In today’s class we wrapped up our discussion of Postwar art and then shifted into our final topic, Postmodern art. We discussed why the era has its specific title, as the works created in this period seem to have moved beyond the ideas of Modernism. We began with Pop Art, an interesting and colorful movement that used mass media to make important statements about consumerism and pop culture, led by its most popular artist, Andy Warhol. We then shifted to a discussion of modern art on campus with the works of Richard Serra and Sol Lewitt. We talked about the works of several postmodern artists, in which the political statements being made were more obvious than in most other periods. The breadth of work created is vast and unique, and shows the spread of art and architecture to areas previously left isolated.
Author: Spencer Cohen (Page 1 of 3)
In today’s class we focused on Postwar Art, which opened the door for many works that were primarily abstract in nature. We began with a discussion of Abstract Expressionism and its most famous painter, Jackson Pollock. This movement focused on action painting and the color field, as shown in the works of Rothko and others. We then moved to Hard Edge Abstraction, a movement that creates exactly what its name entails, leading to abstract works with very hard edges and areas with only one color. Finally, we discussed Neo-Dada, another absurd movement based on the previous Dada movement. This movement makes fun of art and comments on important ideas at the same time, while also providing very amusing images that many would not consider when thinking of usual art.
In today’s class we wrapped up our discussion of early 20th-century art, closing with a discussion of Analytical and Synthetic Cubism, looking at the works of Picasso, and also discussing the burgeoning movement of Futurism. We then shifted focus to Post-WWI, which involved a large amount of discussion on one of the more amusing art movements in history, Dada. This art movement exceeds all others in the absolute absurdity and bizarreness it entails, as Dada artists worked to push the boundaries of art farther than ever expected. This was highlighted greatly by Marcel Duchamp’s Fountain, which is simply a urinal put on its side with a signature. Other works, like Man Ray’s The Gift, provide great amusement, as they are items that are used in everyday life which have been altered to remove all usability. We closed with a brief discussion of Surrealism, looking at works by Salvador Dali.
In today’s class we talked about early 20th-century art, a period dominated by Fauvism and Expressionism. The Fauvist movement, led by Henri Matisse and other artists, featured a vast use of incredibly bright colors which led to the creation of several very interesting paintings. These artists focused on expression, as Matisse said on his painting Le Bonheur de Vivre, a painting which uses several unusual colors to depict Matisse’s view. We also discussed Expressionism, which was inspired by Post-Impressionists, and used color to express several different meanings and emotions. The work of Wassily Kandinsky is fascinating to see, as his works slowly become more and more abstract.
In today’s class we looked primarily at works from the Post-Impressionist movement. These works focused mainly on form and expression, and there was a great importance placed on color as well. We started first with Paul Cezanne, who was attempting to emulate Pouissin from nature, and his influence on Cezanne’s work was very clear to see. His brushstrokes were interesting to see, as they made his paintings appear flatter and some of the forms looked more like blocks due to his use of black paint as an outline. We shifted to Seurat, discussing one of my favorite paintings, Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte, a fascinating pointillist work. I was shocked as to how many different versions Seurat made before finally painting the final result.
Of course, it would be impossible to discuss Post-Impressionism without discussing Vincent Van Gogh, and we did just that. We looked through a lot of different works throughout his life, and it was interesting to see his opinion on his painting through his letters to his brother Theo. Finally, we briefly discussed Gaugin, who had a very interesting use of color in his paintings.
Today’s lecture began with a discussion of the methods of early photography, like the photograph of the abolitionist John Brown, before finishing realism and moving to impressionism. Impressionism is a very interesting period and is the movement in which important painters such as Monet and Manet worked. I have been to Monet’s gardens at Giverny before, which contained his gardens where he worked and several of his fascinating paintings. The discussion of Manet’s Luncheon on the Grass was very interesting, covering the scandal covered by the painting, as it was considered a condemnation of the values of the nobility. The allusion to the painting by Giorgione was very interesting, and not something that I had considered previously.
In today’s lecture, we shifted toward the realist movement and various works produced in the period. Realism was often made to convey some form of social commentary regarding the piece or current events, which makes each Realist work fascinating to delve into and find the hidden meaning. It was very interesting to look at Bonheur’s Plowing the Nivernais, a fascinating piece that looks so photorealistic it’s almost surprising that it’s a painting.
We discussed the method of lithography, using a piece by Honoré Daumier, another commentary on the current events in France at the time. We then moved to another interesting painting, Snap the Whip by Winslow Homer. The painting provides a look into a childish game popular at the time, while also commenting on the rapidly urbanizing and industrializing American population.
In today’s class, we visited the Landay room in the art museum to choose a Baroque work to write on for our second take-home exam. It was incredible to have the ability to witness these works of art firsthand, and it was really cool to be able to notice the Baroque influence in each. The work of art that I ended up choosing was Bourguignon’s Battle Scene (With Riderless Horse), a very detailed and incredibly interesting painting.
In today’s lecture (virtual), we wrapped up the discussion of Neoclassicism with a discussion of The Death of Marat before shifting to a discussion of Romanticism. This period showed a very clear shift in ideals from Neoclassicism, focusing more on capturing the intensity of the art than showing a moral message. This is clear in many of the works discussed in the lecture, like Géricault’s Charging Chasseur and The Raft of the Medusa. This painting clearly emulates this period, making a social commentary while also showing an incredibly intense scene that greatly impacts the viewer of the art.
Today we began our discussion of Neoclassicism, starting by touching on the Grand Tour, a common trend for the period. We spent the majority of the time today discussing various works of architecture, including the very classical-looking Chiswick House, looking at its striking comparison to the Pantheon in Rome with its very similar dome look. I was very interested in the discussion of Jefferson’s work at the University of Virginia, as I have previously visited there and was very interested in the architecture. Finally, we closed with a discussion of a work by Jacques-Louis David, The Oath of the Horatii. The shapes that David used in his painting were very interesting to examine, and the painting draws on many themes from previous Classical works.