This paper compares the works and aims of abstract artists Frank Stella and Robert Pepperell with those of the founder of abstractart, Wassily Kandinsky.
Abstract The paper attempts to illustrate how ideas and conceptions of abstractart have changed and developed since the early years of the twentieth century. The paper compares two modern abstract artists, Frank Stella and Robert Pepperell, with more traditional views of abstractart, such as those of Wassily Kandinsky. The paper shows how contemporary abstract artists still adhere to the formal and stylistic tenets of early abstraction but without the idealism that had initiated the abstractart movement.
Outline:
Introduction
Brief Overview of AbstractArt Modern Abstract Artists: Frank Stella and Robert Pepperell
Conclusion
From the Paper "Abstract art is commonly defined as, "art that does not depict objects in the natural world, but instead uses color and form in a non representational way." (NationMaster Encyclopedia: Abstract art). This definition does not deal with all the issues surrounding the meaning and understanding of abstract art and there is a great deal of dissension and argument among critics and art theorists about the nature and meaning of the term 'abstract'. However, the general view is that abstract art is essentially non-representational and non-objective. It is also seen from an artistic viewpoint as an attempt to provide an understanding of the world and reality that cannot be obtained by the methods and techniques of representation."
Abstract The paper describes the works and life of Piet Mondrian, the Dutch abstract painter. The paper traces the development of Mandarin's style from the beginning of the 20th century until the 1940s. The paper also shows how Mondrian was one of the pioneers of geometric abstractart.
From the Paper "Abstract art can trace its origin to the later part of the 19th century when artists began to move away from simply imitating the physical world. Cubist and futurist paintings for example "represent highly abstracted interpretations of the material world" (Arnason, 217). The abstract painters began to use only color, shape and form to explore new artistic expressions. Hence modern abstract art can be called non-representational and non-objective. One of the most important movements in the development of modern abstract art was the De Stijl group in the Netherlands, which began in 1917. The group wanted to create "the art 'for clarity, for certainty, and for order" (Arnason, 231)."
Abstract This paper discusses two of the leading abstract artists in America in the Twentieth Century, Georgia O'Keeffe and Ronnie Landfield. This paper takes into consideration their subjects, styles, and how they differ, with O'Keeffe beginning work as a more realistic painter until various influences pushed her more toward abstractart, though even then she tended to mix her styles and to paint her abstractions in a concrete and rather realistic manner, and with the leading figure in what is known as Lyrical Abstraction.
From the Paper "His compositions, executed in the gentle vibrancy of stain painting, are stylization of landscapes. Yet, in no real sense is there a dependence on observation from nature. His landscapes present no identifying details, they are not individualized by topographical details and cannot be located in the world . They are generically landscapes, landscapes only by principles of composition and according to the interpretive reflex by which we necessarily read any horizontal division as a horizon line (Cohen para. 7)."
Abstract A look at the impact of world wars on abstract expressionism, a genre of art. The author examines what paintings under this genre represent and how they come to play significant roles in the expression of historical events.
Table of Contents
I. Introduction
A. Brief definition of abstract expressionism
B. Examples of other relationships between artistic movements and political happenings
1. Romantic movement
2. Vietnam
C. Brief description of the effects of World War
1. effects on the U.S. economy/politics
2. effects on the people
D. Thesis as to the relationship of World War II and the rise of Abstract Expressionism
1. Three major influences
a. immigration of European artists, writers, intellectuals, scientists
b. the Surrealist movement
c. ancient influences (art)
II. Body
A. Before World War II
1. Depression
2. Thirty Years War
3. World War I
B. Historical Roots
1. the 1930s
a. political happenings/economy
b. art & the relationship between the two
2. late 1930s early 1940s
a. political happenings/economy
b. art & the relationship between the two
C. Intellectual Roots
1. Themes of Abstract Expressionism
a. the return to origins
b. the human continuum
c. conflict and the dualistic pattern of human life
d. opportunities/new beginnings
2. Heritage (Ancient influences)
3. Nature
4. the subconscious
D. Artists
1. Gesture
a. style
b. specific artists
2. Color Field
a. style
b. specific artists
3. In-between
a. style
b. specific artists
III. Conclusion
A. The evolution of art starting from the period of the 1930s (WWI, Depression, etc.) to
after World War II
1. Content
2. Purpose
3. Style
B. How World War II molded Abstract Expressionism and how the artists drew from World War II
1. the people's responses to the war
2. united aspects of the art that showed a general feeling towards WWII
C. How, by the rising of Abstract Expressionism, modern art was affected, and how it
changed the way that people expressed their sentiments
From the Paper "At first, there was an initial resistance to Abstract Expressionism, but by the 1950s it was recognized as the dominant force in American painting, encouraged by the government while being considered a symbol of American cultural freedom.For the first time ever, American art received widespread and serious attention in Europe. Abstract Expressionism can hardly be characterized as a single movement due to the diversity of the art it encompasses. Despite this variety, Abstract Expressionist paintings share several broad characteristics ? they are basically abstract, emphasizing free, spontaneous, and personal emotional expression, and they exercise considerable freedom of technique in order to attain this goal. The artists of this period manipulate the physical variables of the paint in order to convey expressive qualities, often on large canvases to give the visual effects an engrossing power. Abstract Expressionist artists can be divided into three categories based on style - gesture painting, such as done by Jackson Pollock, color field painting as done by Mark Rothko, or an in-between style as done by Robert Motherwell."
