My 6 Favorite Art Movements

Art is a beautiful thing that comes in many different forms. It’s something that is, whether you know it or not, is appreciated everyday. In every era, there have been various movements and art styles. Here are some of my favorite art movements:

Dadaism: This art form derives from Zurich, Switzerland during World War I. Dadaism is regarded as an avant-garde form of art. Some notable artists are Marcel Duchamp, Hannah Hoch, Max Ernst, and George Grosz. 

Surrealism: Surrealism is a type of art that stemmed from Dadaism and Cubism. During the 1920s is when it had its full form. A few famous Surrealists are Salvador Dali, Rene Magritte, and Yves Tanguy. Surrealism is just as it seems: it’s surreal and very avant-garde.

De Stijl: Meaning “the style” in Dutch, De Stijl movement paired (mostly) primary colors and abstract forms to combine a simplistic yet aesthetically-pleasing art form. Well-known artists of this movement include Piet Mondrian, Theo Van Doesburg, and Vilmos Huszar.

Vanitas: A genre that, like De Stijl, originates from the Netherlands; however, vanitas is almost the antithesis of De Stijl. Vanitas, meaning vanity in Latin, is a form of still-life painting that thrived in the 17th century. These paintings consist of skulls, books, clocks, candles, soap bubbles, ivy, laurel, and flowers. The symbolism of these objects are simply the juxtaposition of life and death. Willem Claesz Heda, Jan Davidsz de Heem, and Pieter Steenwyck are all noteworthy vanitas artists.

Op Art: Short for Optical Illusion Art, Op Art revolutionized during the 1960s through Time magazine. Unfortunately, this form of art was short lived, being popular until around 1970. Despite this, it is still being made. The point of Op Art is to trick the eye. Such pieces can be described as moving or appearing as something that it is not. Notable op artists are Bridget Riley and Victor Vasarely.
Sources: http://www.theartstory.org/movement-op-art.htm

http://www.visual-arts-cork.com/history-of-art/op-art.htm

https://www.britannica.com/art/vanitas-art

http://www.theartstory.org/movement-de-stijl.htm

http://www.theartstory.org/section_movements.htm

http://www.theartstory.org/movement-dada.htm