Baroque and Rococo Art

The similarities of Rococo and Baroque design often cause confusion between the two styles. But
along with many aesthetic differences, Baroque is classified as a major architectural movement while
Rococo emerged as a subset of it, dealing primarily with interior design, the arts and even theater,
developed by craftsmen, artists and designers instead of architects. Rococo's style emerged during
the last phase of the Baroque movement as a more of a light-hearted feminine and whimsical style
less focused on the serious, religious tone of Baroque art and architecture. Despite the intent of revolt
against its predecessor, Rococo does share a number of similarities with Baroque style.

Because the Rococo style developed during the last phase of the Baroque movement, the styles
share a similar timeline in history, as both were relevant during much of the 1700s.The Rococo style
originated as a revolt against the dull and solemn Baroque designs of the royal courts of France in
Versailles. Rather than rebuild their homes and chateaus, wealthy patrons remodeled the interiors
with elaborate plasterwork, murals, tapestries, mirrors, furniture, porcelain and silk in a lighter, more
feminine style. Buildings such as the Palace of Versailles still featured the characteristics of Baroque
architecture while having Rococo style interiors.

Another similarity Rococo and Baroque styles share is the common use of framed canvas paintings
and fresco-style architectural paintings as embellishments for interiors. Both styles are heavily
influenced by the arts and each style has an association with famous artists. Rococo paintings feature
pastel colors, sinuous curves and lighter subjects of mythology, romantic love and portraiture.
Famous names in Rococo art include Francois Boucher, known for opulent paintings of self-
indulgence and Giambattista Tiepolo, who created fabulous wall and ceiling fresco paintings. Baroque
paintings are much more dramatic and theatrical with a strong sense of movement, darker colors and
a focus on key elements of Catholic dogma. Famous Baroque artists include Pietro da Cortano, a
trompe l’oeil style ceiling fresco painter and Peter Paul Rubens, who created the well-known
masterpiece, “Massacre of the Innocents.”

Questions to answer: (Choose 2 reporters from your group to report what you have brainstormed in
the group)

1. What are the characteristics of the art movement assigned in your group?
2. What can you say in the development and evolution of art from Pre-historic period to the art
that we have right now?
NEOCLASSICAL ART AND ROMANTIC ART

The artistic style known as "Neoclassicism" (also called "classicism")was the predominant movement in European art
and architecture during the late 18th and early 19th centuries. It reflected a desire to rekindle the spirit and forms of classical art
from ancient Greece and Rome, whose principles of order and reason were entirely in keeping with the European Age of
Enlightenment. Neoclassicism was also, in part, a reaction against the ostentation of Baroque art and the decadent frivolity of
the decorative Rococo school, championed by the French court - and especially Louis XV's mistress, Madame de Pompadour -
and also partly stimulated by the discovery of Roman ruins at Herculaneum and Pompeii (1738-50), along with publication in
1755 of the highly influential book Thoughts on the Imitation of Greek Works of Art, by the German art historian and
scholar Johann Winckelmann (1717-68). All this led to a revival of neoclassical painting, sculpture and architectural design in
Rome - an important stopover in the Grand Tour - from where it spread northwards to France, England, Sweden and Russia.
America became very enthusiastic about Neoclassical architecture, not least because it lent public buildings an aura of tradition
and permanence. Neoclassical painters included Anton Raphael Mengs (1728-79), Jacques-Louis David (1748-1825), Angelica
Kauffmann (1741-1807) and Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres (1780-1867); while sculptors included Jean-Antoine Houdon
(1741-1828), John Flaxman (1755-1826), Antonio Canova (1757-1822), and Bertel Thorvaldsen (1770-1844). Among the best
known exponents of neoclassical architecture were Jules-Hardouin Mansart (1646-1708), Jacques Germain Soufflot (1713-80),
Claude Nicolas Ledoux (1736-1806), John Nash (1752-1835), Jean Chalgrin (1739-1811), Carl Gotthard Langhans (1732-
1908), Karl Friedrich Schinkel (1781-1841), and Benjamin Henry Latrobe (1764-1820).
For examples of interior design in France during the neoclassical period, see: French Decorative Art. For fine furnishings under
Louis XV and Louis XVI, see: French Furniture (1640-1792).
Neoclassical works (paintings and sculptures) were serious, unemotional, and sternly heroic. Neoclassical painters
depicted subjects from Classical literature and history, as used in earlier Greek art and Republican Roman art, using sombre
colours with occasional brilliant highlights, to convey moral narratives of self-denial and self-sacrifice fully in keeping with the
supposed ethical superiority of Antiquity. Neoclassical sculpture dealt with the same subjects, and was more restrained than the
more theatrical Baroque sculpture, less whimsical than the indulgent Rococo. Neoclassical architecture was more ordered and
less grandiose than Baroque, although the dividing line between the two can sometines be blurred. It bore a close external
resemblance to the Greek Orders of architecture, with one obvious exception - there were no domes in ancient Greece. Most
roofs were flat.