Abstract This paper explains that Leon Tolstoy in "What is Art?" argues that
art is not the manifestation of an abstract and absolute idea, such as beauty, God or simply something created to give pleasure, as generally purported by most of the thinkers and philosophers, but rather is intimately connected with the religions and moral values of every age and of every people. The author points out that both art and religion can reveal a different, absolute reality; but it cannot be agreed that good art should strictly follow religious and moral values. The paper stresses that saying art is only supposed to express the religious idea of good denies the most important quality of art--- imagination. The paper includes several quotations.
From the Paper "As you say it yourself, art can serve to unite people and to realize that brotherhood of man, just like religion, through its ideas of goodness and morality. But it is likewise obvious that good art can give an account of the varied human experience and if it speaks, as you say, of nudity, sexuality or adultery, it does nothing more than to relate about human passions or emotions. I think the subject of a certain piece of art should not be confused with its final purpose. And it is to be noticed that a piece of literature, for example, which is replete with "immoral" ideas can produce the same state of elevation of the soul, just like the one that praises moral or Christian virtue. I think the most important fact is that art can reveal the truth and it does this by means of an aesthetic revelation, no matter its particular nature."
Abstract This paper discusses the life of Jackson Pollock, (1912-1956) who is one of the central figures in the development of the strictly American art movement called Abstract Expressionism. Included are biographical information, description of major works, quotes from Pollock and his critics describing his innovative drip painting style, a brief description of the major motion picture made of his life, and an "art inventory," or comprehensive analysis of the 1953 painting called "Easter and the Totem".
From the Paper "American painter, Jackson Pollock, born in Cody, Wyoming in 1912, was a troubled genius who became known as a quintessential abstract expressionist in the art world of the twentieth century. Pollock, a freedom seeking rebel, was instrumental is the development of the distinctly American abstract expressionist movement in the United States. He became notorious for his drip painting methods and his huge canvases layered with paint and embedded objects. Pollock, known for his emotional volatility and heavy drinking, seen as a phony by some, and a hero by others, used his innovative, individualistic and uninhibited style to birth a new artistic genre in post World War II America."
Abstract The paper focuses on Arshile Gorky's "Agony" and also examines Philip Guston's "Untitled (Waiting)", Barnett Newman's "Vir Heroicus Sublimis", Giacometti's work, Robert Motherwell's work and Robert Morris' "Untitled (Threadwaste)". The paper identifies in all five works of art the artist's continuous affection for pure imagination exercises, an important characteristic of modern, abstractart. The paper explains that under the anguish of the 20th century uncertainties, the artist finds refuge in his work and discovers inner traits of his personality, which, otherwise, would have probably not come out. The paper adds that we do not need to seek interpretations of the artists' work, but simply enjoy the colors, shapes and attitudes for a simple aesthetic pleasure.
From the Paper "Arshile Gorky's "Agony" is one of the excellent examples of how contemporary art turns into an abstract representation of an artist's most inner beliefs, a reflection of his post-modernist anger and anxiety facing the realities of the 20th century. Looking at his life as an Armenian refugee whose mother had died in his arms during the Turkish genocide, Arshile Gorky probably best reflects a sum of all these feelings, eventually translated into an early refuge from this life (the artist committed suicide in 1948).
"As a great representation of modern art, it is difficult to give out a realistic interpretation of this work, but the goal is rather to reveal inner feelings awakened by it. The first thing that is likely to make the viewer wonder is the incredible way the colors are combined into a rainbow of beliefs. There are several categories of colors successfully blended into this work. First of all, we have the bright colors, such as numerous nuances of red, with occasional intermissions of purple and pink."
