Western Art 2 Terms and Periods 3

Primitivism

a Western modernist trend (late 19th-early 20th century) where artists borrowed stylistic elements from non-Western (African, Oceanic), tribal, or prehistoric art to challenge academic conventions

Analytic cubism

dissected objects into monochromatic, complex geometric facets

Synthetic cubism

constructed simpler, brightly colored images using collage techniques like pasting paper and fabric, emphasizing flat shapes

Collage

a piece of art made by sticking various different materials such as photographs and pieces of paper or fabric on to a backing

Assemblage

creating sculptures by arranging, gathering, and joining found objects or non-traditional materials

Photomontage

a collage technique creating a new image by cutting, pasting, or digitally layering multiple photographs

Readymades

ordinary, mass-produced, or found objects designated as art, fundamentally redefining artistic creation in the 1910s by emphasizing conceptual choice over manual craft.

Psychic automatism

Surrealist technique defined by André Breton as expressing the true, unrestricted functioning of thought, free from rational, aesthetic, or moral control

Paranoid-Critical Method

"spontaneous method of irrational knowledge based on the critical and systematic objectivity of the associations and interpretations of delirious phenomena"

Action painting

a post-WWII Abstract Expressionist style where paint is spontaneously dripped, splashed, or smeared onto large canvases

Color field painting

an abstract art style that emerged in the 1950s and 1960s, defined by large, flat, or stained areas of solid color that cover the canvas to create an immersive, emotional, or contemplative experience

Collective unconscious

a universal, inherited, and impersonal layer of the unconscious mind shared by all humans, distinct from the personal unconscious

Silkscreen

originated from ancient Asian stenciling techniques, notably in China (Song Dynasty, 960–1279 AD) and Japan, using silk mesh to transfer images onto fabrics, used by andy warhol

Benday dots

a 19th-century printing technique developed by Benjamin Day in 1879, using small, spaced, or colored dots (cyan, magenta, yellow, black) to create shading and secondary colors in commercial printing,

Cantilever construction

a structural method where a beam or member is supported at only one end, with the opposite end projecting freely

Fauvism

a short-lived, radical French art movement (c. 1904–1908) led by Henri Matisse and André Derain, defined by its intense, non-naturalistic color and wild, expressive brushwork.

German Expressionism

an early 20th-century (approx. 1905–1935) art movement in Germany focusing on subjective emotions over objective reality, defined by distorted forms, vivid colors, and dramatic, often anxious, psychological themes.

Cubism

perspective with a single viewpoint was abandoned and use was made of simple geometric shapes, interlocking planes, and, later, collage.

Futurism

an artistic movement begun in Italy in 1909 that violently rejected traditional forms so as to celebrate and incorporate into art the energy and dynamism of modern technology

Dada

an early 20th-century international avant-garde art movement (c. 1916–1924) that acted as a protest against the violence, logic, and nationalism of World War I.

Surrealism

an intellectual, literary, and artistic movement seeking to revolutionize human experience by freeing it from rational constraints

Abstract Expressionism

a development of abstract art that originated in New York in the 1940s and 1950s and aimed at subjective emotional expression with particular emphasis on the creative spontaneous act (e.g., action painting).

Pop Art

art based on modern popular culture and the mass media, especially as a critical or ironic comment on traditional fine art values.

Minimalism

an intentional lifestyle focused on maximizing joy and purpose by removing excess possessions, distractions, and clutter

Earthworks and Site-specific art

large-scale, often permanent, environmental installations that redefine the landscape as art, emerging in the 1960s-70s to move beyond traditional gallery spaces.

Feminist art

influential art movement emerging in the late 1960s that challenges male-dominated art canons, explores gendered experiences, and advocates for social equality.

Video art

medium of artistic expression that uses video/audio data and moving images

20th century architecture

the rise of Modernism, a radical shift away from traditional, ornamental styles toward functionalism, minimalism, and new technologies.