Modern Art

Group 2 and Associate Members

What is Modern Art?

Let Dr. Nancy Troy of USC in Los Angeles tell you:

Other information:

Began around turn of 20th Century
Father of Modern Art--Paul Cezanne

Who were some of the prominent Artists?

Paul Cezanne
Andy Warhol
Pablo Picasso
Salvador Dali

Paul Cezanne

"An artist who influenced the early part of the modern art era...[and] is considered to be one of this centuries greatest art masters. He influenced some of the 20th century's greatest artists" (Modern Masterworks).

Early Life

Born January 19, 1839; Aix-en-Province in Southern France
Upper middle class family
Father--local banker
Rich lifestyle made them unpopular with local community
Almost followed career in law
Decided on art, instead

Artistic Career

1860 to 1886, isolated artist--painted in Southern France (not Paris)
Influential and popular figure
1886, gained some recognition--3 exhibitions including showings with impressionists
Married Hortense Fiquet, April 28, 1886
Father died later in 1886--inherited large fortune

Personality

middle-sized man, balding hairline, good-sized beard
man of generosity and tenderness, but capable of having an ugly nature
concerned greatly about death and eternal damnation
attended mass--used to make fun of church, but learned to appreciate the Church

End of Life

1906--heat waves in Aix-uncomfortable for Cezanne
Late October, Cexanne caught in rain for more than two hours
Collapsed of fatigue--died Oct. 22, 1906

(Return to Artists)

Andy Warhol

Pop Art movement--silkscreening techniques to reproduce consumer images--Brillo and Campbell's
Velvet Underground
White hair and blank expression
died during routine sugery
shot by feminist Valerie Solanas

Early Life

Born August 6, 1928, as Andy Warhola
Poorest part of Pittsburgh, PA
Father--Andre Warhol; Mother--Julia Warhol
Father was strict and well-disciplined
Had to attend church every Sunda
Average child--hated having to attend school
He was bullied and harassed--suffered nervous breakdown at 8 years old
To help him, his family showed him popular magazines, comic books, and drawings
As a result, he fell in love with ART and HOLLYWOOD

Artistic Career

Sucess did not come quickly
In the 1950's, experimented with ideas at art showings, but received mediocre responses
Work not taken seriously until 60's.
Embraced Pop Art--became famous
Started magazine--Interview

Gallery

Chicken Noodle Soup
Screenprint, 35" x 23"

George Gershwin
1980 Screenprint, 40" x 32"

Moonwalk
1987 portfolio of two screenprints

Personality

Always wanted to be popular and have a life full of glamour
Wanted to be part of a social order--the high life
Hardworking and hard to please
Suffered from feelings of inferiority
Lonely and bored
He only wanted to be accepted, especially by loved ones

End of Life

Death a big surprise
Suffered from gallstones--required hospitalization
He feared hospitals
Had surgery, but something went wrong (wrong medication?)
February 22, 1987 found dead

(Return to Artists)

Pablo Picasso

Most well known Modern artist
A Genius--influenced many people

Early Life

Pablo Ruiz Picasso, born--Malaga, Spain, October 25, 1881
Father--Don Jose Ruiz Blasco (art teacher); Mother--Dona Maria Picasso y Lopez
Picasso very interested in painting as a child
Father wanted him to paint traditionally--but Picasso rebelled to paint intriguing things

Artistic Career

By the time of his Cubist phase, he was already known throughout the world
Historical painting--Les Demoiselles d' Avignon--one of the first examples of modern art
Experimented with Cubism--he tried everything
Surrealism
Primitive art, ceramics, sketches, etc.
During German bombing of Basque town of Guernica in 1937, Picasso painted one of his most famous paintings
Financially successful--never poor again
Honored at Louvre--while he was still alive!

Art Gallery

Les Desmoiselles d' Avignon (1907)
Les Demoiselles d'Avignon by Pablo Picasso

Girl Writing, 1934, Oil on canvas
Girl Writing by Pablo Picasso

The Blind Man's Meal, 1903, Oil on canvas
The Blind Man's Meal by Pablo Picasso

Guernica painted in 1937

Personality

Horrible mood swings--happy one minute, destructive the next
Short, bold, and very charming
Pursued women his whole life
Painted with passion--to prevent him from thinking about death in later years

End of Life

Painted 200 works in last two years of life
Heart failure--1973
Died at age of 93
People thought he would live forever--like his art

(Return to Artists)

Salvador Dali

As for Spanish artists--Picasso is though of first, but Dali follows
Surrealist painter and interesting personality

Early Life

Born May 11, 1904, in Figueres, Spain
Already unpredictable
Father--overbearing and a devoted atheist; Mother--devout G-d fearing Catholic
Bullied at school because of his parents' differences in belief--his father sent him to a secular poor public school (to be raised without religion), but his mother dressed him in fine clothing--he stuck out surrounded by poor children.
Did not like school, until art school