Cubist Sculpture

Paper Summary:

In this article, the writer notes that Cubism as an art movement is considered one of the most revolutionary in art history. It was part of the modernist art movement during the Twentieth Century, which altered the principles of art that had been dominant for centuries. A central thesis or theme explored in this paper is that Cubism was much more than just another artistic style and that it heralded a new way of perceiving and understanding reality and the world. The writer maintains that in this sense Cubism was in essence a protest or a refusal to accept the norms and value that were prevalent at the time. The writer concludes that the Cubist movement as a form of artistic protest against the conventions of art also opened the way to other areas of artistic experimentation and creativity. The writer also maintains that in sculpture this led to many innovative works of art that explored the possibilities of alternative perceptions of space and depth and enriched the ways in which sculpture could be created and appreciated.

Outline:
Introduction
Cubism and Reality
Cubism and Modernism
Cubist Art and Sculpture
Conclusion

From the Paper:

"There was a general feeling among many thinkers and artists in the early years of the Twentieth Century that the views and ideas that were prominent in society were false and needed to be radically questioned. One example of this type of questioning was the opposition to the view that reality was fixed, static and obvious. In terms of art history this view of reality was known as representation. In other words, all that an artist was required to do was to copy or re-present what the eyes saw, which was already there in the outside world.
"This view was questioned by artists like Picasso and other modern artists. They were of the opinion that reality was relative or dependent on context and point of view. Reality therefore was not 'fixed' or static but was continually changing according to one's perspective or point of view. This questioning of the accepted views about reality was to have a great influence on the development of Cubism and other artistic movements in the Twentieth Century, such as Dadaism and Surrealism."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Art Periods: CUBISM. Retrieved June 29, 2008, from http://www.discoverfrance.net/France/Art/cubism.shtml
• Chilvers, Ian. ( 1999) A Dictionary of Twentieth-Century Art. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
• Cubism. Retrieved June 29, 2008, from http://www.cartage.org.lb/en/themes/arts/scultpureplastic/SculptureHistory/European20thCentury/CubistsculpturePicasso/Cubism/Cubism.htm
• Duerden, D. ( 2000) The "Discovery" of the African Mask. Research in African Literatures, Vol 31(4), pp. 29-47.
• European 20th-CenturySculpture. Retrieved June 29, 2008, from http://encarta.msn.com/encyclopedia_761568350_7/sculpture.html

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