Ch 26 Age of Anxiety (1920s-1930s) ALL FLASHCARDS

European Cultural and Intellectual Life (1870-1941)

Refers to the period in Europe marked by significant developments in modern thought, challenging traditional beliefs and suppositions.

Paul Valery (1871-1945)

A French poet who expressed a pessimistic view of the future and spoke of the "crisis of the mind" in the early 20th century.

Existentialism

A philosophical movement inspired by Nietzsche, focusing on the individual's search for identity and meaning in an apparently meaningless universe.

Friedrich Nietzsche (1844-1900)

A German philosopher known for his concept of "perspectivism" and the idea of the "Death of God."

Will to Power

Nietzsche's concept that all behavior, including morality, is an expression of personal strength and the realization of one's talents and possibilities.

Ubermensch

Nietzsche's idea of the "superman" who transcends traditional values and morality to create their own values and meaning in life.

Henri Bergson (1859-1941)

A writer who emphasized the importance of immediate experience and intuition in understanding reality, influencing philosophical thought in the early 20th century.

Logical Positivism

A philosophical movement that rejects traditional concerns of philosophy as nonsense and emphasizes the logical clarification of thought.

Ludwig Wittgenstein (1889-1951)

Philosopher known for his work "Tractatus Logico-Philosophicus," which focused on the logical clarification of thought and language.

Jean-Paul Sartre (1905-1980)

An existentialist philosopher who believed in human freedom and the responsibility to create meaning in a fundamentally absurd world.

Existentialism

A philosophical movement emphasizing individual existence, freedom, and choice, focusing on the individual's experience in the world.

Soren Kierkegaard

A 19th-century Danish philosopher known for his ideas on existentialism, emphasizing the importance of faith, passionate inwardness, and individual choice.

Leap of Faith

The concept of making a decision to believe in something without concrete evidence, often associated with Kierkegaard's idea of embracing faith with passionate inwardness.

Subjectivity

The quality of being based on or influenced by personal feelings, tastes, or opinions rather than external factors.

Hegelian philosophers

Followers of the philosophical ideas of Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel, who emphasized the development of ideas through a dialectical process leading to the realization of the absolute spirit.

Dialectic of Existence

Kierkegaard's proposal of three stages in life - the aesthetic, ethical, and religious stages - each marked by a progression towards self-realization and faith.

Non-Euclidian geometry

Geometries that do not follow the postulates of Euclidean geometry, discovered in the 19th century, challenging traditional notions of space and reality.

Wave theory of light

The scientific theory that light behaves as a wave, as opposed to Newton's earlier corpuscular theory, with James Clerk Maxwell's electromagnetic theory expanding on this concept.

Albert Einstein

A renowned physicist known for his theory of relativity and the famous equation E=mc^2, which demonstrates the equivalence of mass and energy.

Theory of Relativity

Einstein's theory published in 1905 and 1916, stating that space and time are relative to the observer and the speed of light is constant for all frames of reference.

Space-time Continuum

The concept that time and space are not separate entities but a combined continuum, as proposed by Einstein.

Uncertainty Principle

Introduced by Werner Heisenberg, it states that the behavior of subatomic particles is based on statistical probability rather than exact determinable cause and effect.

Wilhelm Roentgen

The scientist who discovered X-rays in 1895, leading to significant advancements in medical imaging.

Henri Becquerel

The physicist who discovered radioactivity in uranium in 1896, contributing to the understanding of atomic structure.

J.J

Known for his theory of the electron, which revolutionized the understanding of the interior of the atom.

Ernest Rutherford

Discovered the cause of radiation as the disintegration of the atom and conducted the famous gold foil experiment.

New Psychology

A shift in psychology towards behavioralism, emphasizing that human responses are influenced by biology and conditioning.

20th Century Art

Art movement in the 20th century where artists challenged traditional notions of art and critiqued social and political institutions.

Expressionism

Artistic style that emphasizes the expression of inner experience rather than solely realistic portrayal.

Fauvism

Art movement led by Henri Matisse, characterized by the use of vivid colors and simplified forms.

German Expressionism

Art movement in Germany that critiqued societal issues and industrialization.