Abstract This paper explores the work of Jackson Pollock, with an emphasis on his innovative style and its continued impact on contemporary art. The paper examines the world of art that came before Pollock during the middle years of the 20th century. Historical events, such as World War II, and their influence on art and thought are also discussed. The paper then describes the techniques Pollock used in applying paint to a canvass. Two of Pollocks works are highlighted and described. The first is entitled "Lucifer," and the other is "Blue Poles, Number 11," which is considered to stand out above all his others. The author concludes that Pollock's art has the uncanny ability to find order out of disorder.
From the Paper "In order to understand and appreciate the world of Jackson Pollock and his amazing art, we must first explore the world of art that came before him during the middle years of the 20th century. Following the end of World War II in 1945 and the beginning of the "Atomic Age," there persisted a haunting dread among many Americans that life "had no meaning or value" which influenced a number of highly-successful artists to protest in paint against what they saw as a mechanized culture that did not tolerate individualism and non-conformity. At this time, a new artistic style emerged known as Expressionism which was harsher, more defiant and rebellious than any of its predecessors and "insisted on an even more radical abstraction from the world of reality." "
Tags: Jackson, Pollock, abstract, expressionism, modern, art, American, art
Abstract The author of this paper discusses contemporary art in the light of a course taken in college. The writer of the paper states that contemporary art is art that is uniquely self-conscious of its time, that it is art that does not aspire to be universal or to offer abstract ideals about truth, but instead speaks about a particular aesthetic or moment in time. In an attempt to prove the validity of his statement, the author examines the works of a number of contemporary artists.
From the Paper "Likewise, Barbara Kruger's feminist use of collages, one of which proclaims to the viewer that 'your body is a battlefield' takes photographic images and superimposes ironic labels on top of those images in a way that demands the viewer question his or her assumptions about gender. Work like Kruger's shows how new ways of creating art, namely film, photography, and video, began to flourish at the same time as contemporary art, and many contemporary artists have used new technology to further question what is art, and the ways that art can be created. It can be striking to see what is assumed to be 'real,' namely a photograph, deconstructed and reconstructed, as it is in some of David Hockney's works. This can be, to some extent, even more startling than some of Warhol's deconstruction of advertising and celebrity, although Warhol also embraced film towards the end of his career as part of his artistic project."
Abstract The purpose of this paper is to summarize three articles on modern art. These articles are on the American Action Painters, Post-Pop Art and how imperialism and paternalism have influenced culture and art.
From the Paper "The purpose of this essay is to discuss the action painters in the context of modern art. Rosenberg talks about the difference between modern art and traditional art and identifies modern art as incorporating the social conditions and experiences of artists and their subject; the reproduction of life in this case is an abstract concept and is expressed through action or the experience of what happens when the experience, feelings and creativity flow through the artist and the...."
Tags: Modern art, action painters, paternalism, colonialism, conception, abstract, American Action Painters, Post-Pop Art
This essay looks at the world of art in motion-kinetic arts, and how it is becoming increasingly popular for artists interested in using technology in their work.
1,410 words (approx. 5.6 pages), 6 sources, 2001, $ 46.95
Abstract This paper presents an overview of kinetic art, motion in art, and its history. In addition, the author argues that the artists are responding to technology and continuing to evolve as they learn to use technology in their favor. The paper focuses on sculpture.
From the Paper "While most of us love the look of a wind chime or the way a mobile twirls over the crib of a baby, we don?t understand that it is a form of artwork. When we think about art we usually think about paintings on canvas, a still photograph or other types of works. Rarely do we realize that anything that is created and has movement is also art, and it is called kinetic art. Kinetic art is not a new concept but it has enjoyed recent popularity as artists around the world are being put on display. Its history and its allure are no longer a mystery and we can enjoy the movement in the open today. Kinetic art can be defined by the term kinetic meaning related to or produced by motion."
This paper discusses two new art movements established as part of the new communist state in the first two decades of the 20th century in Russia, Constructivism and Suprematism.
Abstract This paper explains the Constructivism movement, which relied on geometric shapes and was almost mathematical, and the Suprematism movement, in which art, before all else, is spiritual. Suprematism carried much more symbolism than the Constructivist artwork, which emphasized function. The author describes the work of Alexander Rodchenko, Vladimir Tatlin, El Lissitzky, and Casimir Malevich. The paper summarizes that, despite the fact that political changes during the mid-1900s brought these abstractart movements almost to an end, the impact of these artists on Russia, Eastern Europe, and the West continues to this day. Illustrations.
