ART316 test #2

dada

an art movement that started around 1916 during World War I. It was all about challenging traditional ideas of art by using strange and surprising materials, randomness, and humor. They believed that the chaos of war showed that life didn't always make sense, so they created art that was also weird and didn’t follow any rules. They used everyday objects, like a bicycle wheel or a toilet, and called it "art" to make people question what art really is.New

New Objectivity

Neue Sachlichkeit in German, was an art movement that started in the 1920s after World War I. It was a reaction against the emotional and chaotic styles of earlier art movements. Instead, it focused on showing the world realistically, sometimes even harshly. Artists painted everyday people and situations in a detailed, almost photo-like style, often showing the struggles, sadness, or challenges of modern life. It was meant to give a clear, "objective" look at reality, especially focusing on the tough parts of society after the war.

Abstract Expressionism:

an art movement that started in the 1940s in the United States. Unlike realistic art, it focused on expressing emotions and ideas through abstract shapes, colors, and lines rather than recognizable objects. Artists in this movement used big brushstrokes, drips, splashes, or even threw paint onto large canvases to create artworks that felt full of energy and emotion. The goal was to let the artist's feelings and intuition come through the paint, creating art that was open to interpretation rather than showing specific people, places, or things

Clement Greenberg- Avant-garde and Kitsch

an art critic who wrote an essay called Avant-Garde and Kitsch in 1939. In it, he explained two types of art: Avant-garde and kitsch.Avant-garde art was creative, experimental, and new—it pushed boundaries and made  people think. Kitsch was the opposite; it was simple, popular, and easy to understand, like posters or pop culture. Greenberg thought avant-garde art was better because it was original and made art more meaningful, while kitsch was just meant to entertain without much depth

action painting

a style of art where the artist shows movement and energy through how they paint. Instead of carefully brushing on paint, action painters often throw, drip, or splash paint onto the canvas in a wild, expressive way. The focus is on the action of creating the art, which is why it’s called action painting. This style became popular in the 1940s and 1950s, with artists like Jackson Pollock, who would lay his canvas on the floor and drip paint from above. The idea was to let emotions and movement guide the painting, making each piece unique and full of energy!

Jungian theory of the Collective Unconscious

a concept created by the psychologist Carl Jung. He believed that, along with our personal experiences and memories, everyone also shares a deeper layer of the mind. This layer, called the collective unconscious, is like a mental storage space that holds universal ideas, symbols, and patterns passed down through generations of humanity. These shared symbols and ideas are called archetypes, and they show up in myths, dreams, and art around the world. For example, the idea of the "hero" or the "wise old person" are archetypes that many people understand, even if they come from different cultures. Jung thought the collective unconscious connects us all through these shared images and ideas

Cold War

a period of intense tension and rivalry from about 1947 to 1991 between the United States and the Soviet Union, the two main superpowers after World War II. Instead of fighting directly, they competed in areas like politics, technology, and military power. This rivalry included events like the arms race (building nuclear weapons) and the space race (competing to explore space). The “war” was “cold” because there was no direct fighting between the two countries, but it still affected many parts of the world.

Color Field Painting

a style of abstract art that became popular in the 1940s and 1950s. In this style, artists covered large areas of the canvas with big blocks or fields of color. The goal was to create an emotional effect through simple, bold colors rather than detailed shapes or objects. Artists like Mark Rothko and Barnett Newman used this technique to make paintings that feel calming, powerful, or intense, depending on the colors they chose. The colors are often soft-edged and spread across the canvas to surround the viewer with color.

Political Pop

an art style that mixes popular culture with political messages. It’s like combining things from advertising, cartoons, and celebrities with serious topics like social issues, politics, and protest. Artists use bright colors and familiar images from TV, movies, or brands to make people think about big issues in a new way. It’s a way of using fun or familiar things to talk about serious subjects, like inequality or government actions. Political Pop art started in the 1960s and was a way to make people think more deeply about the world around them.

Ledger Art

a type of Native American art that began in the 19th century. It was created on old paper or ledger books, which were often used by the U.S. military to record information. Native American artists would draw on these pages to tell stories about their experiences, like battles, important events, or their daily lives. The artwork often used bold lines and bright colors, and it showed animals, people, and symbols that had cultural meaning. Ledger art became a way for Native American artists to keep their traditions alive and share their stories in a new way.