ROMANTIC ART
Despite the early efforts of pioneers like El Greco (Domenikos Theotocopoulos) (1541-1614), Adam Elsheimer (1578-
1610) and Claude Lorrain (1604-82), the style we know as Romanticism did not gather momentum until the end of the 18th
century when the heroic element in Neoclassicism was given a central role in painting. This heroic element combined with
revolutionary idealism to produce an emotive Romantic style, which emerged in the wake of the French Revolution as
a reaction against the restrained academic art of the arts establishment. The tenets of romanticism included: a return to nature -
exemplified by an emphasis on spontaneous plain-air painting - a belief in the goodness of humanity, the promotion of justice for
all, and a strong belief in the senses and emotions, rather than reason and intellect. Romantic painters and sculptors tended to
express an emotional personal response to life, in contrast to the restraint and universal values advocated by Neoclassical art.
19th Century architects, too, sought to express a sense of Romanticism in their building designs: see, for instance, Victorian
architecture (1840-1900).
Among the greatest Romantic painters were Henry Fuseli (1741-1825), Francisco Goya (1746-1828), Caspar David
Friedrich (1774-1840), JMW Turner (1775-1851), John Constable (1776-1837), Theodore Gericault (1791-1824) and Eugene
Delacroix (1798-63). Romantic art did not displace the Neoclassical style, but rather functioned as a counterbalance to the
latter's severity and rigidity. Although Romanticism declined about 1830, its influence continued long after.
After the French Revolution of 1789, a significant social change occurred within a single generation. Europe was
shaken by political crises, revolutions and wars. When leaders met at the Congress of Vienna (1815) to reorganise European
affairs after the Napoleonic Wars, it became clear that the peoples' hopes for 'liberty, equality and fraternity' had not been
realized. However, during the course of those agitated 25 years, new ideas and attitudes had taken hold in the minds of men.
Respect for the individual, the responsible human being, which was already a key element in Neoclassical painting, had
given rise to a new but related phenomenon - emotional intuition. Thus cool, rational Neoclassicism was now confronted with
emotion and the individual imagination which sprang from it. Instead of praising the stoicism and intellectual discipline of the
individual (Neoclassicism), artists now also began to celebrate the emotional intuition and perception of the individual
(Romanticism). Thus at the beginning of the 19th century, a variety of styles began to emerge - each shaped by national
characteristics - all falling under the heading of 'Romanticism'.
The movement began in Germany where it was motivated largely by a sense of world weariness ("Weltschmerz"), a
feeling of isolation and a yearning for nature. Later, Romantic tendencies also appeared in English and French painting.

