With the advent of Modernism in the early twentieth century, many artists and critics began making theoretical pronouncements about their work and ideas. Selecting three of the texts listed below from three different movements (all found in your Theories of Modern Art book), write a paper analyzing the following questions as they relate to the authors, their movements, and their work (citing specific examples. Be sure to quote and explain relevant and applicable passages from your chosen texts.
-What is the role of art in society?
-What is the role of tradition in art, and particularly, within the artists work?
-How does the artist view nature and reality? What is the relationship between art and nature, and art and reality?
-What is the relationship between art and truth?
It is important that you make sense of why their works are being discussed together by putting them in productive dialogue with each other. This means that while some summary remarks are important to contextualize your argument, your main goal is close-reading and critical analysis of the texts. While some of the questions may be answered directly in the texts, some may need your interpretive acumen to be answered. Also be sure to cite relevant examples of works of art for each artist or critic that you discuss. This assignment requires repeated close readings of each text, in order that you may pull out the most salient and productive points.
Sources (Only three are needed, your choice):
Henri Matisse, Notes of a Painter
Emil Nolde, Jahre der Kampfe
Wassily Kandinsky, The Effect of Color, On the Problem of Form
Franz Marc, How Does a Horse See the World?; Aphorisms
Guillaume Apollinaire, The Cubist Painters
F. T. Marinetti, The Foundation and Manifesto of Futurism
Umberto Boccioni, Technical Manifesto of Futurist Sculpture
Kasimir Malevich, Suprematism
Tristan Tzara, Lecture on Dada
Jean Arp, Abstract Art, Concrete Art
Marcel Duchamp, Painting at the Service of the Mind