Negritude

a literary and cultural movement that started in the 1930s, mainly by African and Caribbean writers and intellectuals. It was a way for these writers to celebrate Black culture, history, and identity, and to reject colonialism and racism. They used their writing and poetry to express pride in being Black and to highlight the beauty of African traditions and heritage. Negritude was about finding strength in Black identity and standing up against the negative stereotypes created by colonizers. It helped inspire a sense of unity and pride among people of African descent around the world.

New Shona Sculpture

a style of art that began in Zimbabwe in the mid-20th century. It was created by Shona artists, who are part of the largest ethnic group in Zimbabwe. This style focuses on carving sculptures from stone, often depicting human figures, animals, or spiritual themes. The artists combine traditional African art with modern techniques, creating sculptures that are both beautiful and meaningful. New Shona Sculpture has gained international recognition for its unique and expressive forms, and it’s a way for artists to share their culture and beliefs through their work.

Progressive Artist’s Group

 a group of Indian artists who formed in 1947, right after India gained independence. They wanted to break away from traditional art styles and create new, modern art that reflected India's changing society. The group aimed to mix Indian cultural themes with Western art techniques, using bold colors and abstract forms. The PAG wanted to move away from colonial art influences and make art that was more personal, expressive, and modern. Some famous artists in the group included F.N. Souza, M.F. Husain, and S.H. Raza. The group's work played an important role in shaping modern Indian art.

Minimalism

an art style that started in the 1960s and focuses on simplicity. Instead of detailed images or complicated designs, minimalist art uses basic shapes, lines, and colors. The goal is to create a clean, uncluttered look that emphasizes the beauty of simple forms. Artists wanted to remove all unnecessary details and focus on the most essential parts of their work. Minimalism can be seen in painting, sculpture, and even design, where everything is kept as simple and straightforward as possible.

Phemonology

a way of studying and understanding human experiences. It focuses on how we perceive and feel about things in the world, without trying to explain them with theories or ideas. Instead, phenomenology looks at how things appear to us in our minds and senses. It’s like paying close attention to your own experience—how something feels, looks, or sounds—without making any judgments or assumptions about it. The goal is to understand the "essence" of things, meaning what makes something what it truly is, based on how we experience it

Arte Povera

an art movement that started in Italy in the 1960s. The name means "poor art," and it refers to the use of simple, everyday materials like dirt, rocks, fabric, and metal in artworks, instead of traditional art supplies like paint or canvas. The artists wanted to challenge the idea that art had to be made with expensive or "fine" materials. Instead, they focused on creating art that felt raw, natural, and connected to the world around them. Arte Povera was about rejecting materialism and showing that art could be made from anything, even the most basic things.

Gutai

an avant-garde art movement that started in Japan in the 1950s. The group’s name means “concreteness,” and their art was all about pushing the boundaries of what art could be. Gutai artists wanted to explore new ways of creating and experiencing art, often using unconventional materials and techniques. They were known for their energetic, action-based art—like using their bodies to create marks on canvas, or experimenting with light, sound, and movement. They aimed to show the raw power of human expression and the process of making art itself, rather than just focusing on the finished product.

Process Art

an art movement that focuses on the act of creating rather than just the final artwork. In Process Art, the steps, materials, and techniques used to make the piece are considered as important as the artwork itself. Artists often use materials like paint, clay, or fabric in ways that highlight change, movement, or natural effects like dripping, folding, or melting. The goal is to show the story of how the art was made, so viewers can see traces of the process in the final piece. It’s all about exploring creativity and experimentation rather than aiming for a polished end result

Semiotics

the study of signs and symbols and how they create meaning. It looks at how words, images, sounds, and even objects communicate ideas. In semiotics, a sign is anything that stands for something else, like how a red light signals "stop" or how a heart symbol represents "love." This field helps us understand how we interpret things around us and how language, art, and culture shape our understanding of the world. Semiotics is used in fields like linguistics, art, media, and advertising to analyze how meaning is made and shared

Land Art

also called Earth Art, is an art movement that started in the 1960s and 1970s, where artists use natural landscapes and materials—like rocks, soil, plants, and water—to create large outdoor artworks. Instead of making art in a gallery, Land Artists work directly in nature, sometimes reshaping the land itself to create patterns, designs, or sculptures that blend with the environment. These artworks are often temporary, changing over time with the weather and natural elements. Land Art aims to connect people with nature and show the beauty of the earth as part of the artwork itself