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Gardanne, Paul Cézanne, 1886, Oil on canvas

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Post-Impressionism began in 1886 and ended after 1900 as a response to the Impressionist movement (Brodskaïa). Led by notable figures such as Cézanne, Gauguin, and Van Gogh, the movement differed from those that came before it for multiple reasons (Ogden). Impressionist works were very calculated, almost scientific, regarding their use of color and form, while post-impressionists differed from this, not adhering to such technicalities (Ogden). Their works greatly varied from those of the Academy, and they did not think it necessary to adhere to the very strict and specific requirements set for Salon paintings. They found it more beneficial to instead explore abstraction and expression through new methods associated with symbolism (Ogden 194). A staple of the works depicted objects in a symbolic way utilizing different forms of brushstrokes, outlines, color, and rhythms in an abstract way (Brodskaïa). This contrasts realism and the standards of Academic art at the time. They use these factors to create emotion within their works, rather than an exact depiction of a scene. They became famous due to their innovativeness in art, although at the time the style was frowned upon by the academic scene.

Sources:
Brodskaïa, Nathalia. Post-Impressionism. Parkstone Press, 2010, https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/fullerton/reader.action?docID=5343491.

Ogden, Robert Morris. “Post Impressionism.” The Sewanee Review, vol. 20, no. 2, 1912, pp. 191–200, http://www.jstor.org/stable/27532535.

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A group of prisoners performing labor by the sea, José Guadalupe Posada, 1892, Print

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A significant event that took place around the same time as “The Starry Night” is the rise to power of Mexican dictator Porfirio Díaz, who was in power from 1876-1880 and after re-election, 1884-1911, before being overthrown during the Mexican Revolution (Buchenau). Despite many flaws in the regime, as well as a severe mistreatment of its citizens, this regime sought to improve the standing of Mexico as a country, and it did achieve some success in this regard (Buchenau). The period that Díaz was in power is known as the Porfiriato, and it was a time of great change and development in the country (Scott). Seeking to modernize Mexico, the leadership specifically used Western European technology and ideas as their approach to progress (Scott). The standards of appearance in Mexico shifted towards what was acceptable in Europe, including clothing, architecture, and art (Scott). Velasco’s work, that was previously mentioned, also fit into this standard somewhat, as it fell into one of the French academy’s five genres, landscape art. The artistic trends in Mexico gravitated towards Western European standards for quite a bit of time, until they eventually became almost one in the same. Much of the works created also contained revolutionary themes, such as the one presented.

Sources:

Buchenau, Jü. "THE RISE AND DEMISE OF A REGIONAL POWER: THE MULTILATERALISM OF MEXICAN DICTATOR PORFIRIO DÍAZ, 1876–1911." The Latin Americanist, vol. 63, no. 3, 2019, pp. 307-333,III. ProQuest, https://www.proquest.com/scholarly-journals/rise-demise-regional-power-multilateralism/docview/2389241292/se-2.

Scott, Andrea L. "A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words:" José Guadalupe Posada and Popular Perspectives of the Porfiriato (1876-1910), Texas Christian University, Ann Arbor, 2014. ProQuest, https://www.proquest.com/dissertations-theses/picture-is-worth-thousand-words-josé-guadalupe/docview/1553443651/se-2.

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José Guadalupe Posada | A group of prisoners performing labor by the sea, from a broadside entitled "Ultimas noticias de Gerardo Nevraumont y compañeros' | The Metropolitan Museum of Art

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The American Wing Ancient Near Eastern Art Arms and Armor The Michael C.

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Valley of Oaxaca, José María Velasco, 1888, Oil on canvas

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Valley of Oaxaca, 1888 (Post-Impressionism)

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Valley of Oaxaca, 1888 (Post-Impressionism)

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At the same time the Post-Impressionist movement was occurring in Europe, the rest of the world was creating new art as well. For instance, Latin America experienced slightly different artistic periods. They tended to follow the same pattern as European art, transitioning from what would be considered Neoclassical to Romantic, and from Romantic to Realist (Tenenbaum). During the time of the Post-Impressionist era in Europe, the trending style in Latin America was still Realism (Tenenbaum). One example of a realist painter at this time would be Mexican artist José María Velasco. A standout artist of his time, this painter was known mostly for his numerous landscape paintings, and one such painting is his 1888 work, Valley of Oaxaca (Tenenbaum). This is a landscape painting done in the realist style, showcasing the hills and plains of Mexico, a frequent subject of his paintings (Valley of Oaxaca). The few people present in the foreground of the painting also adhere to the guidelines of realism, as they are real working class people portrayed in a sensible way, rather than classic figures in flaunting poses. It certainly does not contain any characteristics of Post-Impressionism, as its brush strokes are virtually unnoticeable, and its color scheme is not vibrant and expressive. Rather, Velasco captures the image in front of him to a very significant likeness.

Sources:
Valley of Oaxaca, José María Velasco, 1888. https://philamuseum.org/collection/object/50796

Tenenbaum, Barbara A. “José María Velasco, 1840-1912. A National Homage. By María Elena Altamirano Piolle (Albuquerque: University of New Mexico Press, 1995. Pp. 555. Illustrations.” The Americas, vol. 52, no. 3, 1996, pp. 423–425., https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/americas/article/abs/jose-maria-velasco-18401912-a-national-homage-by-altamirano-piolle-maria-elena-albuquerque-university-of-new-mexico-press-1995-pp-555-illustrations-notes-9000/511A8B37D23F4A977E8CE619AE5234D5

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Starry Night, Vincent van Gogh, 1889, Oil on canvas

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One work of art that best represents the Post-Impressionist movement is Van Gogh’s The Starry Night. The large brushstrokes create a feeling of tumultuous energy within the painting, and the usage of vibrant colors to depict the night sky is very characteristic of a work of this movement (“The Starry Night”). Notably, the painting appears to be the furthest thing from realistic. All of the objects present are implied, such as the thick lines and outlines used to portray houses, and the swirling brushstrokes that create the trees and sky. He also emphasizes certain parts of the painting, such as the brightness of the stars, through his use of color, which would not appear as bright in real life. Specifically, his depiction of the morning star can be noted as a product of symbolism, as its notability to Van Gogh is described in a note he wrote to his brother, Theo, where he described looking out his window in the early morning and seeing how large the star looked in contrast to the rest of the sky (“The Starry Night”). The star was important to the painter, something he frequently observed, and he depicted this in his painting through exaggerating it in an abstract way. For these reasons, The Starry Night is a perfect example of the emotion and abstractivity that is present in Post-Impressionist works of art.

Source:
“The Starry Night - Vincent Van Gogh.” Google Arts & Culture, Google, https://artsandculture.google.com/asset/the-starry-night/bgEuwDxel93-Pg.

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Cézanne, Paul. "Mont Saint-Victoire." (1902-06). Oil on canvas.

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How Post-Impressionist painter, Paul Cézanne, influenced Cubism with Mont Saint-Victoire (1902-06)

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How Post-Impressionist painter, Paul Cézanne, influenced Cubism with Mont Saint-Victoire (1902-06)

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The largest influence on Cubism was French Post-Impressionist painter Paul Cézanne. In his landscape paintings like Mont Sainte-Victoire (1902-06), Cézanne began thinking about paint as its own medium to create form. Using short and sharp brush strokes, he carved out the shape of the landscape. He depicted both industrial and natural environments through his method. He turned smooth objects into deconstructed, flat planes. The artwork itself remains unfinished, looking instead like a suggestion of a landscape. This also aids in the minimalist, abstract aesthetic Cézanne aimed for. The final painting appears gestural, geometric, and out-of-body. Cézanne deliberately took note of how the forms looked from different angles, choosing to depict the environment as if you were living in it and looking around. It gives off the feeling of a memory; the viewer remembers how it felt to walk around the mountain but not enough to conjure a specific image. This approach gave birth to the style that inspired Cubist creators Georges Braque and Pablo Picasso. Cubist artists would use Cézanne’s technique to depict a subject’s form with geometric accuracy. They abandoned the need to make things appear how the human eye perceives it and aspired to describe how the subject actually exists in the real world.

Sources:

“Cézanne, Mont Saint-Victoire.” Khan Academy. Accessed 7 October 2022.

https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/ap-art-history/later-europe-and-americas/modernity-ap/a/czanne-mont-sainte-victoire

"Inventing Cubism (article)." Khan Academy. Accessed 7 October 2022.

https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/art-1010/cubism-early-abstraction/cubism/a/inventing-cubism

“Mont Saint-Victoire.” The Met. Accessed 7 October 2022.

https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/435878

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Mont Sainte-Victoire - The Metropolitan Museum of Art

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Braque, Georges. "Houses at L’Estaque." (1908). Oil on canvas.

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Cubism looks for a new perspective. From 1907 to 1914, Paris took a substantial turn in the step towards abstraction. Cubist artists desire to depict the world through every perspective, breaking it apart in the process. In particular, French painter Georges Braque and Spanish painter Pablo Picasso are noted to have pioneered the movement with their approach to portraying landscapes, objects, and people. Braque’s early landscapes such as Houses at L'Estaque (1908) caught the eye of French art critic Louis Vauxcelles who originated the “Cubist” name due to the artworks’ sharp, cube-like appearance.

Cubist artworks are known for their geometric shapes, harsh lines, and simplification. Artists denied the convention of copying the environment. Instead, they took an out-of-body approach. Cubists recognized that they were trying to render a three-dimensional subject on a two-dimensional canvas. Instead of fighting limitations, Cubists reshaped their approach and found benefits within their medium. The environments or subjects Cubists painted were analyzed and deconstructed into planes not unlike what one would see in a modern-day CG character’s UV map. It should be noted that the Cubist movement was broken down into its own subcategories. Analytic Cubism (1907 - 1912) uses muted colors in order to prioritize fused geometric forms. Art in this era tends to have a sharp, linear appearance. Synthetic Cubism (1912 - 1914) utilizes brighter colors and unconventional textures. Spanish artists like Juan Gris would be influenced by Cubism and add his own perspective and capture the essence of his subjects with bold, graphic decisions. The largest change found in Synthetic Cubism, and modern art as a whole, is its inclusion of real-world objects put onto the paintings. Cubism combines two-dimensional and three-dimensional objects in a way not applied or appreciated before. Cubism has since influenced many other modern art movements dealing with abstraction.

Sources:
"Inventing Cubism (article)." Khan Academy. Accessed 7 October 2022.
https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/art-1010/cubism-early-abstraction/cubism/a/inventing-cubism

Rewald, Sabine. “Cubism.” In Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History: Cubism. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2000–. (October 2004).
http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/cube/hd_cube.htm

Tayyab, Sana. "The Role of Cubism in Modern Art." LinkedIn. (24 July 2019).
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/role-cubism-modern-art-sana-tayyab

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Braque, Georges. "Fruit Dish and Glass." (1912). Charcoal, wallpaper, and gouache on white-laid paper.

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Why Georges Braque's Fruit Dish and Glass (1912) symbolizes the Values of Cubism

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Why Georges Braque's Fruit Dish and Glass (1912) symbolizes the Values of Cubism

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One significant feature about the Cubist movement was its own deconstruction. The Cubism movement is broken up into subcategories: Analytic Cubism and Synthetic Cubism. Each subcategory emphasizes different features and approaches. Nevertheless, all Cubist artworks uphold the same core elements like those found in George Braque’s Fruit Dish and Glass (1912). Fruit Dish and Glass is particularly important as it illustrates the turning point from Analytic Cubism to Synthetic Cubism. In this charcoal drawing and paper collage, Braque uses features found in orthodox illusionism, Analytic Cubism, and the burgeoning Synthetic Cubism.

In terms of Analytic Cubism, Braque implements abstraction to simplify the subjects into individual geometric planes. This allows the subject’s form to be accurately illustrated using multiple perspectives. As Braque grew tired of the Analytic Cubist approach, he found a method to take his art a step further. Braque implements papier collé, or pasted paper, by attaching pieces of faux wood grain wallpaper directly onto the paper. He eliminates the need to represent the environment by applying it to the artwork itself. This collage-like method is monumental as it was atypical in Western European art movements.
In terms of social class, Braque’s use of everyday items like wallpaper in the artwork displays to others that art isn’t only made by the rich. He uses an affordable item to create something meaningful. In terms of culture, collages will become important for determining the kinds of lives and artifacts available in the individual artist’s city. In terms of history, collages will also be able to present key events happening at the time. In other collages by Braque, newspaper clippings show political wars and his personal disdain of them. The artwork becomes modernized by embedding contemporary elements into the design.

These characteristics will influence contemporary and future art movements in terms of who can make art, how they make art, and why they make art.

