20th Century Art Test 2

What decade did Art Deco began to flourish?

Art Deco flourished throughout the 1920s up to 1930s until the World War II era.

In what city did Dada begin?

Zurich, Switzerland in 1916

What art movement emerged in California in the late 1970’s that blended surrealism with lowbrow culture?

Pop Surrealism combined the imagery of lowbrow culture—like cartoons and street art—with rich, often fantastical explorations of the subconscious and surreal.

What earlier art movement did Art Deco react against?

Art Deco reacted against Art Nouveau, which featured organic forms and intricate details. In contrast, Art Deco embraced geometreic shapes. bold colors, and a more modern aesthetic.

What 1925 event in Paris marked the apex of Art Deco style?

The French Government sponsored the Exposition Internationale des Arts Décoratifs et Industriels Modernes.

What was an American art deco architecture nicknamed?

Zigzag Modern

Name two automotive motifs incorporated into the Chryslers buildings design?

Gargoles modeled after Christler hood ornaments. Radiater cap inspired details, and steel crowns that evoked hub caps.

Name 2 iconic typefaces that emerged from Art Deco graphic design.

Bifur, Broadway, and Peignot

What style became the American continuation of Art Deco after the Great Depression?

streamline modern

Name two design movements that drew inspiration from Art Deco.

Mid Century Modern and the Memphis Group

What major global event marked the end of Art Deco's dominance?

World War ll

What major historical event was Dada a reaction to?

World War I

What famous venue was the birthplace of Zurich Dada in 1916?

Zurich Dada originated in Cabaret Voltaire in 1916.

Which manifestation of Dada was the most overtly political?

German Dada, but specifically Berlin Dada

Who introduced the concept of readymades?

Marcel Duchamp

Which Surrealist painter also worked in film, jewelry and clothing design?

Salvador Dalí

What was Kurt Schwitters' personal variant of Dada called?

Merz , short for kommerz (commerce)

Name the technique Max Ernst invented that involves taking rubbings from uneven surfaces.

Frottage

What writing exercise did the Surrealists use to gain access to the unconscious mind?

Automatic writing

Who published the "Manifesto of Surrealism" in 1924?

Andre Breton

Which two theorists heavily influenced Surrealism (one psychological, one political)?

Sigmund Freud (Psychological): The unconscious mind.

Karl Marx (Political): Social revolution based on his ideas.

Which artist was known for creating "mechanomorphic" works?

Francis Picabia

What is the name of the collaborative drawing game Surrealists invented?

Exquisite Corpse

What is René Magritte's most famous painting featuring a pipe called?

The Treachery of Images

What is the title of Marcel Duchamp famous 1917 readymade?

Fountain (It was a sideways urinal signed "R. Mutt")

List 4 things Art Deco embraced as inspiration for design.

Art Deco took inspiration from the geometric styles found within Cubism as well as the geometry found within art of Ancient Egypt and Central America.

List three motifs or shapes characteristic of Art Deco design.

Bold geometric shapes, chevrons, streamlined and symmetrical compositions, zigzagged chapes, radiating pattersn

Explain the concept of "anti-art" in Dada. Why did Dadaists reject traditional ideas of beauty, skill, and craftsmanship?

"Anti-art" is the rejection of traditional aesthetics, skill, and beauty in favor of provocation and questioning what constitutes art itself. The concept was developed out of disgust and resentment from the bloodshed and horror of World War I. It was also an act of rebellion against bourgeois values/taste and middle class complacency

How did the Great Depression influence the evolution of Art Deco? Describe the changes in style, materials, and aesthetic focus.

The Great Depression influenced Art Deco by shifting it towards more pragmatic designs. Styles became simpler and less extravagant, using affordable materials like concrete and glass instead of luxury ones. Moved away from ornate metal designs (war=need for metal elsewhere).The focus shifted from lavish decorations to streamlined forms and functionality, reflecting economic realities of the time while maintaining elegance. Things went from more vertical like skyscrapers to more horizontal, like wider buildings.

Explain the connection between Art Deco graphic design and the machine age. How did artists convey concepts of speed and modernity?

Art Deco graphic design was inspired by Futurism, with its interest in speed and machines. Graphic artists would often use parallel lines and tapering forms to convey a sense of streamline. The typography at the time also incorporated machine-like letterforms.

Name two artists from this unit that utilized collage.

Hannah Höch and Hans Jean Arp

Compare and contrast Art Deco and Art Nouveau in terms of their visual characteristics, materials, and philosophy. Mention at least three differences.

Visual Characteristics: Art Deco emphasized streamlined, geometric forms reflecting machine-age modernity, while Art Nouveau emphasized intricate, flowing, detailed organic motifs inspired by nature.

Materials: Art Deco focused on mass production and industrial materials like chrome, Bakelite, and stainless steel, while Art Nouveau prioritized one-of-a-kind craftsmanship and artisanal techniques.

Philosophy: Art Deco celebrated "perfected forms" that machines could produce and prioritized functionality, becoming increasingly minimalistic. Art Nouveau was a nostalgic reaction against industrialization, emphasizing uniqueness, natural beauty, and ornate processes.

Additional differences: Art Deco favored new materials (aluminum, plastics, lacquer, inlaid wood) with stepped, radiating styles; Art Nouveau derived intricate, stylized forms from nature and extolled hand-crafted virtues.

Compare the role of technology and machines in Art Deco versus Dada. How did each movement view and represent mechanization?

Art Deco embraced technology-aesthetics as a sign of “progress” and luxury while Dada was more absurdist and used machines to point out the dehumanization of World War I

Why did critics feel Art Nouveau was ill-suited to the modern world?