Questions to answer: (Choose 2 reporters from your group to report what you have brainstormed in the group)

1. What are the characteristics of the art movement assigned in your group?
2. What can you say in the development and evolution of art from Pre-historic period to the art that we have right now?
Impressionism Art

Pure Impressionism, as advocated by Monet, was outdoor plein-air painting, characterized by rapid,
spontaneous and loose brushstrokes: supreme examples being his series of paintings of Rouen
cathedral, Waterloo Bridge, Gare Saint-Lazare, haystacks, and water lilies. Its guiding principle was
the realistic depiction of light; Impressionist artists sought to capture fleeting moments, and if, during
these moments, an object appeared orange - due to the falling light or its reflection - then the artist
painted the object orange. Or if the sun turned the surface of a pond pink, then pink it would be.
Naturalist colour schemes, being devised in theory or at least in the studio, did not allow for this.
Loose brushwork, coupled with a non-naturalist use of colour, gave the movement a revolutionary
edge, and opened the way for movements such as Expressionism and Fauvism.

The Impressionists' main priorities included: (1) the immediate and optically accurate depiction of a
momentary scene; (2) the execution of the whole work in the open air (no more preparatory sketches
and careful completion in the studio); (3) the use of pure colour on the canvas, rather than being first
mixed on the palette; (4) the use of small strokes and dabs of brightly-coloured paint; and (5) the use
of light and colour to unify a picture, instead of the traditional method of gradually building up a
painting by outline and modelling with light and shade.

The roots of Impressionism lay in the naturalism of Camille Corot (1796-1875) and the plein-air
painting methods of the early 19th century Barbizon schoolled by Theodore Rousseau (1812-67).
Impressionists specialized in landscapes and genre scenes (eg. Degas' pictures of ballet dancers and
Renoir's nude figures). Portrait art was another popular genre among Impressionist painters - it was
after all one of their few regular sources of income - and still-lifes were also painted.

Questions to answer: (Choose 2 reporters from your group to report what you have brainstormed in
the group)

1. What are the characteristics of the art movement assigned in your group?
2. What can you say in the development and evolution of art from Pre-historic period to the art
that we have right now?
Symbolic and Nouveau Art
Symbolism, a late 19th-century movement of Post-Impressionist painting, flourished throughout Europe between 1886
and 1900 in almost every area of the arts. Initially emerging in literature, including poetry, philosophy and theatre, it then spread
to music and the visual arts. Symbolist art had strong connections with the Pre-Raphaelites and with Romanticism, as well as
the Aestheticism movement. Like all these movements, Symbolism was in large part a reaction against naturalism and realism,
and became closely associated with mythological painting of all kinds. Where realists and naturalists sought to capture optical
reality in all its objective grittiness, and thus focused on the ordinary rather than the ideal, Symbolists sought a deeper reality
from within their imagination, their dreams, and their unconscious. Famous symbolist painters included Gustave Moreau (1826-
98), Arnold Bocklin (1827-1901), Ferdinand Hodler (1853-1918), Max Klinger (1857-1920), Paul Gauguin (1848-1903), James
Ensor (1860-1949), Edvard Munch (1863-1944), Odilon Redon(1840-1916), and Puvis de Chavannes. Although shortlived, the
movement had a strong influence on German art of the 19th century, and a big impact on 20th century European artists,
particularly those involved in Les Nabis and Art Nouveau, and also the Expressionism and Surrealism movements. It also
influenced artists like Whistler, Giorgio de Chirico, Joan Miro, Paul Klee, Frida Kahlo and Marc Chagall. During the 1990s, a
number of Chinese painters - members of the Cynical Realism movement in Beijing - used symbolist motifs to express the
political and social uncertainties arising after the crackdown at Tiananmen Square.
Symbolist painters and sculptors were inspired by literature and poetry of the day, as well as the history, legends,
myths, Biblical stories and fables of the past. In expressing themselves, symbolist artists endowed their subjects (eg. women,
heroic males, flowers, landscapes, animals), with mythological or other esoteric meanings. Many artists turned to stimulants like
alcohol and drugs to fuel their imagination. Favourite symbolist subjects included: sensual issues, religious feelings, occultism,
love, death, disease and sin, while decadence was a common feature.

