Grade 9 Visual Art
Modern Art Styles Research
Abstract
Cubism
Dada
Expressionism
Fauvism
Impressionism
Pointillism
Pop Art
Primitivism
Realism
Nattanopthorn Buachoom
(Bee Grade9B)
November 20th, 2011
Abstract
Abstract is very different from other forms of art.
Most paintings normally display realistic things and
how they appear in real life. However, Abstract art
does not show anything in particular. Abstract artists
usually use color, shapes and lines to create and
show emotions in their art, without concerning
whether it looks real or not. Abstract is also known
as non-objective art.
Some artists known for Abstract is:
• Pablo Picasso
(Spanish/1881-1973)
• Paul Klee
(German-Swiss/1879-1940)
• Franz Marc
(German/1880-1916)
• Gustav Klimt
(Austrian/1862-1918)
• Salvador Dali
(Russian/1904-1989)
Sandra Silberzweig (Unknown). Always Talking
About My Shoes. 2011. Oil on canvas.
10.00" x 7.88 inches. Fine Art America.
This artwork by Sandra Silberzweig is a good
example for Abstract. In the center of this artwork we
can see two woman with a black speech bubble saying
'shoes' repeatedly. There are many shapes that forms
the woman; for example a circle on the woman on the
right's pupils and hair, and swirls that is printed on the
woman's shirt and collar as well as the cheeks. There
are also lines that represent the eyelashes, hair, shirt,
nose, eyelids and eyebrows. Colors of this artwork is
also very colorful, giving the artwork a very lively
feel. Overall, the objects and things in the picture is
not presented as the way it appears in real life. They
are presented in a very arty way.
Cubism
Cubism is a early 20-century movement of art
lead by Pablo Picasso and Georges Braque. It can be
separated into 3 phases:
1.) Early Cubism phase (1906-1908)
2.) High Cubism phase (1909-1914)
3.) Late Cubism phase (1914-1921)
Cubism is a type of painting that are made of
recreation geometric shapes that forms an image that
the artist wants to paint.
It is quite obvious that Cubism is all about Shape
& Forms. However in some paintings we can also
find Pattern. Usually in Cubism paintings we will
find various shapes such as cubes, cylinders, cones,
spheres and circles. Since Cubism is a form of
abstract, not being able to tell what the artist is
painting is normal.
Some artists known for Cubism is:
• Pablo Picasso
(Spanish/1881-1973)
• Marc Chagall
(Russian+French/1887-1985)
• Georges Braque
(French/1882-1963)
Jean Metzinger (1883-1956) Summer. 1916. Oil on
canvas. 74.5 x 55.5 cm. Guggenheim Collection,
Venice
We can see that this artist definitely want to show a
image of a brown hair woman holding a fruit bowl
through various shapes. There are many shapes that is
incorporated in this artwork; a pink rectangle (the
background), circles (on the oranges, apples, grapes,
hair and cherries), oval (the eyes, banana and collar of
the shirt), isosceles triangle (the woman's arms),
squares (the pattern on the light pink colored shirt, and
the frame of all the fruits) and a thin oval-like shape
for the leafs. If we look carefully, we can see very
small orange and brown dots on the background.
Lastly, we can also see lines on the outline of the
artwork and shirt. This painting is filled with shapes
which makes this painting definitely a good example
for Cubism.
Dada
Dada started in Zurich approximately year 1916
by a man whom is the leader named Tristan Tzara.
Dadaist didn't like World War I, they are against the
war. Dada ranges from a variety of areas;
performances, photography, statues, poetry, collages
and paintings. Dada had no rules, it can look surreal
sometimes. Dada is like free thinking as well as
confusion and randomness about the troubling issues
of the war.
Some artists known for Dada is:
• Tristan Tzara
(Romanian-French/1896-1963)
• Jean Arp
(German-French/1888-1966)
• Sophie Taeuber
(Swiss/1889-1943)
• Max Ernst
(German/1891-1976)
John Heartfield (1891-1968) Goebbels' recipe
against the food shortage in Germany. October 25th
1935. Photomontages. 14.5" x 10.38 inches. A
collection of the Akron Art Museum.
John Heartfield (or Helmut Herzfeld)'s artwork,
Goebbels' recipe against the food shortage in
Germany can be categorized as Dada because of the
pictures that are distributed and placed like a collage
in his work. The artwork shows a hand with a bread
knife coating a piece of bread with something that
looks like chicken fat or butter. If we look closely we
can see the Nazi symbol on the bread knife. Above the
knife is also a image of Joseph Goebbels. This
artwork is full of symbolism. Joseph Goebbels can
represent the war that is happening between the
Himmler and Georing. During that time when the
artwork was made, there is also a problem with the
prices and the availability of food in Germany, which
is represented by the knife, bread and chicken
fat/butter. Overall we can conclude this artwork is
something John had made about the war to prevent the
Nazis to gain even more power in Germany.
Expressionism
Expressionism art is an art movement during the
early 20th century, after the WWI. Expressionism is a
type of art that had to do with emotions and feeling
that the artist wants to convey to viewers.
