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Chapter 19
The Invisible Made Visible: Abstract and Nonrepresentational Art
Instructor’s Manual
Overview
In this chapter introduce abstract and nonrepresentational art. Speak to the drastic shift these
styles made compared to early twentieth-century art. Specifically highlight the movement away
from beauty, realistic space, and solid objects.
Sub Headers
• Crossing the Frontier
• The Spiritual Path to Nonrepresentation
• Mondrian: A Logical Approach to Nonrepresentation
• De Stijl
• The International Style
• Le Corbusier: Master of the “New Spirit” in Architecture
• Frank Lloyd Wright
• Abstract Art in America: O’Keefe
• Straight Photography
• The Center of Western Art Shifts
• Abstract Expressionism: Modern Art Created in America
o Pollock’s Action Painting
o Color-Field Painting
o Teaching to the Next Generation
o The New York School
o Nonrepresentational Sculpture
• Architecture: The Glass Box
• Organic Abstraction
• The Challenge of Nonrepresentational Art
• Getting the Real World Back into Art: Rauschenberg and Johns
Terms:
Abstract Expressionism
Bauhaus
collage
combines
Color-Field Painting
glass curtain
International Style
kinetic sculpture
mobiles
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Lecture #1
Discussion:
Begin Lecture #1 by discussing “Timeless Links: The Art that Shocks.” Explore the examples
given of “shocking” art and what categorizes them as such. Continue the discussion by looking at
the works of artists Vasily Kandinsky, Piet Mondrian, and others. Using images from the text,
examine the visual components of their work and speak to their influences. How did their work
differ from early twentieth-century painting? Also discuss architecture. Speak to the International
Style and its intentions.
Class Questions/Prompts:
Quotes by Kandinsky Vasily Kandinsky wanted to create a spiritual effect in his art by focusing
on the correlation to music and the formal elements of the composition. He said “Color is the
keyboard, the eyes are the hammers, the soul is the piano with many strings. The artist is the
hand that plays, touching one key or another purposively, to cause vibrations in the soul.”
Explore this relationship of music and art in Kandinsky’s work. Kandinsky was also interested in
the physiological and sensory qualities of color, such as how “absolute green is the most restful
color, lacking any undertone of joy, grief, or passion. On exhausted men, this restfulness has a
beneficial effect, but after a time it becomes tedious.” Consider how color makes you feel, how
colors have a scent, a taste, and a sound. Refer to Kandinsky’s book Concerning the Spiritual in
Art for more on the effects of color.
Le Corbusier Le Corbusier initially designed architecture in the International Style, as seen in
Villa Savoye (figure 19-9). Compare Notre Dame du Haut (figures 19-28 and 19-29) with Villa
Savoye and Philip Johnson’s Glass House (figure 19-27) that was built around the same time.
How did his style change? Why did Le Corbusier change the direction of his designs?
A Better World Architecture Early twentieth-century architects like Le Corbusier and Walter
Gropius thought they could make the world a better place through good architecture. How is that
possible? Is that an achievable goal? Why or why not?
Shocking Explore with students the concept of “shocking art.” Why is it that art in one period
can be considered perfectly acceptable, but at another point in time, it is considered obscene or
“shocking.” Do you think artists of yesterday would be “shocked” by such art as the performance
pieces that are popular today? Would they consider those works of art? Do you?
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Exercise #1
1. Analysis
a. Have students make observations on materials, methods, cultural and
historical context.
Figure 19-7 Gerrit Rietveldt, Schröder House, Utrecht, Netherlands, 1924.
2. Compare and Contrast
Figure 19-4 Piet Mondrian, The Gray Tree, 1912. Haags Gemeentemuseum, The
Hague.
Figure 19-5 Piet Mondrian, Tableau 2, with Yellow, Black, Blue, Red, and Gray,
1922. Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York.
Lecture #2
Discussion:
In Lecture #2 discuss Abstract Expressionism. Speak to the reasons for the center of the Western
art world shifting to New York and America. Highlight the paintings of Jackson Pollock and
Mark Rothko and the art of Alexander Calder.
Class Questions/Prompts:
The Technique of Frankenthaler Helen Frankenthaler began staining paint onto canvas in
1952. She first used oil paint, as seen in Mountains and Sea (figure 19-24), then later switched to
acrylic paint, as used in The Bay (figure 5-9). Describe what effects the staining has on both oil
paint and acrylic paint. Frankenthaler was influenced by Jackson Pollock’s work after seeing his
works and studio in 1951. Compare Frankenthaler’s work to Pollock’s. Discuss visual and
conceptual comparisons of their works.
Abstract Expressionism Art, such as the works of Jackson Pollock and Willem de Kooning,
often elicits rather negative responses from viewers, such as “I could do that” or “How is that
considered art?” because of the so-called scribbles and large areas of color. Address student
concerns about this style or any other modern art style. Evaluate these works by describing the
artistic process, the mood each creates, and the formal qualities of design.
Exercise #1
1. Analysis
a. Have students make observations on materials, methods, cultural and
historical context.
Figure 19-25 Alexander Calder, La Grande Vitesse, 1969. Grand Rapids,
Michigan.
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2. Compare and Contrast
Figure 19-20 Jackson Pollock, Number 1, 1950 (Lavender Mist), 1950.
Washington, D.C.
Figure 19-23 Helen Frankenthaler, Mountains and Sea, 1952. Chicago, Illinois.