Sources:

Cramer, Charles and Grant, Kim. "Synthetic Cubism, Part I." Khan Academy. Accessed 7 October 2022.

https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/art-1010/cubism-early-abstraction/cubism/a/synthetic-cubism-part-i

Cramer, Charles and Grant, Kim. "Synthetic Cubism, Part II." Khan Academy. Accessed 7 October 2022.

https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/art-1010/cubism-early-abstraction/cubism/a/synthetic-cubism-part-ii

“Fruit Dish and Glass.” The Met. Accessed 7 October 2022.

https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/490612

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Picasso, Pablo. "Olga Picasso, Seated." (1918). Pencil on paper.

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World War I (1914 - 1918) puts an End to Cubism

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World War I (1914 - 1918) puts an End to Cubism

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On July 28, 1914, Austria-Hungary declared the start of World War I after the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand. Because France was a part of the opposing force, the Allied Powers, many men were drafted into the war. This included Cubist artists like Georges Braque and Fernand Léger. The drafting of these artists practically ended the Cubist movement. Cubist founder Pablo Picasso fortunately did not fight in World War I. Since he was born in Spain, he didn't qualify for the draft. Spain remained neutral to the war in a way that allowed Picasso to continue his artwork. While the artists would continue making artwork during and after the war, it did not hold the same potency as it did before. Picasso was emotionally affected by the war and seeing his companions go into battle. His work at the time reflects the paranoia that swept throughout the Allied Powers nations. Although Picasso was Spanish, he remained in France for most of the war. During this time, the Cubist style became associated with the German foe. In order to ward off danger and protect his own safety, Picasso’s work turned to Neoclassical techniques. Pablo Picasso’s Olga Picasso, Seated (1918) demonstrated to the rest of France that he was not a threat. For a Cubist and Expressionist artist like Picasso to resort to orthodox styles shows how tense society was at the time. While initially disheartening, it’s also inspiring to note how much power one’s art influences the way people perceive you. Picasso’s work for the rest of the 1910s either abandoned or combined Cubist tendencies with Neoclassical artwork. Across Western Europe, art seemed to take a dip. It becomes especially important how the Cubist established the usage of cheap, everyday materials to use for art. This helps the artistic spirit survive World War I and rise up after.

Sources:

Duggan, Bob. “How World War I Changed Pablo Picasso.” BigThink. 4 March 2016.

https://bigthink.com/culture-religion/how-world-war-i-changed-pablo-picasso/

History.com Editors. “Cubism History.” History. A&E Television Networks. Last updated 21 August 2018.

https://www.history.com/topics/art-history/history-of-cubism

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Illustration of the Assasionation of Archduke Ferdinand and his wife Sophie by Unknown Artist

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The Assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand (1914)

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The Assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand (1914)

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The assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of the Austro-Hungarian Empire and his wife Sophie, is seen as the main catalyst for the start of the First World War. Gavrilo Princip of the nationalist group known as the Black Hand shot at Sophie and Ferdinand while they were driving through the streets of Sarajevo. A growing rise of nationalism was seen as the overall reasoning behind the assassination and the subsequent declarations of war. The Serbs and Bosnians wanted the Austro-Hungarian empire to leave Bosnia, and by assassinating the archduke it would send the clear message to return Bosnia to the Serbs. Because Russia had defended the Serbs and stated that they were willing to protect them from the Hungarians, it had made Germany back Hungary. And in turn, France backed the Russians along with Great Britain while Italy allied itself with Germany. Eventually America would join the fight after a civilian ship, The Lusitania, was sunk by German naval forces. The invention of mustard gas, aerial combat, U-boats and the use of miles long trench systems led to the near systematic death of an estimated 19 million people world wide. While the countries at war saw it as an opportunity to expand empires, it left a forgotten generation traumatized and disillusioned.

Getz, Trevor. “READ: What Caused the First World War? (Article) | Khan Academy.” Khan Academy, Khan Academy, https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/whp-1750/xcabef9ed3fc7da7b:unit-6-world-war-i/xcabef9ed3fc7da7b:6-1-origins-of-the-first-world-war/a/what-caused-the-first-world-war-beta.

History.com Editors. “Austria’s Archduke Ferdinand Assassinated.” HISTORY, A&E Television Networks, 25 June 2021, https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/archduke-ferdinand-assassinated.