Art Nouveau's delicate designs, expensive materials, and one-of-a-kind production methods were ill-suited to an unpredictable and increasingly mechanized modern world. Art Nouveau also indulged too much in nostalgia for the past.

Define "biomorphic forms."

Abstract representation of organic forms in nature

Compare Zurich Dada and Berlin Dada. How did their different contexts (neutral Switzerland vs. war-torn Germany) influence their artistic approaches?

Zurich dada was much less political in its rejection of war. Berlin dada was much more overtly political, and their art was a direct critique of the government, the military, nationalism, and the bourgeoisie. While Zurich dada was iconoclastic in its themes and was a direct reaction to WWl, its focus was not solely political like Berlin dada was, as Switzerland was a neutral country and Germany was a central country for war and violence. Zurich dada had more of an artistic flare, and had the freedom to talk about many things other than war, where as Berlin dada was a little less so.

Explain how readymades challenged traditional definitions of art. What questions did they force viewers to confront?

Readymades challenged traditional art by claiming ordinary objects could be art just because the artist wanted it to be. This forced viewers to question what makes something valuable or creative.

Describe how Dada laid the groundwork for conceptual art. Mention specific techniques or ideas that influenced later movements.

Dadaists rebelled against ideas of craftsmanship, monetary value, and aesthetic beauty. They forced viewers to confront the question of what actually makes something "art." This paved the way for conceptual art - insisting that skill, taste, and appearance were less important than the concept behind the work.

How did Dada influence graphic design and advertising?

Dada influenced graphic design and advertising through the use of collage and photomontage techniques, which revolutionized visual commercial communication. It eventually influenced the "Ransom Note" aesthetic.

Name three key characteristics or themes of Surrealism.

hyper realistic detail, symbolism, absurdism

What does "surreality" mean according to André Breton?

Surreality is the fusion of reality into a higher, absolute reality that transcends logic. it reveals deeper truths by uniting the unconscious world

Describe the philosophical problem presented in Magritte's "The Treachery of Images." What does this painting reveal about the relationship between images, words, and reality?

The philosophical problem was in the field of semiotics, which is the study of signs and meaning. The main issue presented was the fact that the relationship between the signifier and the signified is arbitrary. There is no real connection between image of the pipe and the physical object you smoke with. Margritte points out that language and image create meaning only because of a cultural agreement, rather than a direct correspondence to reality.

Explain the concept of "automatism" in Surrealism. Why did artists believe this technique was important, and how did they use it?

They believed it would free the unconscious mind. They did it through automatic writing, chance/automatic collage, and utilizing other art-making processes where they release elements of control. They thought by allowing the unconcious mind to come through their work it would lead to greater personal and collective liberation.

Name three key themes of Dada.

Anti-materialism, absurdity and nonsense, and chance and spontaneity

Name three key characteristics or themes of Surrealism.

Exploration of the unconscious and dreams, Juxtaposition and Incongruity, Automatism and chance

Define a "readymade."

An utensil that is usually prefabricated (often mass-produced) that an artist chooses to elevate to the status of art. Close related to Dada.

Trace the evolution from Dada to Surrealism. What ideas did Surrealism inherit from Dada, and how did it transform them?

Surrealism emerged from Dada, with many artists belonging to both movements. Paris Dada led the transition to Surrealism.

Both --rejected rationalism and bourgeois values, used chance and spontaneity, experimented with new techniques and were interested in the unconcious and irrational

How Surrealism transformed some shared ideas:

-While Dada was nihilistic "anti-art," Surrealism sought to build something new—a "surreality" that transcended mundane existence.

-Surrealism started to organize Dada's chaos and focus on the follwing some new theories (freud/marx) instead of just rebelling everything

-Surrealism transformed Dada's "meaningless absurdity" into "meaningful symbolic imagery"

-Surrealism brought back a reason for realism that was not connected to rationality or perfection

How did Surrealism evolve after World War II? What movements challenged or incorporated Surrealist ideas?

Surrealism evolved after WWII by spreading into France. Existentialism offered a more rationality-based approach, challenging the dominance of of the Surrealism movement. Abstract expressionists incorporated surrealist ideas into their work, specifically emphasizing their obsessions with the unconscious mind. Later, Pop Surrealism/Lowbrow Art emerged in late 1970s California, blending the visual vocabulary of lowbrow culture (cartoons, street art) with fantastical exploration of subconscious and surreal themes.

How did World War I influence both Dada and Surrealism? Compare and contrast how these movements responded to the trauma of war.

Both movements: Emerged as reactions to the trauma and disillusionment caused by World War I and sought new ways to express opposition to ideologies that led to violence and destruction.

Dada: More immediate and confrontational response. Used absurdity, humor, and "anti-art" to directly critique the war and societal structures that enabled it. Embraced chaos, sought to destroy "conventional meaning."

Surrealism: Emerged slightly later as a more constructive response. Focused on healing and liberation through exploring the unconscious mind. Believed that freeing the psyche could inspire revolution.

How did Dada's anti-materialist stance challenge the commercialization of art? Describe specific strategies Dadaists used.

The Dadaists took umbridge with the seperation of art and life, and the valuation of art as some higher object. They dopposed this by turning everyday objects into artistic expression, such as cutting out parts of newspapers and turning them into collages.

In addition to making art from found objects, they creating ephemeral performances, and ignoed traditional craftsmanship. These strategies purposely stripped away art's commercial value.

Dadaists felt authentic expression couldn't be bought, sold, or systematized. They believed industrial capitalism had reduced human experience to material transactions and rational calculations, which they blamed for modern society's spiritual emptiness and capacity for mechanized violence.