What is Impressionism?
Impressionism can be considered as the first noticeable modern movement in painting. Developing in Paris in the 1860s, it had huge impact on Europe and also the United States. Impressionism’s originators were the artists who rejected the official government-approved exhibitions or salons, and who were consequently rejected by academic art institutions.
Impressionists desired to apprehend the momentary, sensory effect of a scene. Basically artists painted by the ‘impression’ that they got from objects. To obtain this style, many of the Impressionist artists moved from the studio to the streets and countryside.
The Impressionists loosened their brushwork and lightened their palettes to include pure, intense colors. They avoided painting the form of object clearly. Because of this, many critics blamed Impressionists’ paintings for the unfinished look and amateur-like quality.
Impressionists desired to apprehend the momentary, sensory effect of a scene. Basically artists painted by the ‘impression’ that they got from objects. To obtain this style, many of the Impressionist artists moved from the studio to the streets and countryside.
The Impressionists loosened their brushwork and lightened their palettes to include pure, intense colors. They avoided painting the form of object clearly. Because of this, many critics blamed Impressionists’ paintings for the unfinished look and amateur-like quality.
The Salon des Refusés | Salon des Artistes Indépendants |
Édouard Manet (23 January 1832 – 30 April 1883)
What is Cubism?
Cubism was one of the first truly modern movements emerged in art. It arose during a period of rapid innovation between Pablo Picasso and Georges Braque. This movement can be divided in to two stages: 'Analytic' Cubism, which the forms seem to be 'analysed' and fragmented; and 'Synthetic' Cubism, which the foreign materials are collaged on the surface of canvas as 'synthetic' signs for represented objects. The style was significantly influenced by Fernand Leger and Juan Leger and Juan Gris. Analytic Cubism Analytic Cubism abandoned perspective, which artists have been using in order to express space since the Renaissance. Also, it deserted away from the realistic modelling of figures, but moved towards representing bodies by creating different spaces and dimension. Synthetic Cubism Synthetic Cubism is proved as equally important and influential as Analytic Cubism. Instead of depending on represented shapes and forms to portray objects, Picasso and Braque began to use foreign objects to express abstract signs. They used newspapers and other foreign materials such as chair caning and wood veneer. To me... The paintings of Cubism seemed like 'origami' drawn on canvas. Because each lines and shadows create many dimensions and perspectives, it looks like they are popping up. It is interesting that I can still see the objects in the painting although it is not very easy to capture the image. |
What is Surrealism?
| The Surrealist movement started in Paris by a small group of writers and artists who aimed to convey the unconscious as a medium to unlock the power of the imagination. As Sigmund Freud powerfully influenced surrealism and it abhorred rationalism and literary realism, the Surrealists believed that conscious mind quelled the power of the imagination. Also, surrealism was influenced by Karl Marx, that the artists hoped psyche would have the power to reveal contradictions in the everyday world. Surrealism shared common belief as the anti-rationalism of Dada (it grew out of anti-rationalism movement). Surrealists were interested in revealing the complex and repressed inner worlds of sexuality, desire, and violence. Many of the artists The Surrealists developed creative works that exposed the artists' inner minds in symbolic ways in order to expose anxieties and to treat them analytically through visual aid. The Surrealists portrayed dream imagery and archetypal symbols derived from their unconsciousness. Since the Surrealists believed collage aesthetic tapped into subconscious by creating juxtapositions using imagery reaped from popular culture, the collage aesthetic was important to them. They used collage in every medium, even in films. To me... I personally favour Surrealism over Cubism. I liked the idea of disclosing the inner world and making creative paintings by expressing their unconsciousness. The paintings of Surrealism is fun to look at and it is beyond imagination. |