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Sigmund Freud's  Influences on Surrealism (1915)

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Sigmund Freud's  Influences on Surrealism (1915)

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Sigmund Freud (1856 - 1939)is the founding father of psychoanalysis. The Austrian neurologist, introduced revolutionary new theories on how the human mind operates. Through research and studies, he helped develop ways to treat mental illness by understanding how the human brain functions. His most notable contributions consist of events that occurred during childhood that influence how an individual may act as an adult. These events are reflected in the individual's unconscious. This led to another theory produced during the early 1900s, that greatly influences surrealist artists. Which was the theory of the truth underlying the unconscious mind. This theory consisted that the unconscious mind of an individual in fact plays a much larger role than what people may suspect. Freud separates the conscious, subconscious, and unconscious. The conscious mind is brain activity people that are aware of. In the subconscious mind, it’s the activity of the brain people could be aware of. Lastly, the unconscious mind is brain activity that people could never be aware of. Artists took what Freud had to say to heart and utilized it as a tool to create many surrealist works. The goal of psychoanalysis is to acknowledge the unconscious because it indeed does impact everyday lives.

Cherry, Kendra. “Freud's Conscious and Unconscious Mind.” Verywell Mind, 9 December 2020, https://www.verywellmind.com/the-conscious-and-unconscious-mind-2795946 . Accessed 8 October 2022.

McLeod, Saul. “Sigmund Freud: Theory and Influence on Psychology.” Simply Psychology, https://www.simplypsychology.org/Sigmund-Freud.html . Accessed 8 October 2022.

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Raoul Hausmann, Spirit of the Age: Mechanical Head, 1919, wooden mannequin head with attached objects, 32.5 x 21 x 20 cm, Centre Pompidou, Musée National d’Art 

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Dada’s origins can be traced back to Zurich, Switzerland in 1916 during the midst of World War I. Artists of the Dada emphasized what their art was trying to say rather than what was visually appealing. The chaotic and spontaneous choice of materials is what is noticeable in Dadaist works. They use a variety of mediums and applications such as readymade, collage and photomontage. Their disdain for nationalism, conformity, and the oppressive social structures made them highly critical of the art world and art critics themselves. They saw them as the strict enforcers that represented the bourgeoisie who upheld everything they saw morally corrupt in society. Their outwardly rebellious and avant-garde works not only inspired the surrealists, but later would inspire contemporary artists and performance artists decades later. Some of Dada’s most influential artists are Marcel Duchamp, Raoul Hausmann, and Hannah Höch. Duchamp is well known for his readymade objects such as his most famous work The Fountain. Hausmann is one of the leaders of the Dada movement in Berlin and his sculpture Spirit of the Age: Mechanical Head reflected the sentiments of the Dadaists. Höch also reflects these anti-capitalists ideals in her photomontages while also reflecting on her femininity and role as a woman in the early 20th century.

Artland Editors. “What Is Dadaism, Dada Art, or a Dadaist? | Artland Magazine.” Artland Magazine, Artland Magazine, 13 Nov. 2017, https://magazine.artland.com/what-is-dadaism/#raoul.

Chadwick, Stephanie. “Introduction to Dada (Article) | Dada | Khan Academy.” Khan Academy, https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/art-1010/dada-and-surrealism/dada2/a/introduction-to-dada.

Museum of Modern Art Editors. “Hannah Höch| MoMA.” MoMA, MoMA, https://www.moma.org/artists/2675.

---. “MoMA| Dada.” MoMA Learning, MoMA, https://www.moma.org/learn/moma_learning/themes/dada/#.

---. “Dada | Tate.” Tate, https://www.tate.org.uk/art/art-terms/d/dada.

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Hannah Höch, "Cut with the Kitchen Knife Dada Through the Last Weimar Beer-Belly Cultural Epoch of Germany", 1919, collage, mixed media

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The Great War, Marx, and Nihilism… What does this all mean?

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The Great War, Marx, and Nihilism… What does this all mean?

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World War I was one of the most devastating wars for its time, and its destruction led to many counter-cultural movements. While Dada is a reflection of the counter-cultural movements in the art world, it also emphasized more political and philosophical movements that had begun to gain traction. Many of those ideas were inspired by those of Karl Marx, Vladimir Lenin and Friedrich Nietzsche. Marx was a philosopher and author of the Communist Manifesto, who influenced political leaders like Vladamir Lenin. Their critiques on capitalism and elitist social classes broadly influenced the Dadaists. Friedrich Nietzsche’s philosophy on existentialism and nihilism also gained popularity. He stated that men are a part of the natural world and in order for man to reach their fullest potential they must live life as if there is nothing after death. He is famous for his statement that God is dead and we have killed him, which was his way of saying that God and religion are no longer strong philosophical arguments for morality. If one overcomes their nihilism of no longer believing in God then they are able to set up their own moral values and structures and become an Übermensch. These ideas attracted many people from all different political movements, but what was defined as morals and values vastly different from group to group

Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy editors. “Karl Marx (Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy).” Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/marx/.