Art Nouveau was an innovative international style of modern art that became fashionable from about 1890 to the First
World War. Arising as a reaction to 19th-century designs dominated by historicism in general and neoclassicism in particular, it
promulgated the idea of art and design as part of everyday life. Henceforth artists should not overlook any everyday object, no
matter how functional it might be. This aesthetic was considered to be quite revolutionary and new, hence its name - New Art -
or Art Nouveau. Hence also the fact that it was applied to a host of different forms including architecture, fine art, applied art,
and decorative art. Rooted partly in the Industrial Revolution, and the Arts and Crafts Movement, but also influenced
by Japonism (especiallyUkiyo-e prints by artists like Hokusai and his younger contemporary Hiroshige) and Celtic designs, Art
Nouveau was given a major boost by the 1900 Exposition Universelle in Paris. After this, it spread across Europe and as far as
the United States and Australia, under local names like Jugendstil (Germany), Stile Liberty (Italy), Sezessionstil (Austria)
and Tiffany style (America). A highly decorative idiom, Art Nouveau typically employed intricate curvilinear patterns of sinuous
asymetrical lines, often based on plant-forms (sometimes derived from La Tene forms of Celtic art). Floral and other plant-
inspired motifs are popular Art Nouveau designs, as are female silhouettes and forms. Employing a variety of materials, the style
was used in architecture, interior design, glassware, jewellery, poster art and illustration, as well as painting and sculpture. The
movement was replaced in the 1920s by Art Deco.
Art Nouveau is usually deemed a matter of 'style' rather than a philosophy: but, in fact, distinctive ideas and not only
fanciful desires prompted its appearance. Common to all the most consistently Art Nouveau creators was a determination to
push beyond the bounds of historicism - that exaggerated concern with the notions of the past which characterises the greater
part of 19th-century design: they sought, in a fresh analysis of function and a close study of natural forms, a new aesthetic. It is
true that the outer reaches of Art Nouveau are full of mindless pattern-making but there was, at and around the centre, a
marvellous sequence of works in which the decorative and the functional fuse to novel and compelling effect. Art Nouveau
means much more than a single look or mood: we are reminded of tall grasses in light wind, or swirling lines of stormy water, or
intricate vegetation - all stemming from organic nature: an interest in which should be understood as proceeding from a sense of
life's order lost or perverted amidst urban industrial stress.
There is no single definition or meaning of Art Nouveau. But the following are distinguishing factors. (1) Art Nouveau
philosophy was in favour of applying artistic designs to everyday objects, in order to make beautiful things available to everyone.
No object was too utilitarian to be "beautified". (2) Art Nouveau saw no separation in principle between fine art (painting and
sculpture) and applied or decorative arts (ceramics, furniture, and other practical objects). (3) In content, the style was a reaction
to a world of art which was dominated by the precise geometry of Neoclassical forms. It sought a new graphic design language,
as far away as possible from the historical and classical models employed by the arts academies. (4) Art Nouveau remains
something of an umbrella term which embraces a variety of stylistic interpretations: some artists used new low-cost materials
and mass production methods while others used more expensive materials and valued high craftsmanship.
In line with with the Art Nouveau philosophy that art should become part of everyday life, it employed flat, decorative
patterns that could be used in all art forms. Typical decorative elements include leaf and tendril motifs, intertwined organic forms,
mostly curvaceous in shape, although right-angled designs were also prevalent in Scotland and in Austria. Art made in this style
typically depicted lavish birds, flowers, insects and other zoomorphs, as well as the hair and curvaceous bodies of beautiful
women. For Art Nouveau architectural designs, see the exaggerated bulbous forms of the Spanish architect Antoni Gaudi (1852-
1926), and the stylistic Parisian Metro entrances of Hector Guimard (1867-1942).