Expressionism artworks usually only contain colors
and forms, but sometimes we can find shapes and
objects that are a variety. The artwork is mostly on a
large size canvas. The artworks are mostly 2
dimensional with no perspective, thus, not looking as
real like Realism artworks.
Expressionism artworks sometimes does not have
to present the emotion right away too, some objects
or things within the artwork can be symbolized and
have a deep meaning inside it.
Some artists known for Dada is:
• Vincent van Gogh
(Dutch/1853-1890)
• Edvard Munch
(Norwegian/1863-1944)
• Franz Marc
(German/1880-1916)
• Wassily Kandinsky
• (Russian/1866-1944)
Francis Bacon (1909-1992) Study after Velázquez's
Portrait of Pope Innocent. 1953. Oil on canvas. 153 x
118 cm. Des Moines Art Center
At the very first moment when you look at this
photo you might encounter a lot of feelings. Some of
the feelings you might feel is anxiety, angst, and
loneliness. These feelings can be seen from the long
brushstrokes all over the painting. The man that is
sitting on the chair also seems to be in pain, since his
mouth is opened. We can also make predictions that
the man might actually be sitting on a electrical chair
from the overall emotion. Colors in this artwork is
also important as it seems to be dictated by the 'pain'
feeling and we can see this from the dark tone colors.
Lines and brushstrokes really make a important role
in showing the emotion in this artwork, because the
brushstrokes all over the painting shows as if the man
is being dropped or perhaps his body leaped off the
chair because of the electricity which adds to the 'pain'
or 'angst' feeling.
Pop Art
Pop Art was an art form that started in the 1960s.
Artists were influenced by advertisements, billboards,
comic strips, movies and television after World War
II. In Pop Art artists often paint everyday objects
such as a flag, celebrity or someone's famous face.
Artists would paint each part of the image in a
different color. Doing this also makes the image
“pop” or stand out. Colors that are used in Pop Art are
usually bright and colorful colors. The colors do not
have to fit together. Pop Art paintings are often very
cartoonish, similar to modern comic strips.
Pattern is one of the elements of Pop Art. We can
see Andy Warhol apply a lot of pattern in his work,
for example in one of his famous paintings the 10
Marilyns (1967) where he painted Marylyn Monroe
each with a different pop art color and arrange them
side by side. Color is also one of the elements for
Pop Art. Pop Art colors are unique and is what
makes Pop Art paintings significant from other art
forms.
Some artists known for Pop Art is:
• Andy Warhol
(American/1928-1987)
• Roy Lichtenstein
(American/1923-1997)
• Claes Oldenberg
(Swedish/1929-present)
Shuano. Summer. 2011. Acrylic on wood panel. 24”
by 18” inches. 385 Water Street, Gastown.
The painting above can be categorized as a
example for Pop Art. The artwork above is a picture
of a woman. We can see that the facial features of the
woman is painted in different colors according to the
light. The colors are solid with no tones or gradient.
The painting actually looks cartoon-like. There are
also outlines in black around each facial feature. This
makes the photo stand out which is one of the main
point of Pop Art.
Impressionism
Impressionism started in Paris in the 19th century.
Impressionism art is artwork that is painted as if we
looked at something in a glimpse, which explains
why some artwork is blurry as if it's not finished.
Impressionism artwork does not have a lot of detail.
Most of Impressionism art is sceneries outdoor, as
well as life and nature.
Often times Impressionists use colors that are
bold and fuzzy. We can see brushstrokes too.
However this might not always been the case. Some
artists use colors in a new way, such as Auguste
Renior. In his artwork On the Terrace, he painted two
sisters. One of the sisters is wearing a bright red hat.
The overall colors of the artwork, too, is very bright.
Some artists known for Impressionism is:
• Claude Monet
(French/1840-1926)
• Auguste Renoir
(French/1841-1919)
• Camille Pissarro
(French/1830-1903)
Mary Cassat (1844-1926). The Loge. 1882. Oil on
canvas. 79.8 x 63.8 cm. Chester Dale collection.
Mary Cassatt is a great female artist and she is also
known for her Impressionism artworks. The artwork
is Impressionism because it shows a quick but quite
detail art of two woman dressed elegantly, one
holding a wide fan and the other holding a rose
bouquet. The curve gilded balcony on the background
shows that the two is probably sitting on another level.
In this painting Mary used a lot of brief sweeping
lines for the balcony. The fan is painted with loose
brushstrokes and soft colors. The details on the
painting and the fan is not as detailed, we cannot see
exactly what the yellow sweep on the top of the fan is,
but we can see that it is organized well.
Pointillism
Pointillism is a type of art that was founded in
France approximately during the late 1880s.
Pointillism art contains hundred and thousands of
adjacent tiny dots of colors that blend forming an
image. Using the human eye's illusions, those dots are
points of primary colors (red, blue and yellow) that
forms secondary colors. For example, to make the
color green the artist have to dab blue and yellow
close together. This is called “optical mixing”.
