Modern art is a broad category that covers many different artistic movements. Some of these include abstract art, cubism, futurism, expressionism, and pop art. These styles are defined by their use of abstract shapes, forms, and colors that often reflect societal issues and political climates.
This article discusses the history of the modern art movement and highlights some of its most important artists and works. It also explains some of the key terms and concepts used to describe this art style.
The turn of the 20th century was a time of great change for the world. World Wars, economic ups and downs, and technological advances all impacted the art of this era. These events pushed many artists to explore new ideas for their paintings and to experiment with their craft.
Artists such as Vincent Van Gogh, Paul Cezanne, Georges Seurat, Pablo Picasso, Henri Matisse, and many others all created unique and influential styles of modern art. Matisse’s vibrantly colored landscape and portrait paintings helped launch a new art movement called Fauvism. Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec’s pointillism influenced Post-Impressionism and Symbolism. These movements gave way to the cubists who created their paintings with geometric lines and fragmented forms. Picasso’s cubist paintings Les Demoiselles d’Avignon and Violin and Candlestick demonstrate his unique and innovative use of this new style of painting.
Cubism was followed by Abstract Expressionism and Futurism. In Abstract Expressionism, American artists Helen Frankenthaler, Mark Rothko and Robert Ryman created artworks that displayed emotions through their use of colors and shapes. In Futurism, Italian artist Filippo Tommaso Marinetti encouraged a sense of speed and motion in their art. This was achieved through the use of angular forms and shapes and contrasting colors that were meant to be seen from different angles.
These modern art movements were soon replaced by Pop Art. This art style embraced consumer culture and everyday objects became the subject of art. Andy Warhol’s Campbell’s Soup Cans is an excellent example of this style.
Another branch of modern art is minimalism. This style is based on the use of basic geometrical shapes like points, lines and angles. This is an extreme form of abstraction that limits the artist’s ability to create an image that reflects a specific object or scene. Minimalist art also relies heavily on negative space and the use of primary and neutral colors. This is an extremely difficult art style to master as it requires a high level of precision and often takes years of practice. Some believe that this type of artwork is a form of meditation for the artist and allows them to achieve a state of inner peace. While others argue that it is a meaningless and purposeless form of art with no true value. In either case, this is an interesting and unique form of modern art that many people enjoy today.
