The Later Twentieth Century: The Emergence of Postmodernism
WORLD WAR II AND ITS AFTERMATH
THE ART WORLD'S FOCUS SHIFTS WEST
POSTWAR EXPRESSIONISