Written By Guest Blogger: Kayla Harvey
Think you know the era of art best described by your style? If art embodied people as an attitude, what would yours say? You might be surprised by it!
If the world of art is an ocean for which to swim, then lets jump into the puddle of this quiz, just for fun, and see what we find.
1. I am a(n) __________ kind of person.
a) Emotional
b) Pick-Yourself-Up-By-The-Bootstraps
c) Humorous
d) Go-With-The-Flow
2. I think the best art ___________
a) Evokes strong feelings from the viewer
b) Is technically accurate and true to life in appearance
c) Is instantly recognizable, and culturally relevant
d) Captures the fleeting beauty around us
3. I think the best way to succeed is to:
a) Fully experience every emotion
b) Work hard
c) Be aware of what is happening in my own culture
d) Take each moment as it comes
4. Images should be _________ to have artistic meaning.
a) Emotive
b) Rational
c) Iconic
d) Representational
5. If I were touring an art museum and listening to music I would listen to:
a) Singer/Song Writer
b) Classical Orchestral
c) Rock and Roll
d) Instrumental Jazz
6. The most important component of a painting is:
a) Authentic aesthetic experience
b) Balanced composition
c) Anything you want
d) Brevity of creation
7. If I were to pick a meal to eat just for fun it would be:
a) Frilly tea sandwiches and fancy cookies
b) Slow cooked and savory pot roast
c) Fast food cheeseburger and fries
d) Quick and colorful salad bar
8. I enjoy art that is:
a) Flirtatious and expressive
b) Serious and contemplative
c) Light-hearted and satirical
d) Melodic and flowing
9. Finish this sentence. The chicken crossed the road:
a) To have himself a good cry, and fall in love while walking through a beautiful pasture.
b) To get to the other side.
c) To become a rocket ship and sail to the moon with Marilyn Monroe.
d) To enjoy the sunset while it lasts.
10. The best artists:
a) Create sensations for their viewers
b) Are classically trained and adhere to traditions of beauty
c) Find common objects beautiful
d) Capture the momentary beauty of everyday life
Alright, now that you have answered all of the questions see which lettered answer comes up most frequently in your selection. Read below to see which artistic era you are paired.
A = Romanticism
If you love emotional expression Romanticism is made just for you. The movement began near the end of the 18th century as a reaction against the Industrial Revolution with particular aversion toward some of the downsides that came with the Age of Enlightenment. Although the forms within Romantic paintings are still classical in nature, the color palate is much more vivid and pastel than in previous artistic eras.
Romanticism centers around the idea of validating strong emotion as an authentic source of aesthetic experience. This system of thought spawned various other forms of artistic expression that blossomed during the period.
If after reviewing the art of Romanticism you would like to see other similar genres be sure to check out Rococo and Chinoiserie.
B = Renaissance
Alright, so this artistic period is a little up tight, but can you blame them? Genius artists such as Michelangelo, Da Vinci and Raphael were producing precision art the likes of which have never since been paralleled. The movement began in Italy and signaled the end of the Middle Ages. Its name literally means “rebirth” as it is characterized by a renewal of the classical Greek and Roman traditions of balanced beauty.
The Renaissance was not a time limited to artistic innovation only. The original Renaissance man Leonardo Da Vinci asserted, “Man is the measure of all things.” And while Humanistic philosophy such as this may have begun with artists, it’s affects were wide spread, and may still be felt today in the belief of the advancement of humanity through its own efforts.
For continued exploration of similar artistic movements be sure to check out Mannerism and Neoclassicism.
C = Pop Art
Its fun, its comical, its sarcastic, and sometimes its just downright bizarre. Pop art began, as most art movements do, in reaction to the shortcomings of the previous movement. In the late 1950s Abstract Expressionism was being shoved out of the way by irreverent Pop Artists fed up with the out of touch nature of their predecessors. They felt that art should be tangible, iconic, easily understood by common people. In a sense, art left the gallery and entered the street where everyday objects became exalted as figures of high art.
In addition to the use of found object, the movement is also characterized by the use of new and evolving technologies and materials. One of the best examples of this is the work of Robert Rauschenberg who crafted found objects (sometimes trash) alongside neon Plexiglas and polymers.
For further research into Pop Art look into its possible origins in the movement known as Dada.
D = Impressionism
Impressionism marks a decided change in fine art. In the late 1800s the movement began under much opposition. The artists aim was an attempt to capture the momentary, transient effects of light. It is bright and vivid and its paintings seem to have a swirling movement all their own. It is an artistic style obsessed with immediacy, and the subjects contained within it are often ordinary everyday landscapes and people.
Impressionism was largely aided by the advancement in technology of paint tubes. This allowed artists to paint en plein air, or outdoors in open air, and to capture more of the affects of light in the atmosphere.
Other artistic movements that were affected by Impressionism are Fauvism and Cubism.
