Modern art
modern art comes in all forms, shapes, and sizes. generally, the era known as the modern art movement includes paintings, sculptures, and other artwork created from 1880 to 1945. artwork produced during this period became progressively more abstract and less realistic. in the early part of this period, artists experimented by interpreting color, shape, and form in unique ways that represented their own visions rather than nature. at the height of the modern art movement (in the early 1940s) paintings and sculptures were completely abstract with no recognizable objects. two interesting movements of this era include cubism and abstract expressionism.
cubism was developed around 1908 and was primarily influenced by the french painter georges braque and spanish painter pablo picasso. this art form got its name from an art critic who said the painting he was viewing looked like it was made up of little cubes. critics and art fans alike considered cubism quite radical for the time. people were not supposed to produce art using abstract geometric shapes! both braque and picasso worked closely together and experimented with this new art form. in fact, many of their paintings are so similar that it takes an expert to recognize who painted what.
georges braque is one of the major artists of the cubism movement. born in 1882, he began painting in the style that would become known as cubism. he was influenced by french impressionist painters, such as claude monet and pierre renoir, who used bright colors and free forms. as he perfected his style, braque became intrigued by light and perspective. most artists study the way light affects its subject. and, braque became fascinated with how light shades a cube. over time, he was able to make a cube look both flat and three-dimensional by varying shades of color.
between 1901 and 1904 picasso began to make major changes in his painting style. in 1904, picasso settled permanently in paris. he studied works of art by greeks, iberians, and africans, who influenced his different styles. after several technique changes, picasso began to use geometric figures in his artwork. he, along with georges braque, began experimenting with a new style of painting using geometric shapes.
though the cubism movement only lasted a short time, it had a major impact on art styles throughout the rest of the twentieth century. it provided a new way of looking at and representing objects and forms.
another movement that was highly influenced by cubism was abstract expressionism. this modern art form began around 1945, at the end of the second world war. it is described as an impulsive and completely abstract art form. the artists using this form felt that the act of painting is more important than the subject. jackson pollock was one of the most influential leaders in this movement.
pollock, born in 1912, studied painting at the art students' league in new york in 1929. he became known for his abstract works as well as his unusual painting methods. in 1947 pollock began painting using the "drip and splash" style. to accomplish this, pollock removed his canvases from easels and placed them on the floor. that way he was able to see them from any angle and work from any side of the canvas. he poured and dripped paint from the can and used sticks, trowels, and blunt knives to spread paint. pollock sometimes added things such as sand and glass chips to the paint to give it texture. at the time, his work confused many people and art critics. some people supported this new art style while others felt it was absurd. eventually, pollock was recognized as one of the most important abstract expressionist artists. he was a pioneer who opened new ways of expressing art to others.
whether you like modern art or prefer the paintings by impressionists, knowing background information about the artists and the periods of history makes art more interesting. tracing the development of one style versus another allows you to make connections between those styles. and, it can show you how one artist can change and influence the entire world of art.
what is the thesis statement in the essay?
a) pollock was recognized as one of the most important abstract expressionist artists.
b) cubism was developed around 1908 and was primarily influenced by the french painter georges braque and spanish painter pablo picasso.
c) two interesting movements of this era include cubism and abstract expressionism.
d) though the cubism movement only lasted a short time, it had a major impact on art styles throughout the rest of the twentieth century.