ART NOUVEAU

History

This was an art movement that was done in the fields of art and architecture around the 18th and 19th century. Art Nouveau means "New Style" and its characteristics are plant motifs, stylised and organic forms. In relation to graphic design, it got its popularity in through artistic posters, and book production.

It was also used for different types of arts like advertisements, typography among others that was heavily decorated for displaying work (Design is history, 2010).

Main artists involved in this movement were Alphonse Mucha, Aubrey Beardsley, Gustva Klimt among others (Artcyclopedia, 2015).

Characteristics for this movement

-The use of a long, sinuous, organic line and was mostly used in architecture, jewelry, interior design, posters and glass design, and illustration.
- There were use of asymmetrical line often making forms of flower stalks, vine tendrils, insect wings among others. The line would be infused with a whiplike force done rhythmically (Encyclopædia Britannica, 2017).


HISTORICAL PAINTING

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The Tree of Life,  Gustav Klimt 1905

The artist uses a richness of symbols, gold for paint and other luxurious techniques to illustrate a magical world (Gustav Klimt.com, 2011) 

The tree of Life is a symbolic image that associates life and death and heaven and earth. The roots of the tree begin underground, in the realm of the underworld. The trunk then breaks through to the earth and rises to the sky. The upper tree branches curl, twist and intertwine as they connect to the heavens or sky. So, the Tree of Life represents the continuity of life as well as its complexities. It unites all elements of life (Study.com, 2017). 

So in this painting, Klimt used organic forms in a flattened way for example the branches twist, twirl, turn, spiral and undulate, creating a tangle of strong branches, long vines and fragile threads, an expression of life's complexity.

MODERN PAINTING

The Iron Man by Design variant for Nova #36, John Tyler Christopher (Devian Art, 2017).

John Tyler Christopher made this digital illustration in context of the Art Nouveau style. This is seen by use of organic forms especially the patterns that are in a blue circle in the background. There is also Use of a long, sinuous, organic line for example the whishlike form that starts from the background and passes by his thighs to the front in low opacity and lastly the geometric shapes used to make details on Iron mans body armor.

Conclusion.

All in all, Art Nouveau was a very geometric and organic movement that used stylised way of illustrating paintings.

Sources consulted

Design is history, 2010. Art Nouveau. Online Available at:
http://www.designishistory.com/1850/art-nouveau/
Accessed on 05/02/2017

Artcyclopedia, 2015. Arts by movement: Art Nouveau. Online Available at:
http://www.artcyclopedia.com/history/art-nouveau.html
Accessed on 05/02/2017

The Art Story, Art Nouveau. Online. Available at

http://www.theartstory.org/movement-art-nouveau.htm

Accessed on 05/02/2017


Encyclopædia Britannica, Art Nouveau. Online. Available at

https://www.britannica.com/art/Art-Nouveau

Accessed on 05/02/2017



Study.com, Gustav Klimt's Tree of Life, Stoclet Frieze: Meaning & Painting. Online. Available at

https://www.britannica.com/art/Art-Nouveau

Accessed on 05/02/2017

Gustav Klimt.com, The Tree of Life, 1905 by Gustav Klimt. Online. Available at

https://www.gustav-klimt.com/The-Tree-Of-Life.jsp

Accessed on 05/02/2017

Devian Art, Iron Man by Design: Art Nouveau . Online. Available at

https://johntylerchristopher.deviantart.com/art/IronMan-by-Design-Art-Nouveau-154822365

Accessed on 05/02/2017

ABSTRACT EXPRESSIONISM

This blog is for academic purposes in the partial fulfilment of ACHG 200 Assignment 1 at the Design Department, Pearson Institute of Higher Education.

History

Abstract Expressionism was never a perfect name for the development created in New York in the 1950s. It was planned to cover not just crafted by painters who filled their canvas with territories of hues and conceptual progenitors, yet in addition the individuals who assaulted their canvas with an energetically organized expressionism. Still Abstract Expressionism has turned into the most satisfactory term for a gathering of craftsmen who have a considerable measure of importance. Everybody was focused on craftsmanship as a declaration of self, conceived of significant feeling and general topics, and most were shaped by the inheritance of Surrealism, a development that converted into another style that was adjusted in post-war state of mind of nervousness and injury. In their prosperity, these New York painters denied Paris of his robe as a pioneer of present day workmanship and set the phase for America's mastery of the worldwide craftsmanship world (The Art Story Foundation, 2017).

Major artists were Jackson Pollock, Mark Rothko and Willem de Kooning in the 1940s and 1950s (Tate, 2017).

So this movement used new forms of abstract art made by American painters hence earning that name 'Abstract Expressionism.'

The Abstract expressionist's works of art were normally theoretical that is they portrayed structures not found in the characteristic world . Dynamic expressionists stressed flexibility of enthusiastic articulation, procedure, and execution; they showed a solitary bound together, undifferentiated field, organize, or other picture in unstructured space. The canvases unique expressionists works of art were painted on were substantial, to upgrade the visual impact and venture monumentality, power, opportunity and individual articulation.

Characteristics for this movement

- Political instability in Europe in the 1930s led to coming of some Surrealists to New York, and a large number of the Abstract Expressionists were significantly affected by Surrealism's emphasis on mining the oblivious. It supported their enthusiasm for myth and archetypal symbols and it molded their comprehension of painting itself as a battle between self-articulation and the bedlam of the subliminal (The Art Story Foundation, 2017).

- Most of the artists related with this movement matured in the 1930s. They were influenced by the period's liberal authoritative issues, and came to regard a craftsmanship grounded in personal experience. Possibly a couple would keep up their earlier radical political points of view, yet various continued grasping the position of blunt avant-gardists (The Art Story Foundation, 2017).

- Having developed their skills in painting during the time when America endured financially and felt socially secluded and common, the Abstract Expressionists were later invited as the principal legitimately American cutting edge (The Art Story Foundation, 2017).

Historical painting

'Autumn Rhythm No. 30' by Jackson Pollock (Web Exhibits, 2017).

Artist - Jackson Pollock (American, Cody, Wyoming 1912–1956 East Hampton, New York)

Date - 1950

Medium - Enamel on canvas

Dimensions - 105 x 207 in. (266.7 x 525.8 cm)

Classification - Paintings (The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2017).

Pollock uncovered the life of an artistic creation through "activities," a method of dripping and pouring paint on a canvas that is put straightforwardly on the floor (Web Exhibits, 2017).

So this painting was done on unstretched canvas laid level on the floor, which barely recommended the decent variety of his movements hence producing lyrical, often spiritual compositions.

Modern painting

'Red Tulips' by Christine E. Alfery

Artist - Christine E. Alfery

Date - 1950

Medium - Mixed Media on Paper.

Dimensions - 11" x 14" 

As seen in the image above, Christine made an abstract painting by using depicted forms and brush lines forming  an art piece which bright colours mixed a few dark ones.

Conclusion

Abstract expressionist had their paintings in an abstract through emotional expressions, they showed a solitary bound together, undifferentiated field, organize, or other picture in unstructured spac

Sources consulted

The Art Story Foundation, Abstract Expressionism. Online. Available at

http://www.theartstory.org/movement-abstract-expressionism.htm

Accessed on 15/10/2017

Tate, Abstract Expressionism. Online. Available at

http://www.tate.org.uk/art/art-terms/a/abstract-expressionism

Accessed on 15/10/2017

Web Exhibits, American Abstract Expressionism: Painting Action and Colorfields. Online. Available at

http://www.webexhibits.org/colorart/abstract-expressionism.html

Accessed on 15/10/2017

The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Autumn Rhythm (Number 30). Online. Available at

https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/488978
Accessed on 15/10/2017

POP ART

This blog is for academic purposes in the partial fulfilment of ACHG 200 Assignment 1 at the Design Department, Pearson Institute of Higher Education.

History

- Pop art began with the New York skilled artists Roy Lichtenstein, Andy Warhol, James Rosenquist, and Claes Oldenburg, each one of whom drew on famous imagery and were exceptionally of an all inclusive ponder. 

Because of following the Abstract Expressionists' popularity, Pop's reintroduction of identifiable imagery was a vital move for the course of development or modernism (The Art Story Foundation, 2017).

Characteristics for this movement

- Pop art was outwardly alluring, as utilization of brilliant and striking colours like red, blue, yellow was conspicuous. Methods like shading blocking, utilization of dark outlines and Ben-day dots―a printing system in which spots are utilized to render effects was a huge part of the pop art development (Art Hearty, 2017).

- Silkscreen painting, utilization of acrylic hues, likewise turned out to be exceptionally well known. Paintwork turned out to be substantially more sharper and lines visible (Art Hearty, 2017). 

- Repeating themes in pop art were sustenance, household, and numerous other commonplace items. Impossible objects like toilets were additionally a piece of pop art. For instance, Claes Oldenburg's Soft Toilet (Art Hearty, 2017). 

- Logos, product names, brand names, and were utilized. An example is of Campbell's Soup Cans names by Andy Warhol (Art Hearty, 2017). 

Historical painting

Andy Warhol- Marilyn Monroe1967 (Emily Brown, 2016)

Medium - Portfolio of ten screen prints
Dimensions - composition and sheet (each): 36 x 36" (91.5 x 91.5 cm)
Publisher - Factory Additions, New York
Printer - Aetna Silkscreen Products, Inc., New York
Edition - 250 (The Museum of Modern Art, 2017)

Marilyn Monroe was one of Andy Warhol's screen print portfolios on his signature subjects. He utilized a similar attention still of the actress that he had already used for many canvases. Each picture here was printed from five screens: one that conveyed the photographic picture and four for various territories of shading, once in a while printed off-enroll (The Museum of Modern Art, 2017).

Modern painting

'Why so serious' by Butcher Billy, 2017 (Butcher Billy, 2017)

In this painting, Billy butcher follows the characteristics of Pop art  he uses bright colours for orange, white, green and light brown.He also uses black outlines block some colours as seen on the shirt hence inspired by Pop art movement.

Conclusion

Looking at Pop Art, it was mainly for middle class and for men and thus comprising of bright colours and also black to create contrast in these paintings.It was so popular that has influenced many artists even up today.

Sources consulted

The Art Story Foundation, Pop Art Movement, Artists and Major Works. Online. Available at

http://www.theartstory.org/movement-pop-art.htm

Accessed on 11/10/2017

Art Hearty, Zap! The Pop Art Movement Characteristics, History, and Facts. Online. Available at

https://arthearty.com/pop-art-movement-characteristics-history-facts

Accessed on 11/10/2017

Emily Brown, Andy Warhol And His Artistic Influence. Online. Available at
https://theculturetrip.com/north-america/usa/articles/andy-warhol-and-his-artistic-influence/
Accessed on 11/10/2017

The Museum of Modern Art, MoMa. Online. Available at
https://www.moma.org/collection/works/61240
Accessed on 12/10/2017

Butcher Billy, Illustration. Online. Available at
http://www.illustrationweb.com/artists/ButcherBilly/view
Accessed on 12/10/2017

Post impressionism

Post impressionism

In 1880's, a group of young painters found different artistic techniques to express emotions and just showing and focusing on topics of deeper symbolism. So their work was concerned with the beauty sense of simplified colours and as also being abstract.
Roger Fry who was a critic and an artist, called this "Post Impressionism" a term he used in his seminal exhibition 'Manet and the Post Impressionists'(The met museum. 2017).

This work was done in the 19th century by different artists namely:
-Paul Cézanne
-Paul Gauguin (1848-1903)
-Vincent van Gogh (1853-1890)
-Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec (1864-1901) among others (Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica.  2001)

Example of such paintings

Paul Gauguin. The Siesta 1892-1894(John Malyon. 2015)

Above is the a painting of Paul Gauguin called 'The Siesta' and the medium used was oil and canvas. In this image, Paul made many changes with this painting for example the woman who sat in the foreground of the image had bright red skirt instead of a navy blue one; the basket also was originally a dog; and he placed the woman who was at the far left closer to the left edge of the porch (The metmuseum. 2017).

So since Paul was spiritual and loved primitive paintings, he the basket portrayed the dog in the modern society and a change 

Contemporary artwork

Contemporary artwork (Jingxian Shi.2014)

The painting above is a contemporary one because the artist here used different variation of colours to bring in the sense of light to dark. He/she also used some bits of the paint brush to form the tonal range in the painting and making it to look realistic

Sources consulted.

The metmuseum. 2017. Heilbrunn Timeline of Art. Online. Available at
http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/poim/hd_poim.htm
Accessed on 23/02/17

The metmuseum. 2017. The Siesta . Online. Available at
http://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/436449
Accessed on 23/02/17

Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica. 2001. Post impressionism.Online. Available at
https://global.britannica.com/art/Post-Impressionism
Accessed on 23/02/17

John Malyon. 2015. Paul Gauguin(French Post Impressionist Painter,1848-1903)
Online. Available at
http://www.artcyclopedia.com/artists/gauguin_paul.html
Accessed on 23/02/17

Jingxian Shi. Art History Time Line. 2014. Online. Available at
http://jingxianshi-arthistory-timeline.weebly.com/
Accessed on 23/02/17

GLASGOW MOVEMENT

History.

This was a Scottish movement that was around the late 1880's and 90's. In Scotland, Glasgow School of Art was the main place where Arts and Crafts movement started.

