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Characteristics and Themes: The painting is characterized by its dense, layered surface, created by pouring and dripping paint onto the canvas. A unique feature is the inclusion of various embedded objects like nails, tacks, and cigarette butts, which contribute to the work's texture and encrusted appearance. https://www.moma.org/collection/works/79070#:~:text=Full%20Fathom%20Five%20is%20one,work's%20dense%20and%20encrusted%20appearance. -
The painting is an important example of Abstract Expressionist art, in particular "action painting," which marked an important development in Pollock’s artistic evolution. The main features are those typical of action paintings that emphasize drip painting to express the actuality of painting itself, which leads to a densely packed composition with no central focus point that examines inner turmoil. https://www.theartstory.org/movement/abstract-expressionism/ -
The piece represents a classic example of Pollock’s technique that used 'drips' and was common in Abstract Expressionist artists. In using a hands-on approach to his artistic technique, Pollock enabled line and color to function autonomously. The technique was termed 'action painting' since its focus was not centered on creating a piece but rather capturing the action involved in its creation. https://www.jackson-pollock.org/ -
Norman Lewis was a significant figure in the Abstract Expressionist movement, and the only African American artist to be included in the famous Studio 35 sessions that defined the movement. The painting Cathedral is a powerful example of his work, which often uses abstraction to comment on social and political issues, such as the Ku Klux Klan, with a rhythmic tracery of lines and a powerful use of color. https://americanart.si.edu/education/oh-freedom/norman -
The work is a "combine," a term coined by Rauschenberg to describe his fusion of painting and sculpture, which was a significant development in the Neo-Dada movement. Its major characteristics include the use of everyday objects and gestural paint application, challenging the traditional boundaries of art and blurring the line between art and life. https://www.wikiart.org/en/robert-rauschenberg/bed -
The painting is a significant example of Abstract Expressionism and a powerful commentary on social issues. It uses abstract forms and colors to represent the Ku Klux Klan's menacing presence, contrasting the white figures with fiery red and blue to evoke a sense of violence and racial tension. https://americanart.si.edu/education/oh-freedom/norman-lewis#:~:text=The%20white%20figures%20in%20Lewis's,meaning%20in%20this%20chilling%20context. -
"Monogram" is an important piece within the Neo-Dada movement. It joins both painting and sculpture to create a new art category named "Combine." Two major qualities within "Monagram" are its use of found materials and its lack of a definite interpretation. These are qualities found within everyday life itself. https://www.rauschenbergfoundation.org/art/art-context/monogram -
The painting is considered a landmark of 20th-century art and is significant for its role in paving the way for Pop Art and Minimalism. By depicting a familiar, everyday object like the American flag, Johns explored themes of identity, perception, and patriotism while challenging the distinction between a painting and the object it represents. https://www.artsjournal.com/culturegrrl -
The painting is significant to the Neo-Dada and Pop Art movements as it challenges the distinction between painting and sculpture by using everyday objects and symbols. Its major characteristics include a chaotic interpretation of a United States map, with gestural brushstrokes and stenciled names of states, exploring themes of symbolism, representation, and the relationship between a visual symbol and its meaning. https://www.artchive.com/artwork/map-1961-by-jasper-johns/ -
The Illegal Operation is a powerful assemblage that belongs to the genre of protest art, using found objects to create a visceral and emotionally charged scene. The work is a stark and grim commentary on the dangerous and often fatal consequences of illegal abortions before the Roe v. Wade decision, serving as a social critique of the period's legal and medical systems. https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/story/2022-07-03/roe-overturned-kienholz-sculpture-lacma -
This painting is a significant example of Color Field painting, a style that evolved from Abstract Expressionism. The work is characterized by its large scale and the use of "soak-stain" technique, where thinned paint is poured onto an unprimed canvas, allowing the color to permeate the fabric and become one with the surface. https://galleryintell.com/artex/canyon-by-helen-frankenthaler/ -
Significance: This work is a prime example of the Pop Art movement, which challenged the distinction between "high" and "low" art by using everyday objects as subjects. It also subverts the traditional properties of sculpture by making a rigid, functional object soft and pliable. https://fiveable.me/key-terms/introduction-art/soft-toilet -
The painting is a significant example of Alma Thomas's unique style, which is characterized by the use of vibrant, mosaic-like patterns of color to create abstract compositions. As a pioneering African American artist, Thomas developed her mature style late in life, often drawing inspiration from themes of nature and space exploration, with The Eclipse specifically capturing the spectacle of a total solar eclipse. https://scmashop.smith.edu/products/eclipse-birthday-card