 ½ pages typed
- State what the content of the article was in your own words. Do not simply copy the article.
- Give your thoughts and conclusions on the article.
- Photocopy the article and appropriate pictures you discuss
- The text from the article should be at least 2 pages long
- List the author of the article and magazine title
Magazine list –
- Art in America
- ArtNews
- Art and Antiques
- Smithsonian
- National Geographic
- Sculpture
- Pottery Making
- Architectural Digest
- Ceramic Monthly
2. Go to an art exhibit at a professional museum, art center or gallery and write a response paper on the experience. Each exhibit is worth 10 points
- Chose an exhibition not covered in a previous assignment
- After a brief introduction, focus your discussion on two or three art works
- Concentrate on descriptive writing which mentions aspects of medium, form and content.
- 1 ½ - 2 pages typed with a dated ticket stub or brochure as evidence of the attendance
3. Show your talent with a creative project. Only one project can be submitted. 10 points
- Produce an original work of art based on the theme or style of an artist or era covered in the textbook
- Write a brief ½ page typed description of how your work ties into class concepts
- There is no size limit, but art work should show evidence of at least 2 – 3 hours of work and be done for this class only
Writing Assignment 3
3rd writing assignment
Critique of art – compare and contrast
Instructor Kelly Parker
This assignment is worth 25 points – 15 points for content, 5 points for form, and 5 points for grammar.
Content –
Select a work of art, your choice from any resource (2D or 3D). Use concepts, vocabulary, and information we have been studying from class to analyze and react to this piece of art. Please remember to add the title of the work, artist and date it was created along with where you saw the piece of art. First, spend time looking thoroughly at this work of art, and then write an analysis of it. Think in terms of subject, form and content. Look for the elements of design and the principles of organization. How is the artist using shape, color, line, and texture? How is the piece balanced? What rhythms are established? Do we get a sense of movement? How is the artist using these "formal" aspects to help convey a mood, or idea? Also, you may want to find out a little about the artist and the historical period represented. What do you think was the purpose for making this piece? What do you think they were trying to say? Find another work that is similar in some way. Look carefully at both, compare, and contrast the two. Again, think in terms of form, subject and content. How are they similar? In what ways are they different? Be specific. Respond to these works of art, both critically and personally. Do you think they are equally successful as works of art? Why? How do they make you feel? Do you like them? Why or why not?
Remember to –
Describe the work of art – as though the person you are writing too is blind
Analyze the work of art – using the art vocabulary, explain how the artist used them to create the composition
Interpret the work of art – message or meaning of the work of art
Judgment of the work of art – worth based on previous information gathered
Form –
Minimum 2 pages typed
- Picture of images used
- Bibliography of where you found the art
- 12 pt font maximum
- Double spaced
- One inch margins
- Heading on the top right of 1st page with
o Your name
o Writing assignment number and title
o Due date
o Art 211 Art Appreciation
o Instructor Kelly Parker
Grammar –
- use complete sentences
- write in paragraph form
- use your spell checker
- read over your assignment before you print it off
Other guidelines –
- staple all pages together
- number all pages
Critique of art – compare and contrast
Instructor Kelly Parker
This assignment is worth 25 points – 15 points for content, 5 points for form, and 5 points for grammar.
Content –
Select a work of art, your choice from any resource (2D or 3D). Use concepts, vocabulary, and information we have been studying from class to analyze and react to this piece of art. Please remember to add the title of the work, artist and date it was created along with where you saw the piece of art. First, spend time looking thoroughly at this work of art, and then write an analysis of it. Think in terms of subject, form and content. Look for the elements of design and the principles of organization. How is the artist using shape, color, line, and texture? How is the piece balanced? What rhythms are established? Do we get a sense of movement? How is the artist using these "formal" aspects to help convey a mood, or idea? Also, you may want to find out a little about the artist and the historical period represented. What do you think was the purpose for making this piece? What do you think they were trying to say? Find another work that is similar in some way. Look carefully at both, compare, and contrast the two. Again, think in terms of form, subject and content. How are they similar? In what ways are they different? Be specific. Respond to these works of art, both critically and personally. Do you think they are equally successful as works of art? Why? How do they make you feel? Do you like them? Why or why not?
