History of Fine Art

The History of Art 1900 to 1914

1834-1896 and onwards- William Morris was born in Essex to a middle classed family. He studied ‘Classics’ at Oxford University’s Exeter College but died at the age of 62 in 1896. He was a textile designer, poet, novelist, translator, and socialist activist. He was one of the most outstanding and an influential designer of the Arts and Crafts Movement in his time (and still is today). The arts and Craft was the movement in the decorative and fine arts that flourished in Europe and North America between 1880 and 1910. Morris produced some of the most fashionable and beautiful textiles and wallpapers in his lifetime which were inspired by Celtic, Folk Art and Med Evil Art. His patterns continue today with his company: Morris and Co. They are still producing fabrics and wallpapers with authentic versions of his original designs alongside new patterns and designs inspired by his work.

1848-1900- Realism was introduced which was (and still is) the attempt to represent the subject matter truthfully, avoiding artistic techniques. Portraits are examples

1890-1910-Art Neuveau was considered the ‘New Style’ because of its luxury style with nature, floral patterns and whiplash curves. Art neuveau was invented after coppyin Greek and Romsan styles. It was the first style to stop looking backwards in history for ideas, taking inspiration from the natural world. Designers include: Louis Tiffany, Charles Rennie Mckintosh and Alphonso Mucha.

1907- Picasso introduces Cubism. This uses shapes in order to form an object.

1909- Futurism. This is the art where artists painted futuristically.

1909- Belgian Chemist invents plastic. His name was Leo Baekeland.

1860-1945- Modern art was considered between these times.

1885-1910- Post impressionism was introduced as a soft revolt against impressionism. The word “Post-Impressionism” indicates the link from the original Impressionist ideas and their departure from those ideas- their modernist journey from the past into the future. Impressionism is about the nature of fugitive light falling on surfaces.

1900-1935- Fauvism and Expressionism was introduced with harsh colours and flat surfaces (Fauvism) and emotionally disturbing forms.

1907-1922- Cubism was in two styles- ‘Analytic’ Cubism which was forms that seem to be ‘analysed’ and fragmented; and ‘Synthetic’ Cubism, which was newspaper and other foreign materials such as chair caning and wood veneer that are collaged to the surface of the canvas as ‘synthetic’ signs for depicted objects.

1909 to late 1920s –Futurism was invented and was one of the most important Italian art movement of the 20th century. Futurism celebrated advanced technology and urban modernity.

1913 to late 1920s-Suprematism was invented by the Russian artist Kazimir Malevich which was one of the earliest and most radical developments in abstract art.

Cyanotypes

The thick paper is ‘painted’ using paint brush. The paint is 2 chemicals (ammonium iron (III) citrate and potassium ferricyanide) mixed with water. Don’t make the paper wet. Dry the paper (with the chemicals on) with a hairdryer. Store in a dark bag. Place the pieces of paper on a piece of glass or a piece of plastic that is see-through. Place the objects on the paper. Place another piece of see-thought glass or plastic on top (so the objects don’t move). In a bright room or on a sunny, bright day, place the paper with the objects on it on the floor or the table where there is plenty of light. Leave the paper for 20-30 minutes until the green colour changes to a grey blue colour. Wash the paper gently with cold water until there is no yellow. Dry with a hairdryer. The colour should be a bright blue colour. Finished.

Alma Haser

Alma Haser manipulates or reshapes images on one part of the original image (normally the face) and applies a 3d origami design over the top making her own creation of the portrait by de-facing it. She also edits photographs. She was born on the 28^th of February 1989 into an artistic family in Black Forest, Germany. Alma is now based in London and on the East Coast.

Jerry Uelsmann

Jerry Uelsmann makes montages which are ‘sandwiched’ together to form an overall surreal image. Photographer Jerry Uelsmann has been working with image manipulation since the late 1950s, when it was considered to be a bad form. He assembles his prints from multiple silver-halide negatives of landscapes, trees, rocks, water and human figures in new and unexpected ways. Born in 1934, the celebrated photomontage photographer is considered to be one of the first modern image manipulation, despite continuing to work in the darkroom. He discovered his love for photography while in high school, but it wasn’t until attending the Rochester Institute of Technology where he made the life changing realization that photography could be more than just “assignments.”

Hannah Höch

Hannah Höch was part of a group of Dadaists living in Berlin that included Raoul Hausmann and John Heartfield, who pioneered photo montage. Her most famous pieces of work is the ‘Cut with the Kitchen Knife though the Last Weimar Beer Belly Cultural Epoch in Germany’ from 1919 which offered a harsh socio-political critique of her homeland. She was revolutionary in that she included same-sex couples in her work. She studied at the National Institute of the Museum of Arts and Crafts under the famed artist, Emil Orlik. She became friends with Raoul Hausmann in 1915, who introduced her to the Berlin Dada movement.

Robert Rauschenberg

Robert Rauschenberg makes ‘child-like’ montages which are made of found images, paint and sketches to create an overall theme or message. He was the crucial figure in the transition from Abstract Expressionism to later modern movements. Rauschenberg’s movement is Neo-Dada. Rauschenberg’s real name is Milton Ernst Rauschenberg who was born on October 2^nd 1925 who grew up in an American working class, Christian family. He was best known for ‘paving the way for pop art of the 1960s’ with the artist Jasper Johns. Rauschenberg didn’t use traditional materials; he used aluminium to paint on as well as moving Plexiglas disks and clothes. Rauschenberg didn’t know that he would become an artist because he imagined himself as a minister and later as a pharmacist. Aged 18, 1947, Rauschenberg discovered that he loved to draw objects and people. This was when he was in the U.S Navy. He worked in New York City as a costume and stage designer before moving to painting, sculpture, music and collage. Using paint and sculpture Rauschenberg made ‘combines’ and one of his designs is called ‘The Bed’. He also incorporated motors and sounds into his work and designed a piece of work called ‘Broadcast’ in1959 and made silk screen transfers: ‘Flush’ made in 1964. In the 1980s and 1990s he experimented with college and new ways to transfer photos. Robert Rauschenberg died in May 12^th 2008 in Florida.

David Hockney

David Hockney makes montages which are inspired by Pablo Picasso. Picasso created cubist pictures. David Hockney was born in Bradford (London) in 1937 and attended art school from 1953 until 1957 before moving to Los Angeles in the 1960s. There he began to paint swimming pools. Hockney’s earliest painting was ‘We Two Boys Clinging Together’ where he incorporated fragments of poems and quotations and the first painting of his homosexuality in his art. In the 1970s he began working with photography, making collages which he called Joiners. In 1959 he went to the Royal College of Art in London and experimented with different forms including abstract expressionism. He won many prizes for his paintings and they were purchased for a private collection. In 2011 he was voted the most influential British artist of the 20^th century.

Montage Context

Years ago, photography was considered to be ‘real’ but when montage was invented it was thought that it was unrealistic because photography was supposed to be realistic without any artist techniques. Montage is when there are multiple photos layered on top of each other to form a photograph which is unrealistic or ‘fake’ or surreal. Montages normally have a theme or message. Montages are like colleges but they make up an image of more than one image. Photo montage developed form Cubist collages and became recognised as a particular technique of the Dadaists.

Suprematism; 1913 to late 1920s

Suprematism was formulated by the Russian artist Kasimir Malevich which was one of the earliest and most radical development in abstract art. This flourished in 1915. He reduced a from to a minimum where there are only a small number of geometric shapes in solid colours (on a white background). Malevich argued that  there picture provided ‘pure feeling.’