GATE 111

          The 20th century art was created from the late art movements from modern art. It made its entrance on January 1, 1901 (as incorporated on this blog entry title: Gate 111) and exited, after a century (pretty obvious on the era's name), on December 31, 2000. Like the era of modern art, this era was also a gateway to a diversity of art movements. These were fauvism, expressionism, cubism, futurism, dadaism, and abstraction. As a result of continuous experiments in the field of art, more possibilities were offered to the people. Changes in art were moving forward and not backward. A diverse range of art styles and forms evolved. The artists of this era refused to stick to traditions and went out to explore by themselves.

         

"The Japanes Bridge", a fauvist painting
by William Sommer back in 1913.

Fauvism, from the french word "Fauve" meaning wild beast, was an art movement that exploded of bright colors and vibes. Artists practicing this movement painted still life, traditional nudes and landscapes. Cubism was the most influential movement of the 20th century and made use of analyzing, breaking up and reassembling objects. Typical cubist paintings show letters, musical instruments, bottles, pitchers, glasses, newspapers, still lifes and

"Guernica" by Pablo Picasso is the most powerful painting of this era. It was
created in response to the bombing of Guernica and showed

the human face & figure. Cubism was divided into analytic cubism (simplified and monochromatic colors) and synthetic cubism (non-objective objects were pasted onto the canvas/painting). Futurism is a restless form of art that emphasized speed, energy, dynamism, the power of machines; and was founded by Filippo Tommaso Masiretti. One of the artists of abstraction (in the US) is Georgia O' Keeffe and is most known for her paintings of enlarged flowers. Meanwhile, abstraction in Europe used a combination of geometric shapes, primary colors and black lines. It gave way to the formation of constructivism and "De Stijl". In constructivism, 3D works were constructed from industrial materials such as plastic, metal and glass --- similar to synthetic cubism. 

          The art movements that the 20th century gave us were all a fantastic contribution to the development of art. I, speaking for most of the present day artists out there, am very grateful for the 20th century artists and their unending dedication to finding out and sharing tot he world how far the edges of art can be pushed. The astonishing performance of these artists are very worthy of our respect and I hope that many more artists will follow their steps and ponder beyond the normal.

"Simultaneous Visions", a futurist art by Umberto Boccioni.

Blossoming Art

          There are no exact words to pinpoint what modern art exactly is. The only definition that you would end up geting is that these are the artistic works produced from the 1860s up 'till the 1970s. The modern art is, obviously and like all the other art eras, a product of all the previous eras of art starting from the ancients. This is where different artistic styles were developed. Some of these styles were expressionism, impressionism and romanticism. This is where the art of photography was also developed further. Another point of this era is the use of allegorical figures. These are non-existent people that symbolize or represent something. The modern art was centered in the city of Paris. Among the notable artists of this era were Vincent Van Gogh, Paul Cezanne, Paul Gauguin, Henri Matisse and Pablo Picasso.

          Neoclassicism was one of the art movements during this era which depicted history, literature and mythology. I think the most recognized art of this movement is the 'Arc de Triomphe' monument in

The Arc de Triomphe in Paris, France.

Paris, France. It was commissioned by Napoleon to commemmorate his victories and was beautifully sculpted by different artists corresponding different parts of the monuments such as the small details and the big sculptures on the outside walls. Romanticism was bold and intensive, especially with colors. The artists of this movement depicted landscapes, religion, revolution and peace. There was a famous school back in this era which is the French Royal Academy, an institution that trained young artists to be great, if not, the best. Realism is another predominant style in this era and depicts ordinary people, their life and whatnot. Among the rest, impressionism, which is a

"Starry Night" by Vincent Van Gogh

recording of nature; is my favorite. Refer to the "Starry Night" by Vincent Van Gogh and you"ll immediately understand what impressionism is. Post-impressionism, commonly referred to as "Synthetism" to distinguish from the earlier, is the extension of the style mentioned above and is a result of continuous rejection from the other eras. Expressionism revolved around traditional ideas of youth & harmony and is plenty on distortion & exaggeration. Lastly, photography which is divided into pictorialism and straight photography, may be the most known of all movements; a lot of the youth today are much into photography.

Pictorialism - "Black Bowl" by George Seeley

A straight photography by Helen Levitt.

          The modern art was and is a vital element to the present art we know of today. It has been a great help in the development of art itself. 

ON TO THE WEST!

          The art beyond the West, from what I understand, is a mix between the strong and the gentle. They appear to be both at the same time. Bold lines are scattered everywhere and soft colors seem to embrace them. The art of this era is mostly sculptures and paintings. The art beyond the West hovers over African art, Oceanic Art , Native American art, Islamic art, Indian art, Chinese art, and Japanese Art. The predominant styles of this era are symbolism, naturalism, abstractionism and realism. They used a variety of materials, some of these are rocks, wood, metal, ceramic, clay, marble and oil. The focus of their art is in their religion, people and tribes. Like most of the other eras of art, this particular era is a product of continuous rejection of different proposed changes in art. We can conclude that the people of these era were very much religious and pretty much stuck to their own ways and beliefs. 