Remember to –
Describe the work of art – as though the person you are writing too is blind
Analyze the work of art – using the art vocabulary, explain how the artist used them to create the composition
Interpret the work of art – message or meaning of the work of art
Judgment of the work of art – worth based on previous information gathered
Form –
Minimum 2 pages typed
- Picture of images used
- Bibliography of where you found the art
- 12 pt font maximum
- Double spaced
- One inch margins
- Heading on the top right of 1st page with
o Your name
o Writing assignment number and title
o Due date
o Art 211 Art Appreciation
o Instructor Kelly Parker
Grammar –
- use complete sentences
- write in paragraph form
- use your spell checker
- read over your assignment before you print it off
Other guidelines –
- staple all pages together
- number all pages
Writing Assignment 2
2nd writing assignment- critique of art work
Instructor Kelly Parker
This assignment is worth 25 points – 15 points for content, 5 points for form, and 5 points for grammar.
Content –
Select a work of art from the text (2D or 3D). Use concepts, vocabulary, and information we have been studying from class to analyze and react to your chosen piece of art. Please remember to add the title of the work, artist and date it was created along with the page number from the text. First, spend time looking thoroughly at this work of art, and then write an analysis of it. Think in terms of subject, form and content. Look for the elements of design and the principles of organization. Please refer to your handouts and notes from Chapters 3, 4 and 5.
Respond to your chosen work of art, both critically and personally. Some questions to think about - How is the artist using shape, color, line, and texture? How is the piece balanced? What rhythms are established? Do we get a sense of movement? How is he or she using these "formal" aspects to help convey a mood, or idea? Also, you may want to find out a little about the artists and the historical period they represent. What do you think was the purpose for making this piece? What do you think the artist was trying to say? Why? How does it make you feel? Why? Be specific.
1st paragraph: Describe the artwork
2nd paragraph: Analyze the artwork
3rd paragraph: Interpret the artwork
4th paragraph: Make a judgment about the artwork and back it up with good information.
Form –
- Minimum 2 pages typed
- Picture of images used
- Bibliography
- 12 pt font maximum
- Double spaced
- One inch margins
- Heading on the top right of 1st page with
o Your name
o Writing assignment number and title
o Due date
o Art 211 Art Appreciation
o Instructor Kelly Parker
Grammar –
- use complete sentences
- write in paragraph form
- use your spell checker
- read over your assignment before you print it off
Other guidelines –
- staple all pages together
- number all pages
Instructor Kelly Parker
This assignment is worth 25 points – 15 points for content, 5 points for form, and 5 points for grammar.
Content –
Select a work of art from the text (2D or 3D). Use concepts, vocabulary, and information we have been studying from class to analyze and react to your chosen piece of art. Please remember to add the title of the work, artist and date it was created along with the page number from the text. First, spend time looking thoroughly at this work of art, and then write an analysis of it. Think in terms of subject, form and content. Look for the elements of design and the principles of organization. Please refer to your handouts and notes from Chapters 3, 4 and 5.
Respond to your chosen work of art, both critically and personally. Some questions to think about - How is the artist using shape, color, line, and texture? How is the piece balanced? What rhythms are established? Do we get a sense of movement? How is he or she using these "formal" aspects to help convey a mood, or idea? Also, you may want to find out a little about the artists and the historical period they represent. What do you think was the purpose for making this piece? What do you think the artist was trying to say? Why? How does it make you feel? Why? Be specific.
1st paragraph: Describe the artwork
2nd paragraph: Analyze the artwork
3rd paragraph: Interpret the artwork
4th paragraph: Make a judgment about the artwork and back it up with good information.
Form –
- Minimum 2 pages typed
- Picture of images used
- Bibliography
- 12 pt font maximum
- Double spaced
- One inch margins
- Heading on the top right of 1st page with
o Your name
o Writing assignment number and title
o Due date
o Art 211 Art Appreciation
o Instructor Kelly Parker
Grammar –
- use complete sentences
- write in paragraph form
- use your spell checker
- read over your assignment before you print it off
Other guidelines –
- staple all pages together
- number all pages
Writing Assignment 1
1st writing assignment- What is art?
Instructor Kelly Parker
This assignment is worth 25 points – 15 points for content, 5 points for form, and 5 points for grammar.