In this movement, there were four figures namely:

-Charles Rennie Mackintosh

-Frances MacDonald

-Herbert Macnair and lastly

-Margaret 

This when they became to be well known as 'The Four' and then created the Glasgow Style (Artscrafts, 2017).

The main features in this style.

-The patterns were done using geometric shapes for example squares.

-The typography was clear.

-Moderate use of colour.

-The use of symbols for example swirling roses.

-Long simple lines

-Detail was given much attention (Architecture.com, 2017)

Painting of an Glasgow style.

Design for a house for an art lover, designed by Margaret Macdonald  and Charles Rennie Mackintosh(Clio, 2016,)

Looking at the image above, you can see the great use of lines that create detailed work hence making it look astonishing. Moderate use of colour which they used approximately four colours and also flat, the geometric style where most of the drawings are in shapes of squares and rectangles.

Temporary art today

(Beauty and Truth, 2017)

The image above is a temporary example of the Glasgow movement because the great use of lines and geometric shapes to create patterns for example at the on the ceiling and also the moderate use of colour which is blue and white mainly. Another feature in this image is the detail on each structure for example the ceiling, the vegetation outside the window and the door hence making it a modern example of the Glasgow movement.

Conculsion

In conclusion, this art style mainly featured great use of lines and geometric shapes to form patterns which enabled them to successful especially with the detail they placed in each painting and the moderate use of colour so as to keep their paintings simple and neat.

Sources

Artscrafts, The Scottish Movement. Online. Available at:

http://www.artscrafts.org.uk/branches/glasgow.html

Accessed on:08/03/17

Architecture.com, 2017, Mackintosh style. Online. Available at:

https://www.architecture.com/Explore/ExhibitionsandEvents/Mackintosh/Explore/MackintoshStyle.aspx

Accessed on:08/03/17

Clio, 2016, Best Honeymoon Evert. Online. Available at:

https://archhistdaily.wordpress.com/tag/charles-rennie-mackintosh/

Accessed on:08/03/17

Beauty and Truth, 2017, Creating a life with  Beauty and truth. Online. Available at:

http://www.beautyandtruth.org/some-sketch-designs-for-sacred-geometry-homes.html

Accessed on:08/03/17

De Stijl

DE STIJL

This blog is for academic purposes in the partial fulfilment of ACHG 200 Assignment 1 at the Design Department, Pearson Institute of Higher Education.

De Stijl,  Dutch for "The Style", also known as neoplasticism, was a Dutch avante garde founded in 1917 in Leiden. The De Stijl consisted of artists and architects. In a narrower sense, the term De Stijl is used to refer to a body of work from 1917 to 1931 founded in the Netherlands(Katheryn M, 1994). They simplified visual compositions to vertical and horizontal, using only black, white and primary colours.

HISTORY

De Stijl movement embraced an abstract, simplified aesthetic culture in basic visual elements such as geometric forms and primary colours. The reduced quality of De Stijl art was seen by its makers as a universal visual language that would better suit the modern era. Led by the painters Theo van Doesburg and Piet Mondrian, De Stijl artists applied their style to a body of work in the fine arts(the Artstory,2016). 

The members envisioned nothing less than the ideal fusion of form and function, a Utopia of Modern art, this making De Stijl ,in the eyes of the pioneers, the ultimate style. De Stijl artists turned their attention not only to fine art media such as painting and sculpture, but to all other art forms as well, including industrial design, typography, even literature and music(Tate, 2006).

The pioneers involved in De Stijl are:

Ilya Bolotowsky (1907–1981)

Burgoyne Diller (1906–1965)

Theo van Doesburg (1883–1931)

Cornelis van Eesteren (1897–1981)

Jean Gorin (1899–1981)

Robert van 't Hoff (1887–1979)

Vilmos Huszár (1884–1960)

Frederick John Kiesler (1890-1965)

Antony Kok (1882–1969)

Bart van der Leck (1876–1958)

Piet Mondrian (1872–1944)

Marlow Moss (1889–1958)

J. J. P. Oud (1890–1963)

Gerrit Rietveld (1888–1964)

Kurt Schwitters (1887–1948)

Georges Vantongerloo (1886–1965)

Friedrich Vordemberge-Gildewart

Jan Wils (1891–1972)

Historical Artwork

Composition with Red, Blue, and Yellow by Piet Mondrian (WikiMedia, 2015)

This was one of the De Stijl Artwork titled Composition with Red, Blue and Yellow by Piet Mondrian one of the founders of the De Stijl movement made this artwork embodying the simple style of there Utopian idea of bringing elements to there simplest form and style.The primary colours inside the blocks as well as the straight lines and white blocks show harmony and order with in the art work.

