Themes in 20th Century Art - Assignment Example

Name: Instructor: Course: Date: THEMES IN 20TH CENTURY ART PRIMITIVISM Artwork: Les Demoiselles d’Avignon Artist: Pablo Picasso Year: 1907 Style: cubism Style and subject Natasha (2001) contends that this painting by Pablo Picasso emphasizes a flat surface that is two dimensional. The cubist style in the painting discards the traditional systems of foreshortening, perspective, chiaroscuro and modeling Douglas (1970, 67). The painting demonstrates figures, still lifes and human faces which is a typical feature of the cubist artists. The painting is not bound for color, texture, form or space instead it represents a new reality that depicts several fragments whose sides are simultaneously seen Connelly (1972, 34). Analysis Les Demoiselles d’Avignon portrays five prostitutes, who are naked, in a brothel. The prostitute on the left who is painted in Egyptian art style faces the others. The two central figures, which stare appealingly at the audience, make the audience a prospective customer. The faces and bodies of the right two figures are distorted thus resembling primeval African masks. In the fore ground there is a vague still life that gives the painting a traditional painting ground and accentuates its exclusion from tradition Douglas (1970, 21). Primitivism movement involved artists escaping the precincts of the industrialized modern Europe. The idea of borrowing images from African arts enhances the theme of primitivism. Les Demoiselles d’Avignon portrays African obsessions in a unique way. The brothel setting as well as the fetishes stresses the social message in the painting: a total denunciation of the bourgeois society, traditional art, colonialism, sexual reticence as well as old-fashioned morals and principles Connelly (1972, 67). EXPLORATION OF FREUD’S PSYCHOANALYTIC THEORIES Artwork: The Elephant Celebes Artist: Max Ernist Year: 1921 Style: Surrealism Style and Subject The painting is made of a hefty round form at the hub that dominates the work of art. The round shape is based on a Sudanese corn storage bin which is refigured as a mechanical elephant from the subconscious. Douglas (1970) .The title of the painting is derived from a German rhyme which can be described as naughty and childish. The painting recollects together as a completed composition despite the painting’s discrepancy- naked headless woman and machinery bits Stanley (1974, 34). This renders the work to the surrealism movement since the creature depicted in the painting is outlandish thus emphasizes on the supremacy of imagination Freud (2005, 23). Analysis The painting displays the artist’s gratitude to the dream theory of Freud since it is composed of unusual combinations and contrasting objects. This work of art elicits the feeling of uneasiness in the subconscious state of mind Douglas (1970).In the early 20th century viewers , the painting was likely to evoke disgust because of its extraneous portrayal of the human appearance. The design of headless nude is highly revered because humans are believed to be made of God’s image. By the use of this painting the artist attempts to question which is the real world- that of the unconscious or the conscious Freud (2005, 23). THE CHANGING ROLE OF ART AND THE INFLUENCE OF MASS CULTURE Artwork: pianist and checker players. Artist: Henri Matisse Year: 1924 Style: Expressionism Subject and style The patterns that dominate the painting composition are wall coverings that are coloured, stripy table cloth diamond floor tiles and an oriental floor carpet. These patterns give the painting a touch of local flavor and exoticism. The employment of several perspectives enabled the artist to effectively achieve the balance of the various visual constituents and maintaining the painting structure at the same time. The piano, bureau, chairs and the floor can be viewed from different angles. The artist achieved harmony by using complementary warm colours of red and yellow. Analysis The woman in the painting worked for the artist as a model. The featuring of a model in painting is very significant because models are usually associated with mass culture. For instance models are featured in advertisement industry. The style employed in the painting alludes to a sense of calmness as well as security that would elicit the feeling of pleasure in the audience Douglas, (1970, 56). Though the artist does not appear in the painting, his presence is highly felt. The artist was a gifted violist and the presence of musical instruments as well as his earlier artworks marks his presence in the painting. The subject of musical instruments can as well be attributes to music art that largely attracts mass audience. Music is an important aspect of mass culture as opposed to traditional art forms that sought audience from specific class of people in the society Douglas,(1970, 40) REALISM THE EARLIER 21ST CENTURY Artwork: American gothic Artist: Grant Wood Year: 1930 Style: regionalism Style and subject This painting depicts the regionalism style that attempts to depict rural subjects in an emblematic style. This style of art greatly opposes the nonrepresentational European art. The main subjects in the painting are a farmer and his offspring-daughter. Modernism is explored in the painting since the subject is basically social thus the theme of social realism Richard, (2014). Analysis This painting reveals different social messages in a unique way. This was influenced by the political and social changes that took place in the earlier 20th century such as war. The subject of white house has bearing to politics.The painting comprises of a house- American white house and the people contemplated to live in that house. The artwork comprises of a farmer standing next to his daughter. The dressing style of the woman in the painting, colonial stamp apron induces the Americana in the 19th century. The two figures represent the diverse societal traditional roles. Whereas the pitchfork of the man is a symbol of hard labor, the domestity on the part of the woman is denoted by the flowers on the woman’s right shoulder Lawson (1996, 56). Through this painting, Grant was able to achieve realism by portraying the real world he lived in a two dimensional representation. The subject matter implied in the painting is what the artist lives in. The artist dress choice, color as well as sober pose refute specifics yet they suggest attitude, time and space. These features open a door for the viewers to give the painting a variety of interpretations. Evaluation The themes dealt with by different artists in the earlier 20th century are very significant in the shaping the art of the later 20thcentury as well as that of the 21st century. The themes clued-up the art of the later years and made the artists more liberal to handle a variety of issues concerning the contemporary society. Themes such a social realism has had a greater impact of the art in the later years. Today artists lay emphasis on portraying the real societal issues in their works. Through observing the life patterns in the contemporary society in addition to political and social scenes, artists are able to add a modern sensibility to their work James (2009). The art of the late 20th and that of the 21st century is characterized by technology as well as artist innovations that were realized in the early 20th century. The artists of the later years sought to capture real images in addition to age sensibilities. It involves critical assessment of art premises by the artist. The technology and innovations made in early 20th century bled the postmodern art which is highly advanced. The artists of the post World War II sought self expression a notion that can be dated to the early 2oth century movements such primitivism surrealism and cubism James (2009). Late 20th century art such as pop is a great diversion from traditional subject such as psychological and spiritual. Similarly, it is contrary to abstract expressionism in early 20thcentury. Its subjects range from mass media, television, advertisements as well as packaging. For instance Richard Hamilton used collage in his paintings an innovation that emerged in the early 20th century cubism movement James (2009). The nude figures in his works can be attributed to primitivism. The example below was for advertisement purposes Livingstone, (1990). Artist: Richard Hamilton Artwork: Just what is that makes today’s homes so different so appealing Year: 1956 Style: Expressionism Works Cited Connelly, S. Frances.(1972) The Sleep Of Reason: Primitivism in European Modern Art and Aesthetics.1725-1907. University Park: Pennsylvania State University Press. Douglas, C. (1970) The Cubist Epoch Phaidon in Association with the Los Angeles County Museum of Art and the Metropolitan Museum of Art, London. Freud, S. (2005) The Unconscious. London: Penguin. James, T. (2009) “Social Art Realism” Art Terms. Museum of Modern Art. Retrieved on 6 December 2013. Lawson, S. (1996) The 20th Century Art Book Phaidon, London: Parr. Livingstone, M.(1990), Pop Art. A continuing History, New York: Harry N. Abrams, Inc. Richard, A. Social Realism. BFI Screen Online. Retrieved On 6 December 2014. Stanley, D. (1974) In Search of the Primitive. A Critique of Civilization. New Brunswick: Transaction Publishers. REALISM IN THE EARLY 21ST CENTURY A new form of realism in response to political and social events occurring in the early 20th century REFERENCES Staller, Natasha, S. A Sum of Destructions Picasso’s Cultures and the Creation of Cubism. New York: Artists Right Society, 2001. Print. Freud Sigmund. Introductory lectures on psychoanalysis. New York.w.w. Norton & co, 1966. Ewen stuart. All Consuming Images. Newyork: basic books, 1988. Jeffet William. Max Ernist .In James Vinson (ed.) International Dictionary of Art and Artists vol. 2. Art Detroit. St James Press. Read More