Wilkerson, Dale. “Nietzsche, Friedrich | Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy.” Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy | An Encyclopedia of Philosophy Articles Written by Professional Philosophers., Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy, https://iep.utm.edu/nietzsch/.

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Kandinsky, Wassily. "Moscow I (Red Square)." (1916). Oil on canvas.

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Cubist approaches find innovative interpretations through Wassily Kandinsky's "Moscow I (Red Square)" (1916)

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Cubist approaches find innovative interpretations through Wassily Kandinsky's "Moscow I (Red Square)" (1916)

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As globalization and art trades take a greater role in society, Cubist values spread to Eastern Europe. Specifically, avant-garde Expressionists find the use of geometric abstraction key to the foundation to their individualized interpretation of the world. Russian painter Wassily Kandinsky (1866 - 1944) became indirectly attracted to the abstract methods of Constructivists - artists inspired by Cubist geometry. Kandinsky also took displeasure from the orthodox methods of imitating the environment. Instead, he preferred perspective shifts, bright colors, symbolism, and synesthetic influences. He encouraged the use of imagination to interpret his own emotions on the subject. His works often feel simultaneously minimalist and overwhelming much like the concepts he covers.

In Moscow I (Red Square) (1916), Wassily Kandinsky sought to interpret the feelings of moving back to the enormous Russian city after living in Western Europe for a few years. Kandinsky clarifies how the composition of the oil painting was meant to reflect the appearance of Moscow spiraling around the viewer. This shifting perspective started with Analytical Cubism, but Kandinsky’s technique raises it to a higher degree. Kandinsky’s usage of geometric shapes and bright colors eliminates the necessity for recognizable objects in the scene. Since he didn’t wish to imitate the environment, he often presented the mere essence of the environment. Kandinsky often used music to express his emotions as he was known to have some form of synesthesia - the ability to experience various sensations through other senses. His synesthesia came in the form of interpreting sounds through shapes, line, and color. This feature is indicative of Expressionism as it was Wassily Kandinsky’s personal expression of the world through his own senses.

Sources:

“Moscow, 1914-21.” The Guggenheim Museums and Foundation. Accessed 8 October 2022.

https://www.guggenheim.org/teaching-materials/kandinsky/moscow-1914-21

“Wassily Kandinsky.” The Art Story. Accessed 8 October 2022. https://www.theartstory.org/artist/kandinsky-wassily/

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Marcel Duchamp, La Joconde/L.H.O.O.Q., 1919, Tate Modern, London, UK.

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Marcel Duchamp is the one of the most influential Dada artists and his readymades are not only an ingenuitive medium at the time, but they pushed the definition of what is art. L.H.O.O.Q. is one of Duchamp’s most iconic readymade works. The object is a simple postcard, that of the Mona Lisa. The Mona Lisa is one of the most highly regarded paintings made by one of the most famous painters of the Italian Renaissance, Leonardo DaVinci. Here we see Duchamp take this postcard and whimsically draw on a mustache and beard and at the bottom he writes the letters “L.H.O.O.Q”. In French it would sound like “Elle a chaud au cul”, a slang phrase in French that crudely remarks on a woman's beauty, but now teases in jest on how she has now deviated from the art critics’ standard of conventional feminine beauty. Even Duchamp taking something and altering it to make it his own work and claim it as art is a perversion of what critics and academics saw as art in the early 20th century. It is playful, it is crass, and it invites the audience to look at the message of the artist, which is to challenge the status quo set in place by the bourgeois.

“Marcel Duchamp 1887–1968 | Tate.” Tate, Tate, https://www.tate.org.uk/art/artists/marcel-duchamp-1036.

Norton Simon Museum Editors. “L.H.O.O.Q. or La Joconde » Norton Simon Museum.” Norton Simon Museum, https://www.nortonsimon.org/art/detail/P.1969.094.

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 Magritte, René. "The Son of Man." (1964). Oil painting, a self-portrait.

