modern art 2nd exam

Bauhaus

A German art and design school founded by Walter Gropius that emphasized unity between art, craft, and technology, promoting functionality and simplicity in design.

Fauvism

An art movement led by Henri Matisse that used bold, non-naturalistic colors and expressive brushwork to evoke emotional intensity over realistic representation.

Art Deco

A decorative style known for geometric shapes, symmetry, and luxurious materials, symbolizing modernity and technological progress between the World Wars.

Art Nouveau

An ornamental movement featuring flowing lines, organic forms, and nature-inspired motifs, seeking to blur the boundary between fine art and design.

Arts & Crafts Movement

A design reform movement led by William Morris that rejected industrial mass production and emphasized handcrafted goods, simplicity, and honesty in materials.

Cubism

Pioneered by Pablo Picasso and Georges Braque, this movement broke subjects into geometric shapes and multiple viewpoints, revolutionizing visual perspective in art.

Die Brücke

An Expressionist group in Dresden that used raw color and distorted forms to convey emotion and critique modern industrial life.

Readymade

An ordinary manufactured object designated as art by the artist, first introduced by Marcel Duchamp (e.g., Fountain, 1917), challenging traditional definitions of artistic creation.

Negritude

A literary and artistic movement by Francophone Black intellectuals such as Aimé Césaire and Léopold Senghor, celebrating African heritage and identity in opposition to colonialism.

Diaspora

The dispersion of people from their homeland, often leading to cultural blending, identity shifts, and transnational connections.

Creolization

The process by which different cultures blend to form new, hybrid identities, particularly in postcolonial and Caribbean contexts.

Pan-Africanism

A global movement advocating for the unity, solidarity, and empowerment of African peoples worldwide.

De-skilling

A concept in modern and contemporary art where artists deliberately reject technical mastery to emphasize ideas, process, or social critique.

Gesamtkunstwerk

A German term meaning “total work of art,” describing a unified artistic vision that integrates multiple disciplines—architecture, design, music, and visual art.

Degenerate Art Exhibition

A Nazi-organized exhibition that mocked modernist art labeled as “un-German” or “decadent,” used as propaganda to promote traditional aesthetics.

Orientalism

A term popularized by Edward Said describing the Western depiction and romanticization of Eastern cultures as exotic, inferior, or mysterious, reinforcing colonial power dynamics.