Basic Art Movements from 1920 to 1970

  • Constructivism

    Constructivism
    Artists are replacing traditional artistic concerns with 'construction'. They stress the physical characteristics of materials rather than symbolism.
  • Dada

    Dada
    Artists are focusing on posing difficult questions to the viewers, asking and exploring such things as: what is the extent of an artist's creativity and what is the overall definition of art?
  • Bauhaus

    Bauhaus
    The Bauhaus Movement focuses on reducing decoration and frills of objects of art and creating them equal in form and function.
  • Surrealism

    Surrealism
    Surrealists bypass reason to focus on the subconscious. They create works focusing on unconscious thoughts, dreams, desires, and repressions.
  • Abstract Expressionism

    Abstract Expressionism
    Artists of the Abstract Expressionism Movement are focusing on profound emotions and universal themes. Their works are on a very large scale, romantic in mood, and expressive of individual freedom. They are considered very reflective of the American goals and attitude for this reason. The physicality of the artists' mark making are visible in every work of art.
  • Pop Art

    Pop Art
    Pop Artists, of which there were only really a few, blend high art and popular culture. They elevate advertising, celebrity, and cartoon to the status of art, while also reflecting an ambivalent attitude.
  • Minimalism

    Minimalism
    The Minimalism Movement is mainly a sculptural movement. Sculptures are austere, geometric, and manufactured forms. Minimalists reject the appearance of art.
  • Feminist Art

    Feminist Art
    Feminist Art transforms stereotypes, and has the viewer question the social and political landscape of the time, focusing on change for the better in civil rights.
  • Photorealism

    Photorealism
    Photorealism focuses on reintroducing planning over automatism and craftsmanship over unconscious improvisation. Photorealist painters use photographs to paint from.