From the Paper "Rodchenko asserted that the concept of composition was a relic, because it was mere aesthetics and related to taste and other out-of-date artistic concepts. Instead, he said, composition had to be replaced by principles of construction and organization. ?All new approaches to art arise from technology and engineering and move towards organization and construction.? Construction represented the height of hundreds of years of artistic creation. It was part of the same process that led to Communist Russia. Rodchenko also stressed that a utilitarian element was present in the idea of organization and construction. The artist's goal was not to create a work of art but rather a utilitarian product and solving technological problems. Such statements polarized the Constructivists and those who were strongly aligned with aesthetic concerns."
Abstract The paper discusses how T.S. Eliot, Ezra Pound, William Butler Yeats and James Joyce were the promoters of new aesthetic concepts that made art into something impersonal and elitist, rather than the expression of personal emotions or experience. The paper conveys their theory that art is not primarily inspirational, but is created according to certain formal patterns. The paper explains that the formal patterns are indeed determined by emotion, but are not solely translating the emotion, instead they are recreating it in an impersonal or objective form.
From the Paper "The modernist aesthetic theories that developed at the beginning of the twentieth century brought a whole new perspective upon art and literature. Eliot, Pound, Yeats and Joyce, among others, were the promoters of new aesthetic concepts that made art into something impersonal and elitist, rather than the expression of personal emotions or experience. A piece of art is born out of the sedimentation in the mind of the poet of multifarious life or thought experience, of the type that is not necessarily seen as significant by the common man who has never written poetry. In the same way, according to the modernist views, art became not only impersonal but also elitist and abstract, full of numberless erudite allusions. The new was to be built on tradition and the palimpsest technique became almost an indispensable tool for the modernist artist."
Abstract This paper compares the Arts and Crafts and the De Stijl movements. It analyzes the features of each architectural movement individually and then compares the features between them. The paper then assesses their influence on contemporary British and Dutch architecture and design. The paper provides specific examples, with pictures of how the movements influence architecture today.
Table of Contents:
Objective
The Arts And Crafts Movement
The De Stijl Movement
Contemporary British and Dutch Architecture and Design
Three Development Routes in Dutch Urban Design
Summary And Conclusion
From the Paper "The Dutch, as compared to other countries where demand is generally met by producing generic housing that is mass-produced allow the designers a chance to design housing units upon graduation from school in part because the designers are trained to ensue upon immediate work after leaving school. The Deflt University of Technology emphasizes knowledge of a technical nature and the architects have the know-how to begin building early in their career. The reasons that Dutch designers are so successful is the results of "a situation in which construction of housing has become so systematized that it has created a well-oiled machine to support the experimentation young designers embrace." (Tisma, Bijlsma, and Dammers, 2007) Furthermore, 'Concrete shells and standard window assemblies can be deconstructed and reassembled in new ways, and even the gridded landscape in which new housing estates appear give the architects a field within which they can experiment. In a sense the whole Dutch building trade subsidizes experimentation by collectivizing individual homes into large-scale systems within which architects can create innovative forms." (p. 286) One example of the new housing estate in the Netherlands is named Hageneiland and is located just east of The Hague. This property was designed by MDRDV and was completed in 2001. This property is comprised by 119 primarily rental units. The arrangement of the housing stood a row of houses that were poured into concrete frames along the road with small front and backyards. However two units were left standing closer to the road and moved a few back and so forth which created a small village of structures since the front was not closed. This results in more interaction between neighbors going to and front their homes. Each group of units is covered in one material: (1) red tile; (2) blue metal; (3) concrete panels; and so forth."
Abstract Mark Rothko was a founder of the New York School, an extraordinary group of artists that emerged as a leading cultural presence in the years following World War II. Rothko's contributions consist of a few broad rectangles superposed and centered on large, tall canvases. The paper explains that Rothko desired something more weighty and grand, an art that could express not just the unconscious of an artist, but the spirit of mankind. The paper shows that the effect of Rothko's images, as realized with his eloquent coloring, can be at once monumental and subtle, stunning and gradual. The paper includes several photographic examples of Rothko's work, including "Number 22", from 1949.
From the Paper "The astonishing body of work Rothko produced throughout the 1950s was both extraordinarily consistent and remarkably varied. Although he drastically reduced his forms to rectangles, he experimented with color range and the size and format of the canvas. Each of his paintings embodied its own totality and formed part of an intense dialogue with its companions. Rothko was constantly exploring, reshaping, and reevaluating form and color, and each painting is a testimony to the charged relationship he established with the canvas."