Questions to answer: (Choose 2 reporters from your group to report what you have brainstormed in the group)

1. What are the characteristics of the art movement assigned in your group?
2. What can you say in the development and evolution of art from Pre-historic period to the art that we have right now?
OPTICAL ART

Op Art (a term coined in 1964 by Time magazine) is a form of abstract art(specifically non-objective art) which
relies on optical illusions in order to fool the eye of the viewer. It is also called optical art or retinal art. A form
of kinetic art, it relates to geometric designs that create feelings of movement or vibration. Op art works were
first produced in black-and-white, later in vibrant colour. Historically, the Op-Art style may be said to have
originated in the work of the kinetic artist Victor Vasarely (1908-97), and also from Abstract Expressionism.
Another major Op artist is the British painter Bridget Riley(b.1931). Modern interest in the retinal art movement
stems from 1965 when a major Op Art exhibition in New York, entitled "The Responsive Eye," caught public
attention. As a consequence, the style began appearing in print graphics, advertising and album art, as well as
fashion design and interior decorations. By the end of the 1960s the Op-Art movement had faded.

Op Art can be defined as a type of abstract or concrete art consisting of non-representational geometric
shapes which create various types of optical illusion. For instance, when viewed, Op Art pictures may cause
the eye to detect a sense of movement (eg. swelling, warping, flashing, vibration) on the surface of the
painting. And the patterns, shapes and colours used in these pictures are typically selected for their illusional
qualities, rather than for their substantive or emotional content. In addition, Op artists use both positive and
negative spaces to create the desired illusions.

How Op-Art Works

Op art exploits the functional relationship between the eye's retina (the organ that "sees" patterns) and the
brain (the organ that interprets patterns). Certain patterns cause confusion between these two organs,
resulting in the perception of irrational optical effects. These effects fall into two basic categories: first,
movement caused by certain specific black and white geometric patterns, such as those in Bridget Riley's
earlier works, or Getulio Alviani's aluminium surfaces, which can confuse the eye even to the point of inducing
physical dizziness. (Note: Op art's association with the effects of movement is why it is regarded as a division
of Kinetic art.) Second, after-images which appear after viewing pictures with certain colours, or colour-
combinations. The interaction of differing colours in the painting - simultaneous contrast, successive contrast,
and reverse contrast - may cause additional retinal effects. For example, in Richard Anuszkiewicz's "temple"
paintings, the arrangement of two highly contrasting colours makes it appears as if the architectural shape is
encroaching on the viewer's space.

Despite its strange, often nausea-inducing effects, Op-Art is perfectly in line with traditional canons of fine art.
All traditional painting is based upon the "illusion" of depth and perspective: Op-Art merely broadens its
inherently illusionary nature by interfering with the rules governing optical perception.

Questions to answer: (Choose 2 reporters from your group to report what you have brainstormed in the group)

1. What are the characteristics of the art movement assigned in your group?
2. What can you say in the development and evolution of art from Pre-historic period to the art that we
have right now?
CONCEPTUAL ART

A modern form of contemporary art which gives priority to an idea presented by visual means that are themselves
secondary to the idea. Conceptual art, while having no intrinsic financial value, can deliver a powerful message, and thus
has served as a vehicle for socio-political comment, as well as a broad challenge to the tradition of a 'work of art' being a
crafted unique object. Indeed, some conceptual artists consider that art is created by the viewer, not by the artist or the
artwork itself. NOTE: Due to the overlapping nature of conceptual, installation and performance art, many artists are
involved in all three genres.

The ideas behind this form of visual art were explored by Marcel Duchamp(1887-1968), the so-called father of Conceptual
Art, although the term was first used by Edward Kienholz (1927-94), in the late 1950s. Duchamp, who became the darling
of the radical Dada movement (founded by Tristan Tzara), created numerous challenging works such as his
"readymades" series of found objects, of which the most celebrated was Fountain (1917), a standard urinal basin, which
Duchamp submitted for inclusion in the annual, exhibition of the Society of Independent Artists in New York. (It was
rejected.). Surrealism was another source of early conceptualism. Later proto-type conceptual works included '4-33' - the
controversial musical composition by John Cage (1912–1992), the three movements of which contain not a single sound
or note of music.

That said, conceptual art was in part a reaction against the tenets of "formalism" as expressed by the trenchant New York
art critic Clement Greenberg (1909-94). Formalism considers that the formal qualities of a work - such as line, shape and
colour - are self-sufficient for its appreciation, and all other considerations - such as representational, ethical or social
aspects - are secondary or redundant.

Conceptual Art is all about "ideas and meanings" rather than "works of art" (paintings, sculptures, other precious objects).
It is characterized by its use of text, as well as imagery, along with a variety of ephemeral, typically everyday materials
and "found objects". It also typically incorporates photography and video, as well as other contemporary media such as
computers, performance art, projections, installation art and sound. One might say it was an artistic revolt against the
increasing commodification of art, and/or the creative limitations imposed by modern art taught in traditionalist venues.
The first quintessential conceptual artwork was Erased de Kooning Drawing(1953) by Robert Rauschenberg (1925-2008)
which, as the name indicates, is a drawing by the Abstract Expressionist Willem De Kooning (1904-97) which
Rauschenberg erased. The work raises interesting questions about the meaning of art. Is the erasure of another artist's
work a creative act? Is the finished product as important or more important than the idea behind it? And so on. The work
itself now resides in the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art.

Conceptual art emerged as an international art form during a period of social and cultural upheaval in the 1960s and
1970s, which coincided with the era of Pop-Art and the Italian movement Arte Povera. Its profile was raised significantly
by the 1970 art show "Conceptual Art and Conceptual Aspects" - the first exhibition in America devoted exclusively to
conceptualism, which was hosted by the New York Cultural Center. Participants included Sol LeWitt(b.1928) and Joseph
Kosuth (b.1945), who both exemplified the conceptualist notion that genuine art is not a unique or valuable physical object
created by the physical skill of the artist - like a drawing, painting or sculpture - but is instead a concept or an idea. Sol
LeWitt, the High Priest of Conceptualism attached great importance to the primacy of 'the idea', admitting in
his Paragraphs on Conceptual Art (1967) that "all of the planning and decisions are made beforehand and the execution
is a perfunctory affair. The idea becomes a machine that makes the art." His attitude can be illustrated by the fact that
many of his works can be constructed by anyone who follows his written instructions. Other influential pioneers of
conceptual art included the performance artist Allan Kaprow (1927-2006), noted for his "Happenings" and Andy
Warhol (1928-87), who used conceptualism in several different forms. Recent examples of conceptualism include
the word art practised by Barbara Kruger (b.1945) and Christopher Wool (b.1955), and the body art practised by Marina
Abramovic (b.1946).

NOTE: Some traditionalist art critics question whether Conceptual art is best classified as a "visual art", since the
"artwork" created need not be particularly "visual", and also because it is not valued particularly highly by the conceptual
artists themselves.

Questions to answer: (Choose 2 reporters from your group to report what you have brainstormed in the group)

1. What are the characteristics of the art movement assigned in your group?
2. What can you say in the development and evolution of art from Pre-historic period to the art that we have right
now?
PHOTOREALISM

What is Photorealism? -
In contemporary art, the term "photorealism", "photo-realism" or "photographic realism", describes a style of highly
detailed 20th century realist painting in which the artist attempts to replicate an image from a photograph in all its
microscopic exactness. As a movement, photorealism, sometimes also referred to as Superrealism or Hyperrealism,
came to prominence in the United States during the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely as a result of paintings by Chuck
Close (b.1940) and Richard Estes (b.1936), and the extraordinarily life-like sculpture of John De Andrea (b.1941), Duane
Hanson(1925-96) and Carole Feuerman (b.1945). Being wholly representational, photorealist art is a natural counter to
contemporary abstraction.

How Photorealist Art is Created

Most photorealist painters work directly from photographs or digital computer images - either by using traditional grid
techniques, or by projecting colour slide imagery onto the canvas. The aim is to recreate the same sharpness of detail
throughout the painting. Subjects vary - superrealist artists tend to specialize in specific types of scene, human figure or
portrait - but invariably the subject matter is relatively prosaic and devoid of special interest: it may even be selected
purely for its technical difficulty. In any event the main focus is on the precision and detail achieved by the artist, and i ts
impact on the viewer - which can be compelling.