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The Surrealism movement begins in the early 1920s, originating in Paris. This movement was a new way for artists to express strange ideas in a bizarre manner. The main characteristics of Surrealist paintings typically consist of unanticipated juxtapositions, utilizing symbols or distortion to create dream-like scenes. Many often refer to surrealist creations of scenes that one would see in dreams due to their illogical nature. Surrealism allowed artists to disregard established artistic practices and to create uncanny works and free the imagination, breaking traditional art’s rules to a massive extent. This liberated artists to act as creative thinkers and manipulate reality with an imaginative touch. Sigmund Freud's teachings about the truth within the subconscious were a catalyst for this movement as well. The artist’s expression of the unconscious, known as automatism, broke logic due to the random assortment of objects and subjects. With the unorthodox nature of surrealist works, each was different and unique, which grew in popularity. Artists who best represent the subject are surrealist painters such as Salvador Dali, Frida Kahlo, and René Magritte. All of these artists, despite sharing the common trait of being inspired by Surrealism, all have a distinct style while expressing their subconscious creativity.

“Surrealism.” MoMA, https://www.moma.org/learn/moma_learning/themes/surrealism/  Accessed 8 October 2022.

Voorhies, James. “Surrealism.” In Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2000–. (October 2004)

http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/surr/hd_surr.htm

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Alexander Rodchenko, "Books (Please)! In All Branches of Knowledge", 1924. 

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"Books (Please)! In All Branches of Knowledge" (1924)

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"Books (Please)! In All Branches of Knowledge" (1924)

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Constructivism is an art movement that originated in Russia around 1915 until around 1940. Russia after World War I had only experienced more rising tension and frustration with their monarchy. Marxist ideology inspired Vladamir Lenin and his new Communist Party, which denounced the Royal Russian family and called upon its working class citizens to take back their power and redistribute the wealth the upper class had hoarded, while those in the countryside were barely surviving on scraps. Inspired by Picasso’s Cubism and Futurism, Russian artists like sculptor Vladimir Tatlin or painter and graphic designer Alexandr Rodchenko looked at art not as a means of visual beauty, but rather they saw their art as a means to mass revolution and to further spread the Communist Party’s message. They embraced the industrialized world and in doing so they often would design with mass reproduction in mind. They would use tools such as rulers and compasses to map out and create sharp, geometric designs and would focus on construction over composition. Their influence did not stay in Soviet Russia for very long, Constructivists like László Moholy-Nagy taught at the Bauhaus school of art in Germany during the 1920s. The Bauhaus would later be regarded as one of the starting points of modern graphic design.

Tate Editors. “Constructivism | Tate.” Tate, https://www.tate.org.uk/art/art-terms/c/constructivism.

Wolfe, Shira. “Art Movement: Constructivism - Artland Magazine.” Artland Magazine, Artland Magazine, 15 Aug. 2019, https://magazine.artland.com/art-movement-constructivism/.

The Guggenheim Editors. “László Moholy-Nagy | The Guggenheim.” The Guggenheim, The Guggenheim, https://www.guggenheim.org/artwork/artist/laszlo-moholy-nagy.

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Lange, Dorothea. "Migrant Mother." (March 1931). Photograph.

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Due to the catastrophic event that occurred on October 28, 1929, the stock market crash severely impacted the working class in America. This was the catalyst that sparked the Great Depression. The Great Depression was one of the worst economic recessions the United States has ever experienced. With the struggle to survive in a world with a devastating economy, many people were left to suffer in poverty-stricken neighborhoods with anxiety about how they would survive and how families would be fed. The Great Depression played a large role in the Surrealism movement. At the beginning of this historical event, Surrealists expressed their emotions and the impact of the Great Depression. American surrealist painters used the art movement to act as a socio-political critique. Along with the current commentary that Sigmund Freud introduced of the subconscious and the great depressed mix together. These both were ingredients used to create many American surrealist works. It allowed room for artists to be creative in order to create unnerving yet abstract pieces. The Great Depression overall had a large influence on surrealism, artists could shed a spotlight on reality or dystopian works, by utilizing this event as fuel for their pieces.

Day, Ray, and Scott A. Shields. “Between Myth and Movement: The Depression-Era Iconography of the American Social Surrealists.” Scalar, https://scalar.usc.edu/works/the-space-between-literature-and-culture-1914-1945/vol14_2018_judd . Accessed 8 October 2022.