Die Brucke

Group of German expressionist artists who focused on the effects of industrialization and societal alienation.

Der Blaue Reiter

Art movement that emphasized spiritual art and inner feelings through color and form.

Cubism

Art movement that rejected naturalistic depictions in favor of abstract forms and complex geometrical shapes.

Analytic Cubism

Cubist style where subjects are dissected into forms, blurring time and space.

Synthetic Cubism

Cubist style where artists construct paintings from cut paper or materials to challenge reality.

Purism

Art movement focusing on clean lines and pure forms inspired by machinery.

Futurism

Art movement that celebrated motion, speed, technology, and war as a means of progress.

Dadaism

Art movement that attacked traditional standards of art and behavior, embracing absurdity and anarchy.

Surrealism

Art movement that sought to release the creative potential of the unconscious mind.

Photomontage

Creating a collage using photographs in non-logical positions to convey a message or idea.

Dadaism

An art movement that emerged in response to the horrors of World War I, characterized by absurdity, irrationality, and anti-establishment sentiments.

Surrealism

An artistic movement that sought to channel the unconscious as a means to unlock the power of imagination, known for its dream-like imagery and juxtaposition of elements.

Freud and Jung

Sigmund Freud and Carl Jung, psychologists whose theories on dreams and the unconscious mind greatly influenced the Surrealist movement.

Max Ernst

A German painter, sculptor, and poet who transitioned from Dadaism to Surrealism, known for his innovative techniques and exploration of the unconscious.

Salvador Dali

A prominent Surrealist artist known for his eccentric behavior and striking, dreamlike paintings filled with symbolism.

Meret Oppenheim

Swiss Surrealist artist known for her Object (Luncheon in Fur), a fur-covered teacup, challenging conventional ideas of art and femininity.

Joan Miro

A Spanish Surrealist painter known for his colorful, abstract works that often incorporated biomorphic shapes and symbols.

Paul Klee

Swiss-German artist associated with Surrealism, known for his whimsical paintings that blend abstract and figurative elements.

Neue Sachlichkeit

A German art movement that emerged in the aftermath of World War I, characterized by a realistic and critical approach to art.

George Grosz

German artist known for his satirical and critical depictions of German society, particularly the military and political figures.

Max Beckmann

German painter and printmaker whose works often reflected the disillusionment and chaos of post-World War I Germany.

Precisionists

A group of American artists in the 1920s who focused on industrial landscapes and machinery, emphasizing clean lines and geometric forms.

Frank Lloyd Wright

Influential American architect known for his organic architecture principles, emphasizing harmony between human habitation and the natural world.

Bauhaus

A German art school that combined crafts and fine arts, known for its modernist approach to design and its influence on architecture, art, and education.

Igor Stravinsky

A Russian composer known for his groundbreaking work "The Rite of Spring," which caused a scandal in 1913 due to its provocative themes and innovative music.

Alban Berg

An Austrian composer famous for his opera "Wozzeck," characterized by its half-spoken dialogue and atonal music, telling a dark story of a soldier driven to murder.

Arnold Schoenberg

An Austrian composer who revolutionized music by abandoning traditional tonality and harmonies, opting for an abstract mathematical approach, gaining popularity post-WWII.

Movies

A form of entertainment that gained popularity among the masses, offering an escape from reality, especially during the Great Depression.

Mack Sennett

A director and producer known for creating the Keystone Cops in the 1920s, contributing to the early days of Hollywood cinema.

Charlie Chaplin

A legendary actor and filmmaker, known as the king of the silver screen in the 1920s, famous for his iconic character, the Tramp.

German Expressionist Films

Unique films created by the German film industry during WWI, characterized by bizarre and distorted visuals, such as "The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari."

Guglielmo Marconi

An Italian inventor credited with creating wireless communication and the vacuum tube, leading to the transmission of speech and music over radio waves.

Modern art

Artistic movements and styles from the late 19th to mid-20th century characterized by radical and forward-thinking approaches, technological positivity, and grand narratives of Western domination and progress.

Postmodernism

An artistic and cultural movement emerging in reaction to modernism, characterized by a questioning of master narratives, rejection of totalizing theories, emphasis on local and contingent knowledge, and a focus on image, spectacle, and viewer participation.

