"What distinguishes modern art from the art of other ages is
criticism."
-Octavio Paz

The Modern Art movements can be said to have begun in the mid
19th century. Up until this point, the artists of the world
focused their artwork on realistic depictions of the world
around them. They made their living solely on commission work,
government sponsorship, and exhibitions chosen by government
officials. Needless to say, a change was about to come.
Insisting that there was more to express and teach through art
was not only an artistic movement, but a social development as
well.

The first group dedicated to this change were the
Impressionists in Paris, circa 1860. The term was coined by a
Claude Monet painting called Impression, Sunrise. The artists
belonging to the movement were the same artists who had been
rejected by the Academie des Beaux-Arts--the largest art
institute in France. This indeed caused tension, and upon
exhibition in 1863, it also caused the beginning of the
movement. The impressionists concentrated on the light of
objects in painting and the change of light over time. They
insisted that painters should paint with natural light,
concentrating on landscapes and scenes of daily life.

Artists:
Claude Monet, Alfred Sisley and Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Camille
Pissarro, Frederic Bazille, Edgar Degas, Gustave Caillebotte,
Edouard Manet, Elena Filatov, Peter Severen Kroyer and the
American Mary Cassatt.

Fauvism
Comes from the French word 'fauve' meaning wild animal. This
movement, first exhibited in 1905 took inspiration from
Impressionism. At the time, Vincent Van Gogh , Paul Gauguin and
Paul Cezanne had taken Impressionism to its limits. Teetering on
the brink were the Fauvists who used astounding color in its
most bold form. Henri Matisse who sought to create "art to
delight" is thought to be the leader of this movement. Although
it wasn't long lasting, it was an interesting movement, based
more on aesthetic than philosophy.

Artists:
Albert Marquet, Andre Derain, Maurice de Vlaminck, Giovanni
Giacometti and Henri Matisse.

Expressionism
Began in Germany around 1905 and lasted throughout the
thirties. Dark and emotional, the goal of Expressionists was to
express their view of reality through distortion. Not the most
gleeful movement of all, but very poignant. Two groups of
artists contributed. One in Dresden called Die Bruecke meaning
the bridge, and one in Munich calledDer Blaue Reiter,meaning
The Blue Rider. One of the most famous pieces of the movement
is The Scream by Norweigen Edvard Munch--an excellent example
of the inner artist coming to life through his work.

Artists
Die Bruecke-- Ernst Ludwig Kirchner, Erich Heckel, Emil Nolde,
Max Pechstein, Otto Mueller, Karl Schmidt-Rottluff, American
Mark Rothko, Italian painter and sculptor Amedeo Modigliani,
Franz Marc, August Macke, Gabriele Münter, Wassily Kandinsky,
Paul Klee, Alexei Yavlensky, Egon Schiele, Chang Shi-Jun, and
Heribert Elzer

Art Nouveau
Is a French term meaning New Art. The movement began in 1880
and lasted through 1910. It was very popular in its time and
became a worldwide phenomenon. The Germans called it
Jugendstil, the Italians Liberty, the Austrians Sezessionsstil
and the Spanish Arte joven. A highly decorative and intricate
style of curves and organics, it spread to architecture,
sculpture, furniture, and jewelry.

Arists
Gustav Klimt, Louis Comfort Tiffany, and Alphonse Mucha

Art Deco
In the 1920s and 1930s was a reaction to Art Nouveau in that it
counteracted with strong geometrics and symmetry. Less of art
and more of architecture and design, this movement brought on
skyscrapers and high rise buildings.

Artists
Tamara DeLempicka, Georgia O'Keeffe

Cubism
Was initiated by Pablo Picasso from Spain. Its subjects were
broken and reassembled in strange and abstract ways.
Fragmentation through geometric forms expressed painting in an
entirely new way. Depth isn't shown in this art form, instead,
planes of indistinguishable area. This was the beginning of
truly avant-garde and abstract art.

Artists:
Pablo Picasso and Georges Braques, Robert Delaunay, Marcel
Duchamp, Juan Gris and Lyonel Feininger.

Surrealism
Began in 1924 strangely enough by a poet named Andre Breton who
focused on the unconscious, the importance of dreams, and the
psyche in art form. Surrealism spread as a cultural, artistic,
and intellectual movement. It's artists included self
proclaimed communists, feminists, atheists, and anarchists.
They claimed a sense of transcendentalism, and focused on a
more true means of life through the unconscious. Their work was
highly criticized by journalists, but gained a cult following
that still endures today. One of the most intriguing and still
popular movements in art.

Artists:
Salvador Dali, the Italian Giorgio de Chirico, Marcel Duchamp,
Max Ernst, Joan Miro, Yves Tanguy, Rene Margritte and the
Russian Marc Chagal

Abstract
Art, fathered by Wassily Kandinsky is better viewed than
explained. Vivid colors, indiscernible shapes, and depiction of
anything but natural and worldly objects are characteristic of
this style.
Constructivism (1915) and De Stijl (1917) were parallel
movements which took abstraction into sculpture and
architecture. Abstraction, or non-figurative form, is a widely
used term and still a much utilized form of art. In modern
design, abstract art is often chosen to for wall coverings by
designers and art consultants.

Artists:
Wassily Kandinsky Beate Emanuel, Emilie Gerard, Spencer Lee,
Escha Van den Bogerd, Silverio Dominguez, Milene De Kleijn,
Vincent Mond, Ingrid Thaler and Piet Mondrian

Pop Art
Was a reaction to the impersonal and too elite form of abstract
art. American and British artists of the mid 20th century felt
it was time to bring art back to the everyday life of ordinary
people. Andy Warhol was the carpenter of the Pop Art movement
and serigraphy or screen printing was his tool of choice. He
used everyday images of kitchen items, or movie stars faces to
bring this movement to life. Comic books, advertisements, and
album covers boasted pop art. Although the idea behind the
movement was a good one, Pop art or Popular art has been
heavily criticized for blurring the lines between fine art and
mass produced art.

Artists:
Andy Warhol, Jaspar Johns, Robert Rauschenberg, David Hockney,
Claes Oldenburg, Roy Lichtenstein, Georg Segal, Wayne or James
Rosenquis

Every Modern Art movement has something to teach us. These are
such brief explanations of subjects that could be discussed and
debated incessantly. What an interesting past has lead to our
present day. And what interesting people have paved the way.


About The Author: Breiana Cecil of http://www.overstockart.com
graduated from Ball State University with a Bachelor Degree in
Interior Design and in Studio Art. Breiana is an avid
enthusiast of the art and design world and intends on
continuing her contribution to the industry. Talk to Breiana on
the ArtCorner Blog today!