Untitled Notes

Impressionism

Origin of term: coined by art critic Louis Leroy after Claude Monet's Impression, Sunrise (1874) 1874.
Focus: everyday subjects, how light changes color, and momentary effects; painting done en plein air.
Techniques: quick, loose brushwork; pure colors used on canvas rather than pre-mixed on a palette; emphasis on movement of light.
Key artists: Edouard Manet, Edgar Degas, Paul Cézanne, Claude Monet.
Exhibitions: growing push against the Salon; Societés des Artistes Indépendants established around 1873.

A phase that adapted Impressionist style while emphasizing geometric forms, distortions, and unnatural colors.
Outcomes: Neo-Impressionism, Expressionism, Art Nouveau, Fauvism.

Important bridge between Impressionism and Cubism.
Master of still life, portraiture, and landscape; works described as solid, durable, and geometric.
Nature described as three basic forms: spheres, cylinders, and cones.

Style feature: impasto—thick applications of paint with visible brush strokes; bright, vivid colors.
Prolific output: around 900 paintings and 1100 drawings in a ~10-year career.
Notable work: The Red Vineyards at Arles.
Personal context: suffered bouts of insanity; supported by his brother Theo.

Deeply personal style: artists express inner feelings rather than only depicting what is seen.
Characteristics: distortion, bold impasto, and strong unnatural colors.
Key figure: Edvard Munch (1861-1944); The Scream (1893) conveying anxiety and isolation.

Pioneered by Pablo Picasso (1881-1973) and Georges Braque (1882-1963).
Core idea: depict objects from multiple viewpoints and at different times; reduce forms to geometric planes; challenge traditional perspective.
Approach: two-dimensional surface; rejection of strict linear perspective; use of varied materials.
Synthetic Cubism: final stage using bright colors, collage, and paper cutouts.

Anti-art movement that began in 1916 in Zurich, Switzerland.
Core belief: art can be made from anything; the idea behind the work is more important than the art itself (readymades, photomontage).
Characteristics: intentionally off-putting, scandalous, and shocking; undermined established art rules.
Notable work: Fountain (1917) by Marcel Duchamp, a readymade urinal signed by R. Mutt.

Founded by writer André Breton (1896-1966); influenced by Sigmund Freud’s ideas about dreams and the subconscious.
Core belief: dreams and the subconscious are as real as waking life.
Styles: representational surrealism (realistic depictions in dreamlike contexts) and abstract surrealism (forms from the subconscious).
Techniques: frottage, decalcomania, grattage, fumage, automatic drawing, drip painting.
Notable figure: Salvador Dalí (1904-1989); The Persistence of Memory (1931).

Emerged in the 1940s in New York, USA; nonrepresentational paintings.
Two main styles:
- Action Painting: energetic application of paint via dripping, flinging, and splashing (e.g., Jackson Pollock, often called “Jack the Dripper”).
- Color-field Painting: large fields of color inviting contemplation (e.g., Mark Rothko).

Known as Op Art; also considered a form of kinetic art.
Creates visual illusions of movement through carefully designed geometric patterns.
Early Op Art was black-and-white.
Notable figure: Bridget Riley (1931-present); her works induce viewer dizziness and are often guided by intuition rather than strict math.

Avant-garde form evolving from Dada; events where artists present spontaneous performances.
Combines elements of drama and visual arts; planned but performed spontaneously.
Notable figure: Allan Kaprow (1927-2006); first used the term “Happening” in 1959; early work: Admission piece: 18 Happenings in 6 Parts (1959).

Art form where the artist uses themselves and live actions to express art.
Often theatrical and can be staged for intimate groups or large public events.
Example: Chris Burden (1971) Shoot piece; controversial work commenting on gun control and the Vietnam War.

Involves arranging objects in a space to envelop the viewer within the artwork.
Viewers can move through and interact with components; can engage senses beyond vision (touch, sound, smell, taste).

Also known as graffiti art; one of the most controversial contemporary forms.
Often illegal and viewed as vandalism in many places; commonly created on buildings, billboards, walls, and public transport.
Notable contemporary street artist: Banksy; known for stencil imagery, political statements, and a documentary Exit Through the Gift Shop (2010).

Reaction against Modernism; influenced by the disillusionment from the Holocaust and broader societal events.
Beliefs: art is for everybody; inclusive; the viewer’s interpretation is as valid as the artist’s; art can be about the concept more than the object; can incorporate technology (video, TV, computers, internet).