Avant-garde

Experimental and innovative artists active from the 1860s to the 1950s who challenged traditional norms and conventions in art.

Neo-Dada

An art movement emerging in post-war America as a reaction against modernism, characterized by irony, playful treatment of subjects, and a focus on undermining concepts of authenticity and originality.

Conceptual art

Art in which the concept or idea behind the work is more important than the finished product.

Minimalism

Art movement characterized by extreme simplicity of form and a focus on the materiality of the artwork.

Video art

Art form using video technology to create works of art.

Performance art

Art form that combines visual art with dramatic performance.

Installation art

Art form in which the artist creates an environment or a display that surrounds the viewer.

Master narratives

Overarching stories or theories that attempt to explain historical events or cultural phenomena.

Totalizing theories

Theories that attempt to explain all aspects of a particular phenomenon or experience.

Authenticity

The quality of being genuine or original.

Originality

The quality of being novel or unique.

High vs

Distinction between traditional fine arts (high culture) and popular or mass culture (low culture).

Image and Spectacle

Emphasis on visual representation and the use of spectacle in postmodern art to challenge traditional notions of art and viewer engagement.

Hyperreality

A concept in postmodernism likening existence to a flickering TV screen with no underlying truth, where style and spectacle take precedence over substance.

Barbara Kruger

An artist who depicted the surface rather than deeper meaning, focusing on style and spectacle in works like "I Shop therefore I Am" (1987).

Camp aesthetic

An aesthetic born in postmodernism that draws from past styles like Gothic and Baroque, emphasizing flamboyance and shock.

Jeff Koons

An artist exemplifying postmodern art by embracing a camp aesthetic and mixing aesthetic codes and genres.

Abstract Expressionism

An art movement championing non-representational painting, reaching its peak in the mid-20th century.

Gerhard Richter

An artist who playfully mixed aesthetic codes and genres, creating new meanings through parody and pastiche.

Marcel Duchamp

An artist who challenged traditional notions of art and originality, famously exhibiting a urinal as art.

Walter Benjamin

A cultural theorist who reworked views on art in the age of mechanical reproduction, emphasizing democratization and challenging elitism.

Relational Aesthetics

A practice focusing on the social process of art making and interaction, resisting commoditization and providing a modernist critique.

Pluralism

A postmodern pursuit for diverse perspectives in art, addressing underrepresented positions and embracing multicultural identities.

Duchamp

A reference to Marcel Duchamp, a French-American artist known for his groundbreaking contributions to modern and contemporary art.

Sensations

An art exhibition in the late 1990s that stirred controversy and debate due to its provocative and unconventional nature.

Modernism

A cultural movement that emerged in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, characterized by a break from traditional forms and a focus on innovation and experimentation.

Postmodernism

A philosophical and artistic movement that emerged in the mid-20th century, challenging the principles of modernism and emphasizing skepticism, irony, and self-awareness.

Post Postmodernism

A term used to describe a potential new era following postmodernism, characterized by a rejection of postmodern values and a return to authenticity and craftsmanship.

Age of Authenticity

Coined by Edward Docx, it refers to a period marked by a revival of genuine expression and skill, contrasting with the perceived superficiality of postmodernism.

Alter Modernism

A term introduced by Nicolas Bourriaud to describe the contemporary culture of constant communication and globalization.

Abstract Expressionism

An avant-garde art movement that emerged in the United States from the 1940s to the 1970s, producing abstract paintings reflecting the artists' state of mind and aiming to evoke emotional responses in viewers.

Avant-garde

Innovative and experimental works in art, music, or literature, often challenging traditional norms and conventions.

Existentialism

A philosophical movement emphasizing individual existence, freedom, and choice, often exploring themes of alienation, solitude, and the human experience in a seemingly indifferent universe.

Surrealists

Artists who embraced surrealism, a cultural movement that sought to release the creative potential of the unconscious mind through irrational juxtapositions and dream-like imagery.

Post Painterly Abstraction

A movement following Abstract Expressionism characterized by a cool, detached rationality and tighter pictorial control, coined by art critic Clement Greenberg.