Great Depression: Black Thursday, Facts & Effects - HISTORY, https://www.history.com/topics/great-depression/great-depression-history . Accessed 8 October 2022.

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Dali, Salvador. "The Persistence of Memory." (1931). Oil painting, bronze.

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Salvador Dali is one of the most well-known surrealist artists. His work typically consists of exploring the imagination, inner self, and dreams. The work best representing of Surrealism is Dali’s The Persistence of The Memory (1931). This painting is Dali’s most successful work due to the contemplation of the dream state. In this ‘dreamland,’ Dali presents a reality where solid materials turn into soft materials. For instance, clocks are known for being firm objects that serve one purpose, which is to tell time. In this, the artist uses the clocks to symbolize the past, present, and future. To add more to this symbolism, these messages are aided by the state in which clocks are soft or solid. When painting this piece, Dali incorporates Sigmund Freud’s teachings about human psychology and the subconscious. It’s clear that Dali was not afraid to explore and experiment with painting and utilized it as a tool to inspire him to create surrealist works. Persistence of The Memory is overall a perfect example to represent Surrealism because it consists of all the elements that Surrealism represents. It has dream-like qualities, illogical nature, and abnormal shapes, breaking the rules of traditional art, which many at the time were fascinated with.

Dalí, Salvador. “The Persistence of Memory: Understanding Dalí's Masterpiece.” Artsper Magazine, 10 February 2022, https://blog.artsper.com/en/a-closer-look/the-persistence-of-memory-understanding-dalis-masterpiece/  Accessed 8 October 2022.

“Salvador Dalí. The Persistence of Memory. 1931.” MoMA, https://www.moma.org/collection/works/79018. Accessed 8 October 2022

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Kahlo, Frida. "My Dress Hangs There." (1933). Oil painting.

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Despite Surrealism sparking in Paris and influencing multiple European artists, it impacted many artists outside of Europe. Around the same period as Salvador Dali’s Persistence of The Memory, Mexico was heavily inspired by the surrealist movement. This led to a diverse set of surrealist works. Mexican artist Frida Kahlo took a liking to European surrealism, believing it best suited her artistic style to fully express herself. This led to the creation My Dress Hangs There. Kahlo painted the piece while she was living in New York City. It’s meant to be a reflective portrait of the circumstances of the United States during the Great Depression. Compared to her other work this one holds a miserable atmosphere; it’s clear that Kahlo yearned to go back to her home country, Mexico. Key characteristics in this surrealist work are random assortments of symbolic objects, such as industrial buildings filled with the chaotic and filthy living conditions. These are meant to be representative of a dystopian United States due to the impact of the Great Depression. Her being from another country, the outsider perspective is also present here. Kahlo uses Surrealism to express a social-political commentary on the state of the U.S. during the Great Depression.

Friedman, Carla. “Frida Kahlo Paints "My Dress Hangs There."” World History Project, 31 December 1969, https://worldhistoryproject.org/1933/3/frida-kahlo-paints-my-dress-hangs-there . Accessed 8 October 2022.

“My Dress Hangs There by Frida Kahlo.” Frida Kahlo, https://www.kahlo.org/my-dress-hangs-there/ . Accessed 8 October 2022.

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Van Gogh Exhibition: The Immersive Experience, Massimiliano Siccardi, 2021, Animated Projection

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Van Gogh’s Starry Night, as well as some of his other Post-Impressionist works, have an influence that is felt throughout many walks of life, even today. A perfect example of this would be the currently trending Van Gogh Exhibition: The Immersive Experience, created by Massimiliano Siccardi. This is a touring exhibition dedicated to the vast corpus of van Gogh, brought to life in a way that could only occur in the 21st century. The show is advertised as 300,000 cubic feet of projections animating paintings, including through encapsulating, vivid moving images that highlight brushstrokes, detail, and color (“Immersive van Gogh”). Essentially, it is a large room with very large and detailed projections on the walls and floors of works including The Potato Eaters, Sunflowers, The Bedroom, and of course, Starry Night. With extra emphasis on the noted features, this experience encapsulates the true intention of Post-Impressionism by creating intense expression and meaning through its use of color and line. It is a beautiful exhibit, and it demonstrates how impactful the works of Post-Impressionist artists like van Gogh have become, as well as how relevant they remain even more than a century later.

Source:
“Immersive van Gogh Exhibit: Los Angeles.” vangoghla.com, https://www.vangoghla.com/faq/#hfaq-post-23705