Content –
Consider what you think of as "art" and then try to explain what makes it art. If you do not know what you think or have never considered this before, a good starting place may be to look through your textbook and examine which pieces you respond to and why. This essay on art is an introductory survey for me. There are no right or wrong answers, but please think about the questions seriously. I would like an idea of what you think at the beginning of the course, prior to any instruction, you will not get these papers back, but everyone who responds seriously and turns their paper in on time will receive the full 25 points.
Please respond to the following questions – please be specific with your answers
- What is art?
- What significance does it have to you?
- What do you respond to in a work of art?
- Think about what qualities you look for when you select something to hang on your wall. Is it the way it looks, or the way it makes you feel or the ideas it brings to mind?
- What type/kind of art interests you?
- Have you had prior experience with art, if so when and where?
Form –
- Minimum 2 pages typed
- 12 pt font maximum
- Double spaced
- One inch margins
- Heading on the top right of 1st page with
o Your name
o Writing assignment number and title
o Due date
o Art 211 Art Appreciation
o Instructor Kelly Parker
Grammar –
- use complete sentences
- write in paragraph form
- use your spell checker
- read over your assignment before you print it off
Other guidelines –
- staple all pages together
- number all pages
Instructor Kelly Parker
This assignment is worth 25 points – 15 points for content, 5 points for form, and 5 points for grammar.
Content –
Consider what you think of as "art" and then try to explain what makes it art. If you do not know what you think or have never considered this before, a good starting place may be to look through your textbook and examine which pieces you respond to and why. This essay on art is an introductory survey for me. There are no right or wrong answers, but please think about the questions seriously. I would like an idea of what you think at the beginning of the course, prior to any instruction, you will not get these papers back, but everyone who responds seriously and turns their paper in on time will receive the full 25 points.
Please respond to the following questions – please be specific with your answers
- What is art?
- What significance does it have to you?
- What do you respond to in a work of art?
- Think about what qualities you look for when you select something to hang on your wall. Is it the way it looks, or the way it makes you feel or the ideas it brings to mind?
- What type/kind of art interests you?
- Have you had prior experience with art, if so when and where?
Form –
- Minimum 2 pages typed
- 12 pt font maximum
- Double spaced
- One inch margins
- Heading on the top right of 1st page with
o Your name
o Writing assignment number and title
o Due date
o Art 211 Art Appreciation
o Instructor Kelly Parker
Grammar –
- use complete sentences
- write in paragraph form
- use your spell checker
- read over your assignment before you print it off
Other guidelines –
- staple all pages together
- number all pages
chap 23 notes
Chapter 23 Postwar Modern Movements in the West
Abstract Expressionism - mainly American movement of artists, who came together informally, beginning in the 1940's, influenced by European abstraction and Surrealism. Major figures of Abstract Expressionism were Willem de Kooning, Jackson Pollock, and Mark Rothko. Common elements included a certain spiritual nature of the work, the elements of chance and the unconscious, and the absence or distortion of objective reality. The movement was at its height during the early 1950's
Jackson Pollock – known as Jack the Dripper created what was called "Action Painting“, large drip paintings
Mark Rothko – color field painting, large blocks of 2 – 3 colors. Rothko painted in oil only on large canvas with vertical formats. This considerably large proportion was utilized in order to overwhelm the viewer, or in Rothko’s words, to make the viewer feel enveloped within the painting
avant-garde – innovative or nontraditional artists who pave the way for new styles or movements
Pop Art - American non-organized movement, Pop Art is well-known as a late 1950's, early 1960's art movement. A reaction to Abstract Expressionism and the new consumer culture in the United States, Pop's early figures were Robert Rauschenberg, Jasper Johns and Andy Warhol; Claes Oldenburg is a Pop Art sculptor. Pop artists generally wanted to make art that was 'cool' as opposed to the strong emotion of Abstract Expressionism; Images were generally taken from advertising and the contemporary world. Styles of Pop ranged from painterly to hard-edge
Andy Warhol - During the 1960s, at a time when popular culture became a dominant force in both society and the arts, Andy Warhol became the guru of Pop Art. Using the most ordinary objects, Coke bottles, Campbell's soup cans, and the most popular personalities of American culture, Warhol gave them heroic scale and turned them into art.
Optical Art was born in the 1950’s. It is a method of painting concerning the interaction between illusion and picture plane, between understanding and seeing. Op art is a perceptual experience related to how vision functions. It is a dynamic visual art, stemming from a discordant figure-ground relationship that causes the two planes to be in a tense and contradictory juxtaposition.
