At the beginning of the twentieth century the art world was both exciting and controversial. Artists moved away from representational to abstract work. Starting with the Armory Show of 1913 in which New York was introduced to the women and men of the American and European avant garde, we’ll explore major art movements including Fauvism, Cubism, Futurism, and De Stijl, as well as the birth of Abstract Expressionism. We will focus on traditional as well as fringe artists, examining their work in relation to concurrent historical, musical, literary, scientific, and technological events. A sampling of artists includes Paul Cezanne, Henri Matisse, Pablo Picasso, Wassily Kandinsky, Hilma af Klint, Georgia O’Keeffe, Olga Rosanova, Piet Mondrian, Jackson Pollock, and Helen Frankenthaler. We will also discuss the terminology and language of abstraction to better describe, understand, and analyze the works we study. An added attraction, each week we will use the elements and principles of art to discuss and identify a mystery painting. Suggested textbook, World of Art: Abstract Art, Anna Moszynska, 2020. See Textbook and Supply List for textbook information.