          The art of the Africans were mostly of rock paintings and engravings. It is also noticeable that their artworks focus on their people/tribes and their religion, among these are the door from

A hunter figure (Nkisi Nkondi).

Iderre, various masks used in ceremonies & rituals (including the Mboom helmet mask) and ancestral figures such as the Nkisi nkondi and ancestral couple. There are also instances where they give praise to their kings through art. Some artworks which feature the importance of the king are "Altar of the Hand" from Benin, Nigeria and "The ruler of Orangun-Ila" by Airowayoye I. Oceanic art is divided into Polynesia, which is known for their massiveness & compactness; Melanesia, which is mainly about wood studies & carving and; Micronesia. The native art of the Americans (mostly in Mexico and Peru) was rich and was wholly shaped by their religion. Most of the art of Mexico

A casta painting by Miguel Cabrera. This
symbolizes the marriage of two cultures.

were made by the Olmecs and they were carvings of huge heads, small stone carvings and wooden poles which were painted brightly and intricately --- the same applies for art in Peru. Spain also had a big influence on Mexican art caused by the clash of both cultures. Islamic art and Indian art are both characterized by sophisticated & intricate designs and a sense of importance o their religion. Most of their art are places for worshiping such as mosques and temples, the famous ones

The Great Stupa. The dome symbolizes the sky
and the fence (Vedika) acts as a barrier between
the heavenly and the earthly. More rituals are
outside rather on the inside.

being the Taj mahal; the Great Mosque at Samarra and; The Great Stupa. The Chinese and Japanese art are more on the oriental side of art and both showcase a sense of peace to the eyes. The Chinese art was inspired by the principles and morals of Confucianism which was the major way of life during that time, while the Japanese art contained more colors and designs.

Sudden Rain at Atake and Ohashi by Ando Hiroshige.

          I highly believe that the art in this era would not exist without the presence of their (respective) religions. These were the primary factors that made the art beyond the West possible. The art beyond the West served as a starting point for the establishment and settlement of the modern art.

FROM HIGH CLASS TO AN EVEN HIGHER CLASS

          A new age of art has once again been born after another. This new age is called the "BAROQUE" era whose name originated from the Portuguese/Spanish word "Barroco" which means "rough or imperfect pearl". It originated in Spain and Italy around the 1600s. It is also said that artists from the Renaissance shifted from mannerism/ mannerist style to this particular style of art. The Baroque era which comes directly after the Renaissance is considered to be an age of genius. WHY SO? The Baroque period was where various discoveries were made. Such of these were the laws of motion & gravity, and space. These discoveries made the people know how life works. The artists of these era made use of these discoveries and incorporated them in their art. This is what makes Baroque art on a higher level than Renaissance art. The Baroque art turned out to be much more full of life.

          The baroque art can be easily distinguished from other arts from the different periods, especially from the Renaissance art. The baroque art is characterized by (1)drama, (2)motion, (3)time, (4)space and (5)light (&shadow). This allows their art to be more felt by the audience for it depicts real emotions and several natural phenomenon present in everyday life. Faces and body

A portrait of Marie Antoinette
by Elisabeth Vigee Lebrun. This portrait
shows the use of tenebrism.

expressions become much more exaggerated to emphasize drama/ emotions. Motion is implied to make the artworks have an illusion of movement. This also makes it more interesting for the viewer. Time and space can be related to motion as it helps draw the viewer in the artwork to make it seem as though the audience is in the artwork itself. Lastly, the light and shadow, a similar feature in Renaissance art. This allows the subject matter (or the art as a whole) to give off an illusion of a source of illumination and the shadow which it casts. They developed the "Chiaroscuro" into a much more exaggerated and dramatic illumination. This is called "Tenebrism" or "Tenebroso" in Italian. One of the artworks that showcases this technique is Caravaggio's "The Conversion of St. Paul".

Las Meninas by Diego Velasquez. This painting shows the sense of motion
present in the young girls.

          Another strong point of this era, which is personally my favorite, is their use of colors. I

Happy accidents of the swing
by Jean Honore Fragonard

noticed that even if the colors they use vary, some dark and some light, they still appear soft to the eyes. They use very delicate strokes when painting and this make their artworks much more appealing to me, probably because I love pastel colors. Pastel colors are also mainly featured in the Rococo (late baroque). This is my favorite part in the baroque era. It is where the baroque was refined. It contains pastel hues and portrays sweetness; daintiness; leisure activities of the upper class and; witty stories, an example being the "Happy accidents of the Swing". They also portray the fashion of that era which I absolutely adore. These also eventually lead to the rise of several factors such as enlightenment, revolution, the scientific and the natural.