Because of this, planning ahead is very important.
Color is the most important element in this art
form, as it keeps the objects, scenes as well as people
inside the painting alive and realistic. The color dots
also add lighting, tones along with texture and depth
into the painting.
Some artists known for Pointillism is:
• Georges Seurat
(French/1859-1891)
• Paul Signac
(French/1863-1935)
• Henri-Edmond Cross
(French/1856-1910)
• Théo (Théophile) van Rysselberghe
(Belgian/1862-1926)
Maximilien Luce (1857-1941), The Quai
Saint-Michel and Notre-Dame. 1901. Oil on
canvas. 73 x 60 cm. Musée d'Orsay Musuem,
Paris, France.
The Quai Saint-Michel and Notre-Dame is a good
example of Pointillism. This painting from afar looks
like a scenery of a French building. We can also see a
bridge with many people walking around. But if we
look closely, we can see hundreds and thousands of
tiny colored dots that form the image. Colors is very
important in this artwork, as it shows the details and
shadows of the Notre Dame de Paris building as well
as other parts in the painting. On the very left side of
the painting we can also see a group of light purple
clouds. The colors here contrast very well with the
light blue-light yellow gradient in the background,
leaving viewers the impression that it could be smoke
from the building.
Fauvism
Fauvism is known to start in France by a painter
named Henri Matisse. Back then paintings were
known to be painted representing cultural stories,
myths using realistic and normal colors only. Henri
Matisse, however painted using bizarre colors.
Fauvism was influenced by Vincent van Gogh as
Henri and other artists studied Vicent's works and
developed out of it. He, in my opinion did his
paintings a bit surrealistic. In one of his paintings,
Open Window, he used the colors such as turquoise
for the skies and included pink ocean swirly waves.
People were shocked by his artworks and called one
of his work “fauve”, meaning “wild beasts”.
Color is all about Fauvism in my opinion.
Fauvism is known to use bright and unique blobs of
colors to create paintings. It is also known to focus on
light and moment using colors. Fauvism is also
firstly known from wacky colors artists used.
Some artists known for Fauvism is:
• Henri Matisse
(French/1869-1954)
• Albert Marquet
(French/1875-1947)
• Andre Derain
(French/1880-1954)
Maryse Casol (1975-present), Fado
Romantique.2007. Oil on certified paper. 30 x
40 cm. Theatre District, New York, USA.
We can clearly see that this painting is
Fauvism because of the vibrant colors in the
painting. The colors are mostly painted with
large brushstrokes, very bold and strong with
not a lot of tones. This also separates the
painting from it becoming realistic.
Primitivism
Primitivism is a art movement started in the 19 th
century by Henri Rousseau. Primitivism is
influenced by parts of Africa, which is why in some
artworks you can find patterns and bright colors that
resemble the African tribes. Primitivism is usually
faraway places, exotic scenes or places, people,
beaches, gardens and sometimes animals/wildlife.
The colors are usually bright, but often painted in a
rough way.
Some artists known for Fauvism is:
• Paul Gauguin
(French/1848-1903)
• Henri Rousseau
(French/1844-1910)
Jean-Michel Basquiat (1960-1988), Untitled
(Boxer). 1982.. Acrylic and oil on canvas.. 79 x
94 inches. New York, Rockefeller Plaza
This painting shows a man with his arms raised up.
He is probably wearing boxing gloves. There is no
patterns or many bright colors in this work, but we
can see that the paint is painted in a rough way as if
the painting is kind of painted in a rush. This painting
reflects tribal a bit. The way the art is presented
artistically is similar to cave paintings. This can be
seen through the lines in the background and on the
body of the man and the natural colors.
Realism
Realism started since the Renaissance by Leonardo
Da Vinci. However it become significant during the
second half of the 19th century and spread to France in
around year 1848. Realists try to paint their paintings
as close to reality as possible. Some paintings looks
so real that it looks like it was a photograph.
Realism artworks usually present a lot of things;
culture, religious beings, problems, middle or low
class people or even things that are moving/in
motion. Sometimes Realist also paint things we often
ignore in life and in society. For example, poor
people along the streets which is normally ignored by
many artists. This is also one interesting point of
Realism.
Some artists known for Realism is:
• Leonardo Da Vinci
(Italian/1452-1519)
• Jean-François Millet
(French/1814-1875)
• Thomas Eakins
(American/1844-1916)
Marie-Rosalie Bonheur (1822-1899), Barbaro after
the Hunt. Late 19th Century. Oil on canvas. 38 x 51 ¼
inches. The Philadelphia Museum Art (Gift of John
Johnson for Wilstach Collection).
This painting is a great example for Realism. This
painting shows a dog that is sitting next to a wooden
bucket and a old looking brush. The dog is tied by a
chain. This painting is very realistic as the painting is
painted with tones and colors that does appear in real
life. The painting is also a painting of a dog that looks
like it was living in a rural area, judging from the
items and objects around the dogs and the dusty floor.
This scene might not be as noticeable for some people
in their daily lives.
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