Living in Our Time Activity
Title:
Challenge and Change in the Art World
Theme:
Challenge and Change in the Art World
Age:
Grades 9–Adult
Overview:
This tour presents an overview of four major art movements of the past 60 years. This activity could be used in the Walker Art Center galleries, Minneapolis Sculpture Garden, or in the classroom with a selection of images from Art Collector. The artworks included in the activity are suggestions only and instructors may choose different artworks to accompany the discussion questions.
Procedure:
Setting the Scene
Our society is in a state of constant flux, and artists and art movements react to and reflect that change. Art movements reflect society by responding to events, ideas, new technology, new materials, and trends. Today’s tour will examine four art movements of the last 60 years--Abstract Expressionism, Pop Art, Minimalism, and Fluxus--and explore how they developed in response to what was happening in the world.
Begin Looking
Before discussing each movement in depth, take the group to several examples of works of art from that movement. Have the group to compare and contrast the works, and ask them questions to encourage close examination. Suggested questions for each movement are listed below.
Abstract Expressionism
Looking at work that could be called Abstract Expressionist, ask:
What was happening in society around the time that these works were made? How do you think artists might have dealt with the horrors of World War II in their artwork? What kind of emotions or feelings do you get from each of these works? Many artists at this time were interested in the element of chance and also personal expression. Where can you find traces of those ideas in this work?
During World War II, many European artists lived in New York City, where they met, befriended, and influenced a group of young American artists who would gain international fame as Abstract Expressionists. This would lead to a transfer of the center of the art world from Europe to New York. As a reaction to realism, and to World War II and its atrocities, these artists zeroed in on their innermost feelings, often using free association, automatic writing, dreams, and the element of chance. Their work was, for the most part, nonrepresentational and deeply personal, and provided a way for them to deal with their angst over the horror of war and a changing world. Show and discuss examples of Abstract Expressionism with the group. As Abstract Expressionism became a familiar form of artistic expression, two new art movements emerged as a reaction against it: Pop Art and minimalism.
Pop Art
Have participants examine some examples of Pop Art. Compare some of these artworks to some that we just looked at. How are they different? What kinds of things changed in American society from the 1940s to the 1960s? How does this work reflect that?
Reacting to the emotionalism of Abstract Expressionism, Pop Art honored and glorified postwar consumerism. Instead of focusing on feelings, Pop Art highlighted the popular elements of our rapidly growing consumer culture. Pop Art was unemotional, straightforward, and easy to interpret. It was based on elements of advertising, television, food, fashion, celebrities, and world leaders. Let’s look at some Pop artists and compare their subject matter, style, and technique.
Minimalism
Now let’s explore the other art movement that developed as a reaction to Abstract Expressionism: Minimalism. What does this work share with the Pop Art that we viewed? How is it different? How do you think this work reflects the 1960s in the United States?
Spearheaded by the writings of Donald Judd, Minimalism pared down art to its basic form. It was about shape, line, color, and material. Even more basic, Minimalism was about the value of an idea. With the postwar development of new industrial companies, the actual construction of the art pieces was frequently done by fabricators. They specialized in the artist’s chosen material and helped construct the work according to the artist’s plans and diagrams.
Fluxus
Another art movement with a different focus was Fluxus.
How is this work unlike art you’re used to seeing?
What kind of statement do you think these artists were trying to make?
Reacting against art as an elitist commodity, and against museums as separating art from life, Fluxus tried to merge art and everyday life. Fluxus was strong on performances and written material, and on art that was inexpensive and not precious. Fluxus was art that made people think, smile, and connect.
Conclusion
Today we’ve discussed some artists and art movements that have made an important impact on modern art. On a future visit to the Walker Art Center, which of the movements would you like to spend more time exploring? Which work that you saw today would you tell a friend about? What work would you like to take back to school? All of these movements reflect their time, but they’re still relevant for many artists today. Which movement still seems the most relevant to you today? How do you think today’s artists might be influenced by movements such as Abstract Expressionism and Pop Art?
Props:
Tell the group that other artists and movements have challenged and changed the art world. Some examples:
• Marcel Duchamp attacked established values, raised questions about the definition of art, and greatly influenced generations of artists.
• Joseph Beuys was an artist, performance artist, teacher, and philosopher.
• Vienna Actionists, such as Otto Muehl and Hermann Nitsch, challenged the art establishment through shocking, sexually oriented performances.
• Gutai, a reactionary art movement in Japan, was strong on performance and included artists Kazuo Shiraga and Atsuko Tanaka.
• Arte Povera, an art movement in Italy, reacted against precious materials and included artists Piero Manzoni, Lucio Fontana, Giovanni Anselmo, Alighiero Boetti, Luciano Fabro, Mario Merz, Marisa Merz, and Giulio Paolini.
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