Minimalism - Not an organized movement, minimalism began in the 1960's, predominantly in the United States. Its main thesis is "less is more," a reaction against the highly emotional nature of Abstract Expressionism. Large sculptures and paintings consist of bare geometric forms - squares, cubes, sometimes in more complex arrangements and often limited in color.
Donald Judd – minimalist sculpture consists of large, heavy cube forms. Judd's cubes express a forceful finality and strength and are an expression of our times in terms of the lessening influence of the natural world and more influence from our industrial, geometric environment.
Site Works - Artists began creating works that are inseparable from the sites for which they were designed. In Site-specific works, the artist’s sensitivity to the location determines the composition, scale, medium, and even the content of each piece. Site works are environmental constructions frequently made of sculptural materials designed to interact with by not permanently alter the environment.
Christo - one of the best known environmental site artists. He creates temporary works that are a combination of natural and manmade, often involving large numbers of workers to construct the projects.
Claes Oldenburg – a sculptor, best known for his public art installations typically featuring very large replicas of everyday objects. Another theme in his work is soft sculpture versions of everyday objects.
Installations - Made for a specific space, exploiting certain qualities of that space. Installations may be temporary or permanent. A work of art created for a specific location and designed to relate to that location. 3D use of constructing and assembling a work.
Earth Art - This international movement began in the 1970's, and used the natural world as its material and content, generally making large 'earthworks'. Environmental artists work as individuals, rather than as part of an organized art movement. Earthworks consist of natural materials, such as large rocks, arranged in patterns over a large and perhaps isolated area
Andy Goldsworthy - a brilliant British artist who collaborates with nature to make his creations. Goldsworthy regards all his creations as temporary. He photographs each piece once right after he makes it. His goal is to understand nature by directly participating in nature as intimately as he can. He generally works with whatever he notices: twigs, leaves, stones, snow and ice, reeds and thorns.
Giacometti - Swiss sculptor, painter, draftsman, and printmaker. Giacometti was a key player in the Surrealist Movement, but his work resists easy categorization. He attempted to create renditions of his models the way he saw them and the way he thought they ought to be seen.
Henry Moore - Moore's signature form is a reclining figure. His explorations of Mayan figures lead him to increasing abstraction as he turned his thoughts towards experimentation with the elements of design. Moore's earlier reclining figures deal principally with mass, while his later ones contrast the solid elements of the sculpture with the space, not only round them but generally through them as he pierced the forms with openings.
Louise Nevelson - is known for her abstract expressionist “boxes” grouped together to form a new creation. She used found objects or everyday discarded things in her assemblages.
Alexander Calder - American sculptor and artist most famous for inventing the mobile. In addition to mobile and stabile sculpture, Alexander Calder also created paintings, lithographs, toys, tapestry and designed carpets
Kinetic art – art that moves
Graffiti Art - Graffiti is the name for images or lettering scratched, scrawled, painted or marked in any manner on property. Graffiti is often regarded as unsightly damage or unwanted vandalism. Graffiti has existed since ancient times, with examples going back to Ancient Greece and the Roman Empire. Graffiti can be anything from simple scratch marks to elaborate wall paintings. In modern times, spray paint and markers have become the most commonly used materials. In most countries, defacing property with graffiti without the property owner's consent is considered vandalism, which is punishable by law.
Jean-Micheal Basquiat – graffiti artist, started out tagging locations with his signature SAMO (Same Old Shit)
Keith Haring – graffiti art
Conceptual Art - An installation presents a visualization of 3-D, in real time and space. It can include 2-D mediums (painting, drawing, photography, etc), but a 3-D element is also necessary for the interaction of the viewer into the installation space. Video and electronic media are used frequently. Installation art is often conceptual in nature. That is, the emphasis is more on ideas than on the creation of unique objects. For this reason, installation art frequently incorporates an assembly of "ready made" (manufactured) objects instead of focusing on the craftsmanship of the artist. This is not, however, necessary for the definition of installation art, as many installation artists create every object in their installation.
Feminism - The feminist art movement refers to the efforts and accomplishments of feminists internationally to bring more visibility to women within art history and art practice. Corresponding with general developments within feminism, the movement began in the 1960s, flourished throughout the 1970s, and the effects of it continue to the present.
Judy Chicago - The Dinner Party - triangular in configuration created to honor and highlight important and forgotten women’s achievements in art and culture throughout history.
Guerrilla Girls - a group of women artists, writers, performers, film makers and arts professionals who fight discrimination. They wear gorilla masks to focus on the issues rather than their personalities. Using humor to convey information, they intend to expose sexism and racism in the art world.
Louise Bourgeois - Bourgeois’s early sculpture was composed of groupings of abstract and organic shapes often carved from wood. By the 1960s she began to execute her work in rubber, bronze, and stone and the pieces themselves became larger, more referential to what has become the dominant theme of her work—her childhood.
Performance - Sometimes, the artist is part of the installation, in which case the installation then becomes performance art. The term "Performance Art" got its start in the 1960s in the United States. It was originally used to describe any live artistic event that included poets, musicians, and film makers in addition to visual artists. It's worth noting that, even though we're referencing the 1960s, there were earlier precedents for Performance Art. The live performances of the Dadaists, in particular meshed poetry and the visual arts. The German Bauhaus, founded in 1919, included a theater workshop to explore relationships between space, sound and light - a good 20 years before the 1960s.
Abstract Expressionism - mainly American movement of artists, who came together informally, beginning in the 1940's, influenced by European abstraction and Surrealism. Major figures of Abstract Expressionism were Willem de Kooning, Jackson Pollock, and Mark Rothko. Common elements included a certain spiritual nature of the work, the elements of chance and the unconscious, and the absence or distortion of objective reality. The movement was at its height during the early 1950's
Jackson Pollock – known as Jack the Dripper created what was called "Action Painting“, large drip paintings
Mark Rothko – color field painting, large blocks of 2 – 3 colors. Rothko painted in oil only on large canvas with vertical formats. This considerably large proportion was utilized in order to overwhelm the viewer, or in Rothko’s words, to make the viewer feel enveloped within the painting
avant-garde – innovative or nontraditional artists who pave the way for new styles or movements
Pop Art - American non-organized movement, Pop Art is well-known as a late 1950's, early 1960's art movement. A reaction to Abstract Expressionism and the new consumer culture in the United States, Pop's early figures were Robert Rauschenberg, Jasper Johns and Andy Warhol; Claes Oldenburg is a Pop Art sculptor. Pop artists generally wanted to make art that was 'cool' as opposed to the strong emotion of Abstract Expressionism; Images were generally taken from advertising and the contemporary world. Styles of Pop ranged from painterly to hard-edge
Andy Warhol - During the 1960s, at a time when popular culture became a dominant force in both society and the arts, Andy Warhol became the guru of Pop Art. Using the most ordinary objects, Coke bottles, Campbell's soup cans, and the most popular personalities of American culture, Warhol gave them heroic scale and turned them into art.
Optical Art was born in the 1950’s. It is a method of painting concerning the interaction between illusion and picture plane, between understanding and seeing. Op art is a perceptual experience related to how vision functions. It is a dynamic visual art, stemming from a discordant figure-ground relationship that causes the two planes to be in a tense and contradictory juxtaposition.
Minimalism - Not an organized movement, minimalism began in the 1960's, predominantly in the United States. Its main thesis is "less is more," a reaction against the highly emotional nature of Abstract Expressionism. Large sculptures and paintings consist of bare geometric forms - squares, cubes, sometimes in more complex arrangements and often limited in color.
Donald Judd – minimalist sculpture consists of large, heavy cube forms. Judd's cubes express a forceful finality and strength and are an expression of our times in terms of the lessening influence of the natural world and more influence from our industrial, geometric environment.
Site Works - Artists began creating works that are inseparable from the sites for which they were designed. In Site-specific works, the artist’s sensitivity to the location determines the composition, scale, medium, and even the content of each piece. Site works are environmental constructions frequently made of sculptural materials designed to interact with by not permanently alter the environment.
Christo - one of the best known environmental site artists. He creates temporary works that are a combination of natural and manmade, often involving large numbers of workers to construct the projects.
Claes Oldenburg – a sculptor, best known for his public art installations typically featuring very large replicas of everyday objects. Another theme in his work is soft sculpture versions of everyday objects.
Installations - Made for a specific space, exploiting certain qualities of that space. Installations may be temporary or permanent. A work of art created for a specific location and designed to relate to that location. 3D use of constructing and assembling a work.
Earth Art - This international movement began in the 1970's, and used the natural world as its material and content, generally making large 'earthworks'. Environmental artists work as individuals, rather than as part of an organized art movement. Earthworks consist of natural materials, such as large rocks, arranged in patterns over a large and perhaps isolated area
Andy Goldsworthy - a brilliant British artist who collaborates with nature to make his creations. Goldsworthy regards all his creations as temporary. He photographs each piece once right after he makes it. His goal is to understand nature by directly participating in nature as intimately as he can. He generally works with whatever he notices: twigs, leaves, stones, snow and ice, reeds and thorns.
Giacometti - Swiss sculptor, painter, draftsman, and printmaker. Giacometti was a key player in the Surrealist Movement, but his work resists easy categorization. He attempted to create renditions of his models the way he saw them and the way he thought they ought to be seen.
Henry Moore - Moore's signature form is a reclining figure. His explorations of Mayan figures lead him to increasing abstraction as he turned his thoughts towards experimentation with the elements of design. Moore's earlier reclining figures deal principally with mass, while his later ones contrast the solid elements of the sculpture with the space, not only round them but generally through them as he pierced the forms with openings.
Louise Nevelson - is known for her abstract expressionist “boxes” grouped together to form a new creation. She used found objects or everyday discarded things in her assemblages.
Alexander Calder - American sculptor and artist most famous for inventing the mobile. In addition to mobile and stabile sculpture, Alexander Calder also created paintings, lithographs, toys, tapestry and designed carpets
Kinetic art – art that moves
Graffiti Art - Graffiti is the name for images or lettering scratched, scrawled, painted or marked in any manner on property. Graffiti is often regarded as unsightly damage or unwanted vandalism. Graffiti has existed since ancient times, with examples going back to Ancient Greece and the Roman Empire. Graffiti can be anything from simple scratch marks to elaborate wall paintings. In modern times, spray paint and markers have become the most commonly used materials. In most countries, defacing property with graffiti without the property owner's consent is considered vandalism, which is punishable by law.
Jean-Micheal Basquiat – graffiti artist, started out tagging locations with his signature SAMO (Same Old Shit)
Keith Haring – graffiti art
Conceptual Art - An installation presents a visualization of 3-D, in real time and space. It can include 2-D mediums (painting, drawing, photography, etc), but a 3-D element is also necessary for the interaction of the viewer into the installation space. Video and electronic media are used frequently. Installation art is often conceptual in nature. That is, the emphasis is more on ideas than on the creation of unique objects. For this reason, installation art frequently incorporates an assembly of "ready made" (manufactured) objects instead of focusing on the craftsmanship of the artist. This is not, however, necessary for the definition of installation art, as many installation artists create every object in their installation.
Feminism - The feminist art movement refers to the efforts and accomplishments of feminists internationally to bring more visibility to women within art history and art practice. Corresponding with general developments within feminism, the movement began in the 1960s, flourished throughout the 1970s, and the effects of it continue to the present.
Judy Chicago - The Dinner Party - triangular in configuration created to honor and highlight important and forgotten women’s achievements in art and culture throughout history.
Guerrilla Girls - a group of women artists, writers, performers, film makers and arts professionals who fight discrimination. They wear gorilla masks to focus on the issues rather than their personalities. Using humor to convey information, they intend to expose sexism and racism in the art world.
Louise Bourgeois - Bourgeois’s early sculpture was composed of groupings of abstract and organic shapes often carved from wood. By the 1960s she began to execute her work in rubber, bronze, and stone and the pieces themselves became larger, more referential to what has become the dominant theme of her work—her childhood.
Performance - Sometimes, the artist is part of the installation, in which case the installation then becomes performance art. The term "Performance Art" got its start in the 1960s in the United States. It was originally used to describe any live artistic event that included poets, musicians, and film makers in addition to visual artists. It's worth noting that, even though we're referencing the 1960s, there were earlier precedents for Performance Art. The live performances of the Dadaists, in particular meshed poetry and the visual arts. The German Bauhaus, founded in 1919, included a theater workshop to explore relationships between space, sound and light - a good 20 years before the 1960s.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)