After the lectures and my classmate’s presentations, I went to research more about some art movements and key artists in that movement.
RUSSIAN CONSTRUCTIVISM/SUPREMATISM
Kazimir Malevich (1879- 1935) is a Russian Avant-garde artist, a Russian painter, sculptor and art theoretician. He was a pioneer of geometric abstract art and the originator of the Avant-garde Suprematist movement. Malevich worked in a variety of styles, but his most important and famous works concentrated on the exploration of pure geometric forms (squares, triangles, and circles) and their relationships to each other and within the pictorial space.
Ilya Chashnik (1902-1929), a Russian suprematist, has a similar style to Malevich, which I really love. As this project’s aim was to create an image while incorporating letterforms, I thought it would be appropriate to extend my research to these art styles which used basic shapes in their composition.
Aeroplane Flying (1915) by Malevich , Suprematistische Komposition (1920–1922) by Ilya Chashnik
Another notable artist is El Lissitzky (1890-1941), a Russian artist, designer, photographer, typographer, polemicist and architect. He was a key figure of the Russian avant-garde, who designed numerous exhibition displays and propaganda works for the Soviet Union and greatly influenced the Bauhaus and constructivist movements.
Part of the Show Machinery (1923) El Lissitzky
Globetrotter (in Time) (1923) by El Lissitzky
ART NOUVEAU
Alphonse Mucha (1860-1939), was a Czech Art Nouveau painter and decorative artist, known best for his distinct style. He produced many paintings, illustrations, advertisements, postcards, and designs. His style is known to be rich in natural forms and decorative.
Mucha’s style and those of the Russian Constructivism and Suprematism are unlike and opposing; one focuses on purely basic shapes whereas the other, embraces the organic form of shapes and pushes them further, creating stunningly beautiful paintings.
Job Cigarette Papers (1896) by Alphonse Mucha
UKIYO-E
Ukiyo-e means “Pictures of the Floating World” and this art movement refers to a style of Japanese woodblock print and painting from the Edo period (1639–1858) depicting famous theater actors, beautiful courtesans, city life, travel in romantic landscapes, and erotic scenes. As Japanese art flourished from the 17th to 19th century, Japonism, the study of Japanese art and artistic talent, affected fine arts, sculpture, architecture, performing arts and decorative arts throughout Western culture. Early impressionist, such as van Gogh, was influenced by Ukiyo-e.
Onoe Eisaburo I, Toyokuni, c. 1800
Princess Takiyasha Summons a Skeleton Spectre to Frighten Mitsukuni, Kuniyoshi, c. 1844
Portrait of Père Tanguy (1887) by Vincent van Gogh
Ukiyo-e is an interesting art movement to learn about, especially its power of influence. Overall, these are the art movements which were key to understanding and appreciating how these artists incorporate thought in shapes, forms, colours and even culture.
References
https://www.moma.org/collection/works/7926
http://www.tate.org.uk/art/artists/el-lissitzky-1519
http://www.artnet.com/WebServices/images/ll00067lld8FTGFgoSECfDrCWQFHPKcQFPC/ilya-chashnik-suprematistische-komposition.jpg
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Alphonse_Mucha_-_Job_Cigarettes_1.jpg
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ukiyo-e