The Impact of Photography and Digital Imaging

It is thanks to photography - a century after it first appeared - that superrealist art has been made possible. How else
could the same scene be maintained for the length of time (days, if not weeks) required? Latterly, the appearance of
computer graphic software, capable of manipulating digital imagery, has also been a help in enlarging and analyzing
pictorial content and colour. As a result, contemporary American painters like Chuck Close, Richard Estes and Don Eddy,
have achieved a degree of detail that significantly exceeds anything produced by the great Renaissance artists, like Jan
van Eyck, Leonardo or Titian.
In contrast, photorealism in sculpture has no relation to photography. This is because sculpture is a three-dimensional art,
whereas both painting and photography are two-dimensional. Superrealist sculptors therefore have the same problems of
technique to overcome as Renaissance artists.
Photographic realism emerged in the 1960s as a style of American art, in sharp contrast to intellectual contemporary art
movements like Abstract Expressionism and Minimalism. Although nominally a type of "realism", photorealism was not a
successor to earlier types of American realism practised by the likes of Winslow Homer (1836-1910) and Edward Hopper
(1882-1967). Instead, it was closer to Pop-Art, whose banal but instantly recognizable imagery it shared. However
photorealism has none of Pop-Art's whimsical humour: rather it tends to be ultra-impersonal, and its meticulous but
indiscriminate detail can actually produce a sense of unreality. Thus whereas Pop artists sought to highlight the absurdity
of much of the media imagery relied upon by the Consumer Society, photorealist painters and sculptors aim to celebrate
the integrity and value of an image.

Questions to answer: (Choose 2 reporters from your group to report what you have brainstormed in the group)

1. What are the characteristics of the art movement assigned in your group?
2. What can you say in the development and evolution of art from Pre-historic period to the art that we have right
now?
INSTALLATION ART

Definition

Installation art is a relatively new genre of contemporary art - practised by an increasing number
of postmodernist artists - which involves the configuration or "installation" of objects in a space, such as a room
or warehouse. The resulting arrangement of material and space comprises the "artwork".

Because an installation usually allows the viewer to enter and move around the configured space and/or
interact with some of its elements, it offers the viewer a very different experience from (say) a traditional
painting or sculpture which is normally seen from a single reference point. Furthermore, an installation may
engage several of the viewer's senses including touch, sound and smell, as well as vision.

Because of its flexibility and three-dimensionality, installation art is influenced by developments in computer
art - such as software developments in video and film projection - as well as techniques used in avant-garde
theatre and dance. Architectural and interior design are other influences.

Above all, installation is a form of conceptual art - a genre in which "ideas" and "impact" are regarded as being
more important than the quality of a finished "product" or "work of art". (Remember, an installation is a purely
temporary work of art. Unless it is photographed or documented in some way, there will be no evidence of its
existence.) If a traditional work of art allows us to appreciate the craftsmanship of the artist, an installation
allows us to experience the "artwork" and perhaps even rethink our attitudes and values.

As in all general forms of conceptual art, installation artists are more concerned with the presentation of their
message than with the material used to present it. However, unlike 'pure' conceptual art, which is supposedly
experienced in the minds of those introduced to it, installation art is more grounded and remains tied to a
physical space. Conceptual and installation art are two of the most popular examples of postmodernist art, a
general tendency noted for its attempts to expand the definition of art. Both forms are widely exhibited in many
of the world's best galleries of contemporary art.

Types of Installations

Installation art ranges from the very simple to the very complex. It can be gallery based, computer-based,
electronic-based, web-based - the possibilities are limitless and depend entirely upon the artist's concept and
aims. Almost any type of material or media can be utilized, including natural or man-made objects, painting and
sculpture, as well as recent media such as film, animation, various forms of photography, live performance
art (including happenings), sound and audio.

Some compositions are strictly indoor, while others are public art, constructed in open-air community spaces,
or projected on public buildings. Some are mute, while others are interactive and require audience

Questions to answer: (Choose 2 reporters from your group to report what you have brainstormed in the group)

1. What are the characteristics of the art movement assigned in your group?
2. What can you say in the development and evolution of art from Pre-historic period to the art that we
have right now?