Modern Artwork

(Vans,2010)

These Piet Mondrian inspired shoe designs made by Vans using the complete and ultimate style of De Stijl of Harmony and order also using the functionality of designing a useful item to be used by the viewer.

Conclusion

De Stijl has showed me to refer back to things in there original form and not to forget about originality and simplicity.

Sources

http://madamepickwickartblog.com/2010/08/mondrian-theosophically-painting-the-golden-calf/

"Piet Mondrian", Tate gallery, published in Ronald Alley, Catalogue of the Tate Gallery's Collection of Modern Art other than Works by British Artists, Tate Gallery and Sotheby Parke-Bernet, London 1981, pp.532–3. Retrieved 18 December 2007.

http://www.theartstory.org/movement-de-stijl.htm

"De Stijl". Tate Glossary. The Tate. Retrieved 2006-07-31.

Linduff, David G. Wilkins, Bernard Schultz, Katheryn M. (1994). Art past, art present (2nd ed.). Englewood Cliffs, N.J.: Prentice Hall. p. 523. ISBN 0-13-062084-X.

http://www.tate.org.uk/art/art-terms/d/de-stijl

http://emptyeasel.com/2007/10/23/the-de-stijl-art-movement-also-known-as-neo-plasticism/

Constructism

Constructivism

This blog is for academic purposes in the partial fulfilment of ACHG 200 Assignment 1 at the Design Department, Pearson Institute of Higher Education.

Constructivism is a philosophical viewpoint about the nature of wisdom and knowledge. Specifically, it represents a political and belief stance between the Russian White Army and the Red Army (Jean Piaget, 1967). It evolved just as the Bolsheviks came to power in the October Revolution of 1917, and was a lightning rod for the hopes and ideas of many of the most advanced Russian artists who supported the revolution's goals (The Artstory, 2017).

HISTORY

Earlier educational philosophies did not place much value on what would become constructivist ideas; children's play and exploration was seen as aimless and of little importance. (Jean Piaget, 1967)

The views of Constructivism were more focused on human development in the context of the social world are favoured and include the sociocultural or socio-historical perspective of Lev Vygotsky and the perspectives of Jean Lave and Etienne Wenger (Lave, 1991).

The concept of constructivism has influenced a number of disciplines, including psychology, sociology, education and the history of science (Eddy, 2004).

"The artist constructs a new symbol with his brush. This symbol is not a recognisably form of anything which is already finished, already made, already existing in the world - it is a symbol of a new world, which is being built upon and which exists by way of people." El Lissitzky

Writers who influenced constructivism include:

John Dewey (1859–1952)

Maria Montessori (1870–1952)

Władysław Strzemiński (1893–1952)

Jean Piaget (1896–1980)

Lev Vygotsky (1896–1934)

Heinz von Foerster (1911–2002)

George Kelly (1905–1967)

Jerome Bruner (1915–2016)

Herbert Simon (1916–2001)

Paul Watzlawick (1921–2007)

Ernst von Glasersfeld (1917–2010)

Edgar Morin (1921–)

Humberto Maturana (1928–)

Historical Artwork

Beat the Whites with the Red Wedge by El Lissitzky (The Artstory, 2016)

This is a very historical poster by El Lissitzky which was a propaganda poster which he used o evoke emotion to the people of Russia about the political state of Russia concerning the social and belief system, it implies that we beat the Whites with the Red wedge which was the Red Army against the political White army.

Modern Artwork

 (bloodline242, 2010)

This modern artwork by a group called Bloodline242 was a show poster advertising the event that took place. This poster embodies styles of the constructivism movement in terms of not creating art for the sake of creating art but creating art with a purpose and a functionality. In this case the posters functionality was to advertise the event.

Conclusion

Constructivism movement helped me as a designer not to create artwork with no functionality and all are work i create must have a purpose and a goal of evoking emotion of people and viewers to have opinions about the artwork as well as their own views about the artwork.

Sources

Jean Piaget, 1967

Lave, J. & Wenger, E. (1991). Situated Learning: Legitimate Peripheral Participation. Cambridge University Press.

Eddy, Matthew Daniel (2004). "Fallible or Inerrant? A Belated review of the "Constructivist Bible"". British Journal for the History of Science. 37: 93–8. doi:10.1017/s0007087403005338.

http://www.theartstory.org/artist-lissitzky-el-artworks.htm#pnt_2

http://www.arthistoryarchive.com/arthistory/constructivism/

http://bloodline242.jugem.jp/?eid=1569