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Concrete Art It first became a technical term in 1930 when Theo Van Doesburg (best known as follower of MondrianŐs neoplasticism) issued a manifesto entitled Art Concrete: Basis of Concrete Painting. We declare: 1. Art is Universal 2. The work of art should be entirely conceived and formed by the mind before its execution. It should receive nothing from nature's formal properties or from sensuality or sentimentality. We want to exclude Iyricism, dramaticism, symbolism, etc. 3. The picture should be constructed entirely from purely plastic elements, that is to say planes and colours. A pictorial element has no other significance than 'itself' and therefore the picture has no other significance than 'itself'. 4. The construction of the picture, as well as its elements, should be simple and controllable visually. 5. Technique should be mechanical, that is to say exact, anti-impressionistic. 6. Effort for absolute clarity. Really defines Constructivist principles; in fact the term was applied to a lot of artists including Mondrian. There are then movements in Sweden and Italy where the term is used. Lucio Fontana is an example (Movimento per l'arte concreta) By this time, Concrete Art became synonymous with geometric abstraction. |
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Minimalism Term used to describe complex trend in art (chiefly in 1950s in US)... largely a reaction from Action Painting and some aspects of Abstract Expressionism. -minimum of operating means... -the subject being the painting itself. -Later given a wide variety of applications (common for terms coined in conjunction with modern movements). Combines two concepts: 1. art works which had an unusually low degree of differentiation (like monochromatic paintings) and therefore a minimal amount of "art work" by the artist 2. art works which, although they might be highly differentiated, had a minimal amount of "art-work" contributed by the artist because their components were identical or near-identical with everyday mass-produced objects. *this definition, then, could include pop works by Warhol, Thiebauld, Wesselman. etc. *today, the mass-produced aspect has been altered to describe the building components, say, of Judd. New "refined" definition sees Barnett Newman and Morris Louis as forerunners. By eschewing all "virtual" qualities and maintaining a maximum degree of visual simplicity, they make a unified total impression on the observer with the negation of all ambiguity. **simplification to the extreme*** ***highly intellectual approach** describes not only approach, but ability to appreciate this art, which is a "learned" appreciation... not spontaneous. |
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Hard Edge -originally coined by critic Jules Langsner in 1958 as an alternative to replace older term "geometric abstraction." Way he uses it is "to refer to the new development that combined economy of form and neatness of surface with fullness of color, without continually raising memories of earlier geometric art." During 60s gets more general application, used to describe the style of non-representational painting which was distinguished from Abstract Expressionism both because it ued a few large areas of color separated by crisp, clearly defined edges and by the fact that, unlike the spontaneous and impulsive practices of the AE, HE paintings were planned in advance of their execution |
Notes on Word Art / Language Art: (6 points on this type of art)
1. part of ongoing project to dematerializee the art object (related to #2)
2. disgust with art market / disdain for commodity... conceptual artists propose a professional committment that restores art to artists vs. "money vendors"
3. desire to "be in your head" (Harold Szeemen)
4. some argue that all works are essentially linguistic
5. expression of need to theorize about the meaning of art
6. ambition to communicate to a wider audience (bridge gap b/w viewer and work)
lyrics to Missing Persons' Words (1982) Terry Bozzio & Warren Cuccurulo
Do you hear me
Do you care
Do you hear me
Do you care
My lips are moving and the sound's coming out
The words are audible but I have my doubts
That you realize what has been said
You look at me as if you're in a daze
It's like the feeling at the end of the page
When you realize you don't know what you just read
[refrain = ]
What are words for
When no one listens anymore
What are words for
When no one listens what are words for
When no one listens there's no use talking at all
I might as well go up and talk to a wall
'Cause all the words are having no effect at all
It's a funny thing am I all alone
Something has to happen to change the direction
What little filters through is giving you the wrong impression
It's a sorry state I say to myself
Let me get by over your dead body
Hope to see you soon
Doors three feet wide with no locks open
Walking always backwards in faces of strangers
Time could be my friend
But it's less than nowhere now
Pursue it any further and another thing you'll find
Not only are they deaf and dumb they could be going blind
No one notices I think I'll dye my hair blue
Media overload bombarding you with action
It's getting near impossible to cause distraction
Someone answer me before I pull out the plug