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Chapter Twenty-One: From 1900 to the Present
CHAPTER OVERVIEW
• Cubism
• The Fauves
• German Expressionism
• Futurism
• Dada and Surrealism
• Politics and Painting
• American Modernism and Abstract Expressionism
The Critical Process
Thinking about the History of Art:
Olafur Eliasson’s The Weather Project
CHAPTER OBJECTIVES
This Chapter Will:
• survey the following art movements and the artists associated with them:
Cubism, Fauvism, German Expressionism, Futurism, Dada, Surrealism,
American Modernism, Abstract Expressionism, Pop Art, Minimalism, and
• survey contemporary works by specific artists that respond to the global art
world
KEY TERMS
Cubism Futurism Dada
Fauvism Abstract Expressionism Surrealism
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MyArtsLab RESOURCES
Closer Look: Picasso, Guemica
Closer Look: Bradley, Indian Country Today
Video: Salvador Dali and Luis Bruñuel, Un Chien Andalou
Primary Source Document: Filippo Tommaso Marinetti (1876–1944)
LECTURE AND DISCUSSION TOPICS
1. The 20th Century
Introduce the early 20th century as a period of rapidly changing styles and art movements
that challenged convention and tradition on every level. Refer students to the timeline to
2. Cubism
Pablo Picasso and Georges Braque, founders of the revolutionary art movement Cubism,
were interested in elevating artistic form to a new level. In order for students to
understand the revolutionary aspects of Cubism, discuss how the very notion of looking
at the world was being challenged by significant breakthroughs in physics. Albert
3. Fauvism
Fauvism was a relatively short-lived art movement (1905-07), but in that time, it
managed to have a significant impact on the world of art. Just as Cubist artists liberated
form from its traditional methods of merely describing an object, Fauve artists similarly
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4. German Expressionism
The German Expressionists consisted of two groups, The Bridge and The Blue Riders.
Discuss the raw and direct style of The Bridge group, as illustrated in The Prophet by
Emile Nolde (see fig. 249) and Street Berlin by Ernst Kirchner. Point out to students that
The Bridge artists felt that their art provided the necessary “bridge” into the modern
5. Futurism
Constantly remind students that artists often reflect the time in which they live. It is no
coincidence that the art of Futurism resembles the dynamism of the machine age.
6. Dada
Remind students that World War I was the first war to use machine technology. Planes
equipped with bombs, tanks, and machine guns all contributed to the devastation of
European cities, and the killing of millions of individuals. The horrors of war were
7. Surrealism
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Discuss Surrealism’s beginnings as a French literary movement by reading some of the
poetry from its leader, Andre Breton. Surrealists were influenced by the then-
contemporary writings of psychologist Sigmund Freud and the Dada movement’s
More than any other artists, Salvador Dali represents the ideas of the Surrealists in visual
form. Compare his painting The Persistence of Memory (fig. 696) with the more abstract
8. Politics and Painting
The time between World War 1 and World War 2 was a time of great change and
upheaval in the world. Political change throughout Europe and in Mexico led to
distinctive art forms in both. In Europe, dictators like Hitler, Mussolini, and Stalin
preferred their artists to advance their agenda by turning to Classical models, borrowing
Picasso’s Guernica (fig. 699) is aesthetically much riskier. Rendered in a Cubist style in
black-and-white (to give it the feel of a daily newspaper), it recounts the horrors of an air-
raid in a small town in the Spanish countryside. The painting attempts to capture the
chaos and bloodshed of the event and eventually became an anti-war symbol. Discuss
the severity of the style and ask your students if they feel it communicates the horror of
the event adequately.
9. American Modernism
Discuss the tenets of American modernism with Edward Hopper’s Nighthawks (fig. 702)
and Georgia O’Keeffe’s Purple Hills Near Abiquiu (fig. 703) alongside Jackson
Pollock’s Convergence or No. 29 (fig. 174) and Willem de Kooning’s Woman and
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Abstract Expressionism and works such as Pollock’s Convergence reflect the American
spirit after World War II. Discuss the reasons that Abstract Expressionist painters moved
10. Pop Art and Minimalism
Explain how the political and social atmosphere of the 1960s encouraged artists to
expand the boundaries of art into events, happenings, and performance art. Show Robert
Rauschenberg’s Odalisk (fig. 706) to illustrate the artist’s aim of “acting in the gap
between art and life.” Remind students of the critical dialogues taking place in the art
11. Postmodern Directions
Ask students if they can define Postmodernism. Review Postmodern architecture in
chapter 16 to reinforce the understanding of the term. Discuss the eclectic nature of
Postmodern art in the 1970s and 1980s by describing the myriad of approaches and styles
of art. Point out that the pluralistic nature of the art world at the time reflected the all-
Frank Gehry’s Guggenheim Bilbao is an architectural masterpiece in titanium steel.
Using the examples from the text (figs. 500), discuss the history of the museum from
bilbao.es/idioma.htm to further a discussion about Gehry’s revolutionary approach to
architecture pertaining to his use of non-traditional materials, his sensitivity to the
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WRITING ASSIGNMENTS
1. Yearly Reports
In order to gain a perspective of the rapid changes that occurred in the early 20th century,
assign each student to research one year from 1900-1920. Have students list noteworthy
2. Dada Dialogue
Have students write a dialogue between Marcel Duchamp and Jackson Pollock to reveal
their theories or thoughts about the nature and uses of art.
3. Dream Journal
Have students keep a journal of their dreams, and illustrate one of their most surreal
dreams.
4. Post-Movement Art?
Have students create their own “ism” that reflects the time in which you live. Write a
HANDS-ON PROJECTS
For additional project ideas, remember to investigate the Hands-On Projects found on
MyArtsLab.
Have students design their own Postmodern home. Include a floor plan, view of the
facade and an interior view.
Other Suggested Websites:
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Marcel Duchamp encounters may be found at www.MarcelDuchamp.org
The Salvador Dali Museum in St. Petersburg, Florida has one of the largest collections
of Dali’s work in the world. www.salvadordalimuseum.org
Jackson Pollock paints a picture at www.catharton.com/artists/89.htm
Other Suggested Websites:
Art 21: Art in the 21st Century is an excellent website and video/DVD series produced
by PBS that profiles diverse work by many established and emerging contemporary
Picasso: The Man and His Work , 2002 (107 minutes)
The Cubist Epoch , 1987
Germany: Dada , 1987
The Definitive Dali: A Lifetime Retrospective, 1991 (75 minutes)
Marcel Duchamp: In His Own Words, 2001 (35 minutes)
I. M. Pei and the Mathematics of Architecture
African American Artists: Affirmation Today
LatinoVoices: Artists and Community
Art 21: Art in the 21st Century (PBS Series) 2002, 2004, 2006
Suggested Films: