In order to fully understand the art of Kandinsky, it is important to start with a definition of the word 'Abstract' (for it is not really a concept that we have come across, before in this course). Abstract art does not depict recognizable scenes or objects but instead is made up of forms and co...

"I do not think it is necessary to paint trees, as people on their way to the exhibition can see better ones in reality" (75) are words spoken by a true pioneer of abstract art, Frantisek Kupka. "I do paint but I paint only the conception, the synthesis: if you like, the chords" (75), and here t...

Among the leading painters of post-World War II Abstract Expressionist movement, Franz Kline developed his own highly personal form of art based more on "spontaneous expression in abstract design of the artist's psychic states."1 Abstract expressionism saw representation as the exact opposite of...

Abstract expressionism is a 20th-century painting style that features large-scale works and expression of feelings through slashing and active brush strokes. It exploded in New York, following World War II. The war brought on the victory of abstract and expressionistic art and the creation of the ...

In recent years, modern artist Jackson Pollock, also known as "Jack the Dipper" for his revolutionary technique that freed many from academic strictures, has become more and more famous. I am choosing to write about him because his work has been discussed around the holiday dinner table at family ...

In the artistic realm, the artist's thought process is morphologically transformed through the art materials and forms into signs, symbols, and imagery. Signs and symbols play a dominant role in 20th Century art; the artist used this medium as a language to portray intentions of varying differences...

"When I am in my painting, I'm not aware of what I'm doing. It is only after a sort of "get acquainted" period that I see what I have been about. I have no fears about making changes, destroying the image, etc., because the painting has a life of its own. I try to let it come throug...

The 20th century embraced many different art movements and introduced the works of many new recognized artists. Two of these artists can be familiarized as Pablo Picasso and Willem do Kooning. Each artist demonstrated a unique style based on the demands of the time period they painted in. Two works...

"Art and Visual Culture" expresses its key focus in its title; it is a course about art, but not only standard art, it also includes aspects of visual culture. Culture has many definitions listed in Encarta Dictionary, one of which is the set of shared beliefs, customs, and attitudes of a...

Since the beginning of humanity, women in art have been worshipped, venerated, treasured, and admired. They also have been defamed, condemned, and abused. Although there have been many woman artists, their ability has not always been respected. Today there are many great women artists. It was in the...

The ancient Greeks were some of the most detailed artists of all time. Their sculptures are good examples of this and are classified into three periods: Archaic, Classical, and Hellenistic. Throughout the three periods, human figures dominated art. I have always enjoyed learning about different pott...

The majority of the focus through history has been on the humanistic form, and the concentration of this paper will be on that. Art was the first written language and to study the history of art is to study the history of civilizations and humankind. The Paleolithic cave paintings in France, when vi...

Between 1900-1939, there were many different movements in art mainly due to two reasons, modernization, and the First World War. The term 'avant-garde' has become synonymous with the evolving modern movement of art. 'Although 'art for art's sake' is a term not often used positively, this moder...

The art of the Cuban culture goes back to prehistoric times when the first traces were found in caves. This type of art was later labeled as "folk art" because of its nature and craftsmanship. During the 15th and 16th centuries, the island was full of poverty and not much art streamed out. Painter...

Both Cézanne and Pollock understood that although their art was turning away from traditional forms, art is continuity. Never disregarding the Old Master, Cézanne is said to be the father of modernism and Pollock the man who brought art from Paris to America. These two men, both known as avant-...

What is Art Art can be said, as an expression of one's self and the feeling from the world around them. This does not only count the traditional forms of art, painting, music, sculpting, and drama. From my point of view along with the definition listed above, I believe that it is truly an e...

How does the dialectic of autonomous art and critical avant-garde, as presented in the class lectures, play out in the work discussed in your textbook? In order to address this question, the terms have to be addressed first. Greenburg said that autonomous art is the independence of art from so...

The term "realism" is used with various meanings in the criticism of art but here we concentrate on its broadest sense: naturalism. Artists whose paintings were of the naturalist kind tried to depict things accurately and objectively in their paintings; they were against idealized beauty and mostl...

Wassily Kandinsky was born in Moscow on 4th December 1866 to a well-to-do family. This was a period of economic and cultural prosperity. He is considered the founder of abstract painting, and although he spent most of his life in Germany and France, he always retained strong emotional ties to his ho...

Modernist Art in Europe 1910-25 by Robert l. Herbert Herbert's thesis of his essay is to investigate the arrival of the machine and modern art and its complexities. During WWI, modernist painting and sculpture paid major attention to machinery, science and industry. Modern art duri...

Chang Dai-Chien is known for his skill of imitating traditional Chinese historical artists. He borrowed techniques from the diversity of Chinese art. Upon my arrival at the gallery, the atmosphere of the ancient epoch created by the paintings presented at the art show impressed me very much. The atm...

When one arrives in front of the Philadelphia Museum of Art, he or she may be surprised, as I was, by its grand entrance. Upon entering this large pillared building, one is almost overwhelmed by the immense collection. Although very extensive, the museum undoubtedly concentrates on the grouping and...

When one arrives in front of the Philadelphia Museum of Art, he or she may be surprised, as I was, by its grand entrance. Upon entering this large pillared building, one is almost overwhelmed by the immense collection. Although very extensive, the museum undoubtedly concentrates on the grouping ...

Upon visiting the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, I saw many different varieties of artwork. One such painting that caught my eye was Femme au Chapeau (Woman with the Hat), painted by Henri Matisse (1869-1954). The image was made in 1905 and originated from France. The oil painting on canvas mea...

The twentieth century brought WWI, Hitler, and the Great Depression to the world. It was a time of turmoil and out of turmoil comes change. The art world would also be turned upside down and forever changed. Fauves, Expressionism, Cubism, Futurism, Fantasy, Dada, Surrealism, and early Abstract...