A course by MoMA and Coursera
Methodology
Look at Modern Art by theme, instead of by time period, or by movement.
- Places and spaces
- Art identity
- Transforming everyday objects
- Art & society
Constructivism (learning)
It’s a philosophy of education about nature of knowing, that focuses on how humans make meaning from their experiences.
All of us constantly organize and select the information our senses take in from the natural world and from the symbolic and cultural worlds of words and signs. This is how we make sense of these worlds. This activity is independent of any particular educational theory. It’s a consequence of our being human, of our neurological system and the way it develops and interacts with the environment.
Children are not born with the ability to interpret the world as their elders do. They have to learn the meaning of things and they do so gradually, as they gain experience.
Hein, G. (1999). “Is Meaning Making Constructivism? Is Constructivism Meaning Making? The Exhibitionist, 18(2) 15-18.
What is Modern Art
1860 - 1945 (or some say 1970)
Birth
Can be traced back to the Industrial Revolution (from 18th to the 19th century)
rapid changes in manufacturing, transportation, and technology profoundly affected the social, economic, and cultural conditions of life in Western Europe, North America, and eventually the world.
Contrast
Before:
artists were often commissioned to make artwork by wealthy patrons, or institutions like the church
depicted religious or mythological scenes (intended to instruct the viewer)
After:
make art about people, places, or ideas that interested them, and of which they had direct experience
exploring dreams, symbolism, and personal iconography (肖像学) as avenues for the depiction of their subjective(主观的) experiences.
expressive use of color, non-traditional materials, and new techniques and mediums (as oppose to realistically depict the world), eg. photography
Ref: http://www.moma.org/learn/moma_learning/themes/what-is-modern-art
Conclude
With these factors:
- felt free to trust their inner visions
- express those visions in their work
- use real life (social issues and images from modern life) as a source of subject matter
- experiment and innovate with different subject matters and mediums as often as possible
1970s is the last bastion of easily classified artistic movements.
Though hard to classify emergent movements, Contemporary Art, collectively, is much more socially, economically, and politically conscious.
TODO
Advanced Placement Art History Exam: A Modern and Contemporary art study set
Vocabulary for Discussing Art