Monday Morning Museum: Arte Povera

Arte Povera – Italy from the 1960s to the 1970s

Arte Povera (literally poor art) is a modern art movement. The term was introduced in Italy during the period of upheaval at the end of the 1960s, when artists were taking a radical stance. Artists began attacking the values of established institutions of government, industry, and culture, and even questioning whether art as the private expression of the individual still had an ethical reason to exist. – Wikipedia.org

In addition to Lucio Fontana (see art example below), another Art Povera artist is Alighiero e Boetti.

Spatial Concept by Lucio Fontana (1899-1968)

Last Monday’s Art – Art Nouveau
Next Monday’s Art – The Ashcan School

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Monday Morning Museum: Art Nouveau

Art Nouveau – Late Nineteenth Century to Early Twentieth Century

Art Nouveau (French pronunciation: [aʁ nu'vo], Anglicised to /ˈɑːrt nuːˈvoʊ/) is an international philosophy and style of art, architecture and applied art—especially the decorative arts—that were most popular during 1890–1910. The name "Art Nouveau" is French for "new art"…. it was inspired by natural forms and structures, not only in flowers and plants but also in curved lines. Architects tried to harmonize with the natural environment. It is also considered a philosophy of design of furniture, which was designed according to the whole building and made part of ordinary life. - Wikipedia.org

In addition to Alphonse Mucha (see art example below), other followers of Art Nouveau are Aubrey Beardsley, Gustav Klimt, and Louis Comfort Tiffany.

Job, 1896 by Alphonse Mucha (1860-1939)

This poster advertises a brand of cigarette papers called Job. The brand name is written in a kind of mosaic, which is partially obscured by the figure. It is also repeated in a clever 'logo' which adorns the background. The mosaic theme re-emerges around the border as a kind of built-in frame. This would have made the poster stand out among other images.

The woman's hair coils into impossible whiplash lines and ornamental spirals. It takes on the appearance of decoration. The plume of smoke, too, zigzags across the image as a kind of pattern. This use of realistic elements as decoration crops up frequently in Art Nouveau. Mucha took this to its extreme, using 'formless' materials such as hair and smoke to unleash radical new decorative forms.

Although created over a century ago, this is a very modern piece of advertising. The product itself hardly features in the poster. Even the brand name is hardly readable. Instead Mucha gives us a simple image of pleasure in the figure of the woman. Only subtle hints connect this pleasure with a product to be purchased. This may be one of the first advertising images to appeal to the subconscious mind, in a way that is commonplace today. – Victoria and Albert Museum

Last Monday’s Art – Art Deco
Next Monday’s Art – Arte Povera

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Monday Morning Museum: Art Deco

Art Deco – From the 1920s to 1930s

Art Deco (/ˌɑrt ˈdɛkoʊ/), or Deco, is an influential visual arts design style which first appeared in France during the 1920s, flourished internationally during the 30s and 40s, then waned in the post-World War II era. It is an eclectic style that combines traditional craft motifs with Machine Age imagery and materials. The style is often characterized by rich colors, bold geometric shapes and lavish ornamentation. – Wikipedia.org

In addition to Tamara de Lempicka (see art example below), other Art Deco design artists are Erté, René Lalique, and Cassandre.

St. Moritz, 1929 by Tamara de Lempicka (1898-1980)

It might have been new, yet somewhat trite, to paint a portrait of a modern young lady vacationing at the Alpine resort St. Moritz. But the proud athletic figure portrayed here gazes out at the heavens, with a look that seems to have captured a procession of stadium gods. – Tamara Art Heritage

Last Monday’s Art – Social Realism
Next Monday’s Art – Art Nouveau

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Monday Morning Museum: American Scene Painting – Social Realism

Social Realism – In America from 1931 to 1940

Social Realism, also known as Socio-Realism, is an artistic movement, expressed in the visual and other realist arts, which depicts social and racial injustice, and economic hardship through unvarnished pictures of life's struggles; often depicting working-class activities as heroic. The movement is a style of painting in which the scenes depicted typically convey a message of social or political protest edged with satire. – Wikipedia.org

In addition to Jacob Lawrence (see art example below), other well-known Social Realism painters are Ben Shahn and Jack Levine.

The Funeral, 1938 by Jacob Lawrence (1917-2000)

Last Monday’s Art – Regionalism
Next Monday’s Art – Art Deco

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Monday Morning Museum: American Scene Painting – Regionalism

Regionalism – In America from 1931 to 1940

Regionalism is an American realist modern art movement that was popular during the 1930s. The artistic focus was from artists who shunned city life, and rapidly developing technological advances, to create scenes of rural life. Regionalist style was at its height from 1930 to 1935. – Wikipedia.org

In addition to Thomas Hart Benton (see art example below), other practitioners of Regionalism are John Steuart Curry and Grant Wood.

Romance, circa 1931-1932 by Thomas Hart Benton (1889-1975)

A painter and muralist celebrated for his regional scenes of daily life in the southern, midwestern, and western United States, Thomas Hart Benton was committed to portraying images of progress and satisfaction in the American heartland. Born to a family of statesmen, Benton was a patriot who saw his art as a means to generate social and political reform. His nostalgic and uplifting scenes of hard work, self-reliance, and individualism garnered broad popular appeal in post–World War I America. This work, painted when the artist was at the midpoint of his life, provides a lyrical view of a young couple on a relaxed evening stroll. Drawing on his knowledge of both Old Master techniques and modernist ideas, which he had gleaned from several years spent studying in Paris, Benton crafted a lively composition whose rhythmic alignment of forms conveys a sense of poignant familiarity. – The Blanton Museum of Art

Last Monday’s Art – Academic Art
Next Monday’s Art – Social Realism

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