What Was Modern Art Influenced By?

Art|Modern Art

Modern art has been defined as the period of time from the 1860s to 1970s. It is a period when traditional conventions of art were challenged and redefined by avant-garde movements such as Cubism, Surrealism, Dadaism, and Abstract Expressionism. Modern art was heavily influenced by both artistic movements and philosophical changes in society.

Influence of Artistic Movements
The influence of artistic movements is seen throughout modern art. Impressionism and Post-Impressionism were two of the first modern movements that began to challenge traditional conventions of painting.

Impressionists such as Monet and Pissarro focused on depicting the effects of light on their subjects while Post-Impressionists like Cezanne and van Gogh explored new techniques in composition and color. These artistic movements gave rise to new styles such as Cubism, which sought to depict a subject from multiple perspectives at once, and Surrealism, which focused on depicting dreamlike imagery through painting and sculpture.

Influence of Social Changes
Social changes in the 19th century also had a strong influence on modern art. The industrial revolution led to an increased emphasis on technology and mechanization, which was reflected in the works of artists like Marcel Duchamp who incorporated everyday objects into their works. The emergence of new ideologies such as Marxism also played a role in shaping modern art, with many artists using their work to comment on political issues such as poverty or war.

Influence of Technology
Technology also played an important role in influencing modern art. The invention of photography enabled artists like Man Ray to explore new forms of expression through his photograms, while other artists like Laszlo Moholy-Nagy experimented with film as an artistic medium. The introduction of television during this period also had an impact on modern art, inspiring some artists to create works specifically for the medium while others used it as a source material for their work.

Conclusion:
Modern art was heavily influenced by both artistic movements and philosophical changes in society, as well as technology during this time period. Impressionist painters challenged traditional conventions while social changes led to new ideologies being explored through artwork. Technology also enabled new forms of expression that had not been possible before this period, leading to further experimentation with film and television by some artists.