|  Cubism
In this Art Quest you will learn more about Cubism. Specifically,
you will examine some of the works by two well-known Cubist artists, Pablo
Picasso and George Braque. You will also look at the influences of Cubism.
To help you gain a better understanding of Cubism, you will visit various
museums, including The Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Guggenheim Museum,
and the National Gallery of Art.
Two Artists: Picasso and Braque
Spanish artist Pablo Picasso and French artist Georges Braque worked together
in the early 1900s. Together they came up with a new style of painting
called Cubism.
The early Cubist works (from about 1907 to 1912) were mainly paintings
that emphasized geometric forms and used subdued colors. This style is
referred to as Analytical Cubism.
Click on the links below to see examples of Picasso’s
and Braque’s Analytical Cubist works.
The later Cubist works are called Synthetic Cubism.
It was during this time that the artists began to use collage, stenciling,
and brighter colors. Click on the links below to see examples of Synthetic
Cubism.
Structure and Design
Cubism is a twentieth-century art movement that emphasizes
structure and design. Three-dimensional
objects are pictured from many different points of view at the same time.
Structure usually refers to forms—how they are
put together. For instance, the human body has a skeletal structure; the
structure of an onion is one globe inside another. Design
refers to the plan, organization, or arrangement of elements in a
work of art.
Look at the following Cubist works. How are structure and design emphasized?
Three Influences
There were three main influences on Cubism:
- the idea that all shapes in nature are based on geometric solids
- the scientific discovery that all matter is made up of atoms that
are constantly in motion
- the angular forms and designs of African sculpture that had recently
been discovered by Western European artists
Let’s look at each of these influences.
Influence 1: All Shapes Are Based on Geometric Solids
This idea came from another artist, Paul Cézanne. Click on the
link below to see an example of his work.
Look at the geometric shapes below. Can you think of three places where
you might find these geometric shapes in nature?
Look at the following cubist artwork. What geometric forms do you see?
Influence 2: All Matter Is Made Up of Atoms that Are Constantly in
Motion
This discovery led to the idea of simultaneity. Art that is based on
this idea gives us the experience of looking at something from many viewpoints
at once. Here are some links to information about atoms:
Influence 3: Art from Other Cultures
African sculpture had a tremendous impact on Cubism. Look at a couple
examples of African art that were created prior to the nineteenth century.
Can you find any similarities between this painting by Picasso and the
African art in the previous examples? This painting is thought by many
to mark the beginning of Cubism.
Activities
Activity 1: Influences of Science upon Art
Can you find other art movements that were influenced by scientific developments?
Check out one or more of the following styles and/or movements (or others
your teacher might tell you about), and create a presentation on how science
and technology influenced the art.
Futurism
Impressionism
Activity 2: Collage in the Style of Cubism
- Look at some Cubist collages by Picasso and Braque in the links below.
What types of objects do they contain? What types of textures? What
types of materials do they use?
Braque
Picasso
- Set up a still life using similar objects. Choose one location to
draw from. Draw one of the objects from that direction, then draw a
straight line beside the object and look at the object from another
angle. Start drawing the object from that angle on the other side of
the line that you drew. Continue in this manner until you have broken
up the picture plane into an interesting composition.
- Collect some of the materials you will need, such as wallpaper scraps,
magazines, newspapers, sand, glue, and so on. Cut out your scraps and
fit them into the composition in a pleasing manner. Be sure to create
a lot of contrasting values.
- To create contrasting textures, paint and draw in spaces that are
open.
|
