Movements and Manifestos

Artists of the early twentieth century, inspired by science, philosophy, and technology, sought to move toward a more personal vision through the abstraction of traditional subject matter. They responded to the radical changes in society brought on by technology and political upheaval by creating art that was revolutionary, and often came together to write manifestos that described their goals and concerns. The diversity of avant-garde artistic movements and the complicated relationships between them can be confusing. In this week's discussion forum you will focus on an art movement and choose a work of art by an artist associated with that movement. You may choose any movement that has been covered in your reading up until this point.

In your post, please identify the movement and its principle members. Next, describe the artistic inspiration for the movement — was it related to a previous movement or style, or by the work of a particular artist? As you discovered last week, many art movements had a specific political stance and were expressions of ideas articulated in manifestos. How was this movement shaped by politics? Some artists like Kandinsky and Mondrian were guided by spiritual and philosophical principles, while others like the Futurists embraced the nihilism of Nietzsche. Was the movement influenced by philosophy or spiritual ideas? Finally, analyze how the work of art or architecture you've chosen as an example expresses the goals of the movement and represents its style.

Please submit your post (which should include an image)

• Fauvism
• German Expressionism (Die Brücke or Blaue Reiter)
• Vienna Secession
• Cubism
• Futurism
• Constructivism
• Suprematism
• Vorticism
• Orphism
• Rayonism
• Purism
• De Stijl
• New Objectivity
• Dada