(art history) unit 7.2 discussion forum (unit 7: abstraction)

UNIT 7 Overview: (QUESTION IS BELOW)

The beginning of the 20th century saw with it a new understanding of the universe, thanks to the discoveries on energy and physics from Albert Einstein, and the contemplation of the human consciousness from Sigmund Freud.  With these new interpretations of the universe and its inhabitants came a focus in the arts towards inventiveness and technological advancements.  The two Great World Wars united the World in conflict, and at its end, the movements of European and American art collaborated and invented a global art stage, exploring all of the innovations of the creative process as one collective force.

Objectives:

· Investigate unique styles of European artists, and distinguish the work and intentions of specific movements.

· Discover how each “ism” (and their respected artists ) seeks to defy the societal expectations of art, and challenges us to ask what art really is meant to be, and how we should be looking at it.

· Explore new art trends from America and Mexico, and interpret the work in comparison to that of Europe.  

· Distinguish the visual interpretations of specific regions and how they identify with their unique cultures.

· Evaluate how modern inventions and necessities impacted the art of the early 20th century, including photography, architecture and design.

??QUESTION??

 Now is a good time to talk about beauty, and whether or not art has to be beautiful.  Because let’s face: a lot of it isn’t.  It just isn’t.  But, the artists knew this!  What we need to think about now is content, the message the artist was trying to give us, the viewer.  How hard was this for you this week?  Was it hard to appreciate this art because you didn’t find it beautiful?  Let’s face the reality that modern art is very challenging to understand, and let’s share the challenges we faced this week.