Modernism
It was stated that ‘Modernism’ started around the late 19th Century in the western arts, mainly in France where vast amounts of art activity happened.
This term handles the more experimental art forms, materials and techniques.
- This also means that ‘Modernism’ fully rejects historical techniques in all ‘Classical’ art.
- Modernism has also formed other arts such as ‘Cubism’ and ‘Surrealism’
Kazimir Malevich
An artist from this movement, Kazimir Malevich, was a Russian artist who was the innovator of suprematism which is the art movement that focuses on the geometric shape of objects, this began around 1913.
Black Square (1915)
This particular movement is clearly expressed in these works
through the shapes and linear work in both. The style of layering on top of that paintings is what made these pieces work well.
Dynamic Suprematism (1915-16)
- He had been influenced by Natalia Goncharova and Mikhail Larionov.
Both these artists being Russian based, in 1900 Larionov met Natalia Goncharova having a lifelong relationship.- Goncharova and pulled out from the Moscow Institute of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture in 1909, and in 1910
- Primitivist and Cubist is the style that Goncharova worked on in her works
Natalia Goncharova-Cyclist (1913)
Mikhail Larionov-Red Rayonism (1913)
An artist who was influenced by Malevich is Zaha Hadid, an Iraqi-British architect. Hadid has some drawing that follows the suprematist styles of Malevich and even some expressionism marks like Larionov.
Zaha Hadid-Visions for Madrid
Jackson Pollock
Pollock, during the 20th Century, was a majorly known artist of his time, with his unique style of mark making. The loose way to make his pieces go almost against his whole personality as he struggled with alcohol during most of his years.
- His volatile persona seems to contradict his style of painting. Possibly a way to focus and relax his mind during these harsh times for him.
Jackson Pollock-Number 18 (1950)
Jackson Pollock-Alchemy(1947)
- It was not all hard for him as he met Lee Krasner and were married in 1945.
- This became a large part in his art career as she then became a major support for him.
Through Pollocks work emerged Helen Frankenthaler, who followed Pollock’s idea of having the canvas on the ground and pouring paints along on top to create her piece ‘Mountains and sea’ giving her minimum control similar to Jackson Pollock’s work.
Cubism
Cubism is a term that was used by art critic Louis Vauxcelles in 1908 when he was viewing one of Georges Braque and described them as
‘Bizarreries cubiques’ which translates as ‘cubist oddities’.
So with this, the term ‘cubism’ stuck. Cubism can be seen to have developed in two distinct phases: the initial and more analytical cubism, and a later phase of cubism known as synthetic cubism.
- Analytical was from 1908-12. the works were more impactable while having many viewpoints and layers, the linear marks being dull tones of greys and blacks.
- Synthetic is the later phase starting at 1912-14. This was achieved by simplified shapes and brighter tones in colour. This would also include collage elements into the image.
Georges Braque-Mandora (1909–10)
Georges Braque
Started in 1907, around the time Picasso overcame his depression which held him back but encouraged warmer colours in his work.
Georges Braque had become the most influential artists of the 20th Century alongside Picasso, who was also a cubist style artist. Braque had closely worked with Picasso with his work of collages in 1912.
Georges Braque-Balustre et Crane (1938)
The 1900s were an unfortunate time for people as this was around when the start of the Cold War occurred as well as the Great Depression, which affected the world badly.
In Braque’s work, it holds a style of work known as ‘Vanitas’
- A symbolic genre of art that was associated in the 16th-17th Century. These paintings would always consist of;
- A Skull- Representing decay or death
- A Vase of flowers- Life/Growth
- Books- Knowledge
- Jewellery- Beauty
- Instruments-Literature
- The objects advise the viewer an essence of mortality and the inevitability of death as well as transience and vanity of earthly achievements and pleasures.
Doing so, this makes the work have a dramatic effect and a possible link towards the struggles of the 1900s.
An artist that came about is Peter Doig, a Scottish painter whos work resembles watery reflections that are clearly painted in his painting Swamped (1990). This work links in with the two styles of cubism, being a synthetic piece with the vivid, bright colour palette and the simplistic subject matter.
David Hockney
David Hockney had a great interest for cubism in his later work but had an admiration for Picasso, which it can be clearly seen in the painting ‘Man in a shower in Beverly Hills‘.
- It is clear that this was painted with the Synthetic Phase in mind, as the bright tones in colour and shape are clear evidence.
The expressionistic marks and style evolved to then be considered more realist, an example can be with his painting ‘Man in a Shower’
In his early work, he employed concepts of quotes and poems from Walt Whitman into his work.
We, Two Boys, Clinging Together (1961)
In 2011 he was voted most influential British artist of all time by more than 1,000 British artists.
Claire Cansick is someone who became influenced by Hockney, this is clear in her work of Expressionistic but cubistic style. Bacton Woods (2012)
Kinetic Art
Kinetic art is works of art that use and depends on a motion to give it the purpose it was made for. An example of this is Alexander Calder’s mobiles, precisely balanced and objects that hang, able to be interacted with by a strong breeze or a gentle touch.
Mobile (1932)
- Started in the 1950s, where this became a fashionable movement in this year, some say that it ended in the 1970s, others argue that it has continued presently.
- Around this time there was Civil Rights Movement which gave African-Americans the equal rights they deserved.
Alexander Calder
At a young age, Calder was constructing objects together, having a long line of sculpting artists, it was clear that this added to his inspiration to become a sculptor.
Antennae with Red and Blue Dots (1953)
Calder had originated the mobile into art terms using his knowledge of engineering to put together these models effectively.
I feel that the engineering can link with the idea of the Civil Right movement as the equal right became top headlines, Calder has to ensure that his models are equally levelled to the way they were designed.
Calder joined the Abstraction-Creation group and focused on finding a way to make abstract colour move through space.
An artist who became influenced by Calder’s work was John Cage, a largely known composer but an abstract expressionist.
‘Everyday is a Good Day’ (1952)
- Cage’s inspiration is directed towards revolutionary keys of development in contemporary art and went in the direction for postmodern artistic inquiries.
- This was to challenge the meaning of fine art even more.
- Postmodern being a term that will contradict aspects of modernism
- Postmodern being a term that will contradict aspects of modernism
Yaacov Agam
A Jewish artist who became inspired by the works of Van Gogh as well as through one of his many books.
He was also a pioneer in Kinetic art, which is the best-known fact about Agam. Using aspects of lighting and sounds, Yaacov Agam creates illusory images that create strangely and a unique sensorial experience for the viewer.
Big Bang(2007)
This style of artworks more with movement in objects, acting similar to what an optical illusion would. Agams work consists of multiple materials such as painting and drawings to sculpture, ceramics and even combinations of media.
- This can make the work change from the viewer inspecting the work from different angles or physically passing by.
3 x 3 Interplay (1970)
Research Source:
Kazimir Malevich- http://www.tate.org.uk/art/art-terms/m/modernism, https://www.artsy.net/gene/late-19th-century
Natalia Goncharova/Mikhail Larionov-https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Natalia_Goncharova, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mikhail_Larionov, http://www.tate.org.uk/art/artists/natalia-goncharova-1186
Jackson Pollock- http://www.tate.org.uk/art/artists/jackson-pollock-1785, https://www.guggenheim.org/artwork/artist/jackson-pollock
Helen Frankenthaler- http://www.theartstory.org/artist-frankenthaler-helen.htm
Zaha Hadid- http://www.arquitecturaviva.com/en/Info/News/Details/8416
Georges Braque- http://www.theartstory.org/artist-braque-georges.htm, http://www.tate.org.uk/art/art-terms/c/cubism/all-about-cubism
David Hockney- https://www.biography.com/people/david-hockney-9340738
Alexander Calder- http://www.theartstory.org/artist-calder-alexander.htm
Yaacov Agam- https://www.artbrokerage.com/Yaacov-Agam, https://www.parkwestgallery.com/artist/yaacov-agam
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