Art has been prevalent throughout the entirety of history. How was it so influential?
The existence of art has remained constant since the beginnings of human existence. From the concept of hieroglyphs to communicate in ancient Egypt, all the way to present-day memes, images are used to portray certain subjects and get various messages across. By taking a look at just a small amount of history’s most important genres, we can gather information of what was popular in that world’s time.
In the early 1900’s/1910’s, popular art pieces were very abstract and surreal. Many pieces, such as “Morning in the Village after Snowstorm” by Kazimir Malevich, have a similar asymmetrical, cubo–futuristic feel to it. They are vaguely reminiscent of pieces by Pablo Picasso, who was also very popular throughout these (and many of the following) years.
In the 1940’s/1950’s, WWII raged on in Europe. Yet, this did not stop one of the most prevalent artists of this time period: Josef Albers. Considered incredibly influential, he popularized the style of Bauhaus and combined it with modernism to make geometrical pieces that defined the decade(s).
Wrapping up in the 1980’s/1990’s, paintings of buildings became popular and photographs of people began to rise. Although many artists still painted their pieces, very many also took advantage of the chromogenic process. One of these artists was Anna Gaskell. She frequently took pictures of young girls in nature, each with the title “Untitled #__.” These photos are all part of a greater series. She defined and inspired an era of young women/people telling stories with only body language and facial expressions.
Art throughout the 20th century has remained constant through style and movements. Many popular pieces were geometric, futuristic, and surreal. Fortunately, that style still continues to this day into modern and contemporary art. Taking advantage of resources to continue to take in further information about the history of art can truly do wonders, and what’s better than learning more about your favorite subject?
sources: