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| Joseph Beuys Coyote |
*Assignment:
Choose one work of art from each of the following postwar movements (Abstract Expressionism, Pop Art, and Performance Art) and explain how that work and its movement present a unique take on the Modern ideas about art we have seen develop thus far.
Abstract Expressionism;
Jackson Pollock at work,
Pollock's One: Number 31, 1950,
Jasper Johns, Flag, 1954-55.
Pop Art;
Claes Oldenburg, Floor Cake,
Andy Warhol's Gold Marilyn Monroe.
Performance Art;
An Introduction,
2004 BBC Orchestra Performance of John Cage's 4'33",
Conceptual/Performance: Vito Acconci's Following Piece,
Linda Montano and Tehching Hsieh's Year of the Rope,
Feminist Performance: Mary Kelly's Postpartum Document,
Earth Art: Robert Smithson's Spiral Jetty.
How do the developments of the early twentieth century make way for what comes after WWII? How do the ideas build on each other?
Chapter 22-23 Study Slides
*Post:
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| Jackson Pollock One: Number 31 |
Abstract Expressionism was raw, yet controlled, art. Capturing emotions and allowing the art to speak for itself. As with most of his work, Jackson Pollock's One: Number 31 (1950) wasn't even given a title. That way the viewer could appreciate the piece without any mental preconceptions of what it was you are looking at. Pollock came at the canvas with an entirely different approach. Laying canvas on the floor and dripping paint onto it as he circled the canvas. I found myself staring into the painting during the entire video, just imagining the thought process of Pollock as he's working. The abstract work has an almost organic feel to it...I never thought drips of paint on canvas could be so beautiful.
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| Andy Warhol's Gold Marilyn Monroe |
Pop Art stays with the modern art movement by straying from the traditional elitist culture and focousing on what is popular to the masses. Pop art often includes advertising, magazine cutouts, or images of pop culture such as Andy Warhol's Gold Marilyn Monroe. Warhol's Monroe uses vivid color and simple lines to create a perfect example of pop art.
Performance art changes everything. It is no longer about the piece of art itself, but about the immersiveness of everything there is about the art. Your not just viewing the art anymore, you are experiencing it. While watching the videos listed in this section I knew immediately that John Cage's 4'33" as performed by the 2004 BBC Orchestra would be my choice. At first I thought okay...is this for real? But then it took me by storm...this IS the performance! After about the first 2 minutes of silence I started to "get it." What an amazing way use the silence that surrounds us, that would otherwise go unnoticed.