Art After 1945 Midterm (copy)

Format: Artist, Art Work, Date

Thomas Hart Benton, Missouri State Capitol Mural, 1936

only example of regionalism

The mural celebrates the everyday labor and achievements of the American Midwest, emphasizing regional identity and civic pride during the Great Depression.

Government sponsored project

celebrating regionalism

Created in 1936 under New Deal art programs

focusing on local landscapes, people, and history rather than European abstraction.

Stuart Davis, Hot Still-Scape for Six Colors Seventh Avenue Style, 1940

example of modernism

combines Cubist fragmentation, jazz-like rhythm, and commercial signage motifs to create a vibrant depiction of the modern cityscape

emphasizes color, shape, and dynamic composition rather than literal representation

Experimenting with abstraction

finding more modern for american expression

influenced by cubism

promotes his own take of modern art

hired by WPA to do murals like this

Arshile Gorky, The Liver is the Cock’s Comb, 1944

example of abstract expressionism and Surrealism

merges personal memory, myth, and subconscious imagery to create a visceral, emotionally charged composition.

Use of spontaneity

mystical, no rational space, dreamlike forms

Combines Surrealist automatism with gestural abstraction

Jackson Pollock, Guardians of the Secret, 1943

example of abstract expressionism and surrealism

a complex, semi-abstract painting that bridges Pollock’s early surrealist-influenced style with his later drip technique

composition features chaotic, biomorphic forms, masked figures, and mysterious symbols, creating a dreamlike, ritualistic atmosphere

explores themes of psychological tension, secrecy, and existential anxiety

inspired by native american art

dog like creatures

free formed brushwork

theorism of movement: applied movement

Jackson Pollock, Autumn Rhythm, 1950

example of abstract expressionism

covered with a dense network of dripped, poured, and splattered lines, creating a dynamic, all-over composition without a central focal point

emphasizes the act of painting as performance, capturing energy, rhythm, and the unconscious in visual form

Gestural

use of spontaneity, movement/energy

drip painting

Willem de Kooning, Woman I, 1950

example of abstract expressionism

creating a raw, visceral depiction of the female body that oscillates between representation and pure painterly energy.

archetype, semi recognizable subject

embracing flatness of painting and acknowledges paint

known for use of distorted figures

Mark Rothko, Red Maroons, 1962

Example of abstract expressionism and color field painting

Rothko emphasizes color, scale, and spatial depth to create an immersive, meditative experience

focuses on emotion, spirituality, and human contemplation rather than figuration or narrative

Purpose is to evoke human reaction

uses color field painting technique

Francis Bacon, Head Surrounded by Sides of Beef, 1954

example of Postwar Modernism

combines raw physicality, violent imagery, and expressive distortion to explore mortality, vulnerability, and the fragility of the human condition

Existentialism

use of post war imagery

creates a sense of anxiety and decay

he reduced the subject to a state of rawness and vulnerability

this work embodied existential terror and universal suffering

Alberto Giacometti, City Square, 1948

Use of existentialism and Postwar Modernism

bronze sculpture depicting a group of elongated, emaciated figures arranged on a flat base

appear isolated and introspective, evoking feelings of existential alienation, fragility, and vulnerability.

captures the psychological essence of human existence rather than realistic physical detail

existentialism : a sense of an individual that has lost supporting structure of society

post world war 2

literary movement, manifestation

Jean Dubuffet, Childbirth, 1944

example of art brut

emphasizing untrained, primal expression over traditional artistic refinement.

style of child like drawings / purity

goal was to disturb the viewer

use of flattened forms

this is an early example of art brut: creating art outside the boundaries of official culture and academic training

Jean Dubuffet, Large Sooty Nude, 1944

Example of art brut

prioritizing raw, instinctive expression over traditional ideals of beauty, anatomy, or refinement

depicts a monumental female figure in a deliberately crude, primitive style

uses bold, simplified shapes and dark, earthy tones, emphasizing physical presence and tactile energy

idealized

break from traditional paintings

Antoni Tapies, Painting, 1955

example of art informel

The composition incorporates sand, dust, and other earthy materials, highlighting the tactile and visceral qualities of the medium / adds sand to the painting

has architectural quality

shaped by the trauma of the Spanish Civil War and the aftermath of World War II

in his youth was deeply affected by the Spanish Civil War

Alberto Burri, Grande Sacco, 1954

example of Informalism / art informel

a large-scale abstract work composed of stitched and patched burlap sacks, emphasizing texture, materiality, and the physical presence of the object

transforms humble, everyday materials—sacks, twine, and industrial debris—into expressive compositions that convey violence, decay, and tactile energy.

post world war 2

material based abstraction

painted on rough burlap bags

focusing on materiality, texture, and the "trauma" of discarded, everyday materials over traditional painting techniques.

Asger Jorn, Dead Drunk Danes, 1960

example of Abstract Expressionism

vividly expressive painting that showcases Jorn’s interest in gestural abstraction, raw color, and spontaneous mark-making

depicts figures in states of revelry or disarray, reflecting human energy, folly, and humor in a distorted, almost grotesque visual style

uses brushwork and color as tools

expressive

he was part of the group CoBrA

Influenced by primitive art, folk art, and mythic imagery

Robert Rauschenberg, Rebus, 1955

example of a combine

variety of strokes, drips, and paint

early Pop Art

Rebus - puzzle made of pictures and symbols representing words, suggesting that the artwork itself is meant to be “read” and interpreted.

Rebus reflects The rise of consumer culture and Mass reproduction and media saturation

mocking serious art in a way

Robert Rauschenberg, Monogram, 1955-9

example of Proto–Pop Art

a combine with use of mixed media to create structures

hybrid of painting and structure

challenged abstract expressionism with irony, absurdity and chaotic composition

questioning of traditional art hierarchies

Jasper Johns, Flag, 1955

example of Proto–Pop Art

medium was Encaustic (pigment mixed with hot wax)

Beneath the paint, scraps of newspaper are visible, embedded into the wax.

Emphasizes materiality

redefined the relationship between image and object

questioned the meaning of national symbols

Jasper Johns, False Start, 1959

example of Post–Abstract Expressionism

playful gestures in color / playing with color language

symbolizes irony

the idea of Language vs. Perception

creates tension between what we see and what we read

Allan Kaprow, Yard, 1961

example of Happenings

Visitors were invited to walk, climb, move, and rearrange them.

Rather than creating a static object, Kaprow created an environment activated by audience participation.

viewed Art as Experience, Not Object

One of the earliest major environmental installations

Helped establish Happenings and performances as an art form

Jim Dine, The Smiling Workman, 1960

an example of Happenings and action painting

incorporates everyday tools and work-related imagery into an expressive, assemblage-like composition

evokes cheerful labor, yet the physical presence of tools and rough materials complicates this image

Ironic in a sense by making fun of abstract expressionism

Demonstrates the transition from Abstract Expressionism to object-based art

Claes Oldenburg, The Store, 1961-2

example of Happenings

The Store was both an installation and a functioning shop

Oldenburg recreated consumer culture in a exaggerated, messy, and humorous form

Challenged boundaries between art and consumer goods

Critiqued the commercialization of both products and art

Claes Oldenberg, Soft Toilet, 1966

example of pop art

soft sculptures (not functional)

The object can no longer serve its purpose. It becomes purely visual and sculptural.

Transforms everyday objects into humorous critique

Challenges traditional ideas of sculpture

similar to dada

George Brecht, Three Aqueous Events, 1961, as performed 1963

example of fluxus

Brecht developed the use of “event score,” a brief written instruction that invites performance

including the audience in the environment

Collapses boundaries between art and everyday life

Prioritizes concept over object

open ended / up to interpretation

the language defines the piece itself

Yves Klein, IKB74, 1958

example of new realism and avant garde

International Kline Blue copyrighted

believed in Rosicrucianism and revolving around fire and the void

Klein called the color a way to evoke the “immaterial” and the void.

spiritual / mystical reality / lack of reality

patented color but believes in spirituality / irony

Yves Klein, Monotone Symphony Performance, 1960

example of new realism and Performance Art

activity is the work of art

a performance consisting of a single sustained note lasting 20 minutes, followed by 20 minutes of silence

immerse the audience in sound and its absence, creating a meditative and spatial experience

Challenges traditional notions of music and art

Demonstrates Klein’s interest in immaterial experience and perception

Jean Tinguely, Metamatic No. 9, 1954

example of new realism and Kinetic Art

mechanical devices designed to create art autonomously

Rather than focusing on the artist’s hand, the artwork emphasizes movement, process, and chance, making the machine itself the primary agent of creation.

Shifted focus from artist’s hand to machine and process

Critiqued industrial society and notions of artistic control

interpreted as a satire or critique of Abstract Expressionism

Richard Hamilton, Just what is it that makes today's homes so different, so appealing? 1956

example of pop art

one of the first works of Pop Art

functions as a satirical snapshot of 1950s consumer culture, emphasizing the growing influence of mass media, advertising, and commodities on domestic life.

contains elements from Consumerism and Popular Culture

Merges high art with mass culture imagery

Critiques and celebrates consumerism simultaneously

James Rosenquist, F-111, 1964-5

example of pop art

massive multi-panel painting that combines imagery from advertising, popular culture, and military technology

war machinery with consumer culture

reflection of American identity

Critiques the relationship between consumerism and military-industrial complex

socially critical / Created during the Vietnam War era

The work immerses viewers in a simultaneous experience of war and consumption, mirroring the overload of media imagery.

collage like

Roy Lichtenstein, Blam, 1962

example of pop art

adjusts the composition to fit his vision not exactly copying the comic

highlights the tension between high art and popular culture, elevating commercial imagery to the level of museum painting

known for use of bold outlines, bright primary colors, and (Ben-Day dots)

Ben-Day dots to simulate commercial printing

Coincides with the Cold War era, when military themes dominated popular culture

Roy Lichtenstein, Brushstrokes, 1967

example of pop art

mimics the energy of gestural painting, yet presents it through hand-painted mechanical precision, comic-strip flatness, and Ben-Day dots.

highlights the tension between high art and popular culture, transforming the spontaneous gestures of Abstract Expressionism into a reproduced, commercialized aesthetic suitable for a gallery or museum.

a critical and ironic commentary on the spontaneous, emotional gestural painting of Abstract Expressionism

reference of spontaneity and free flowing form

Tom Wesselman, Nude #1, 1970

example of pop art

references the commercialization of women in consumer culture and how art is for the male gaze (male eyes in the back)

combined imagery of the female nude with bold, flat colors and elements of everyday consumer culture

transforms ordinary visual motifs—magazines, advertisements, and domestic objects—into stylized, monumental representations of the body

Explores the relationship between objectification, desire, and consumer aesthetics

Edward Ruscha, Actual Size, 1962

example of pop art

life-size reproductions of a single object

emphasizing everyday familiarity while simultaneously drawing attention to formal and visual qualities of consumer goods while playing with scale

Encourages viewers to reconsider perception, measurement, and the significance of everyday objects

explorations of consumer and commercial imagery

Focuses on ordinary objects elevated through scale and attention

Andy Warhol, Marilyn Diptych, 1962

example of pop art

decreasing value of a product through mass production

uses silk screen process aka screen printing

The repetition and contrast explore themes of celebrity, mortality, and mass media, turning Monroe into both an icon and an object of cultural consumption.

Explores the tension between individuality and mass reproduction

Andy Warhol, Brillo Box, 1964

example of pop art

recognized as a sculpture not an actual brillo box / reconstructed to resemble a brillo box

wooden replicas of commercial Brillo soap pad boxes

challenges the boundaries between fine art and mass-produced commodities

turning a mundane object into a provocative gallery piece.

Highlights seriality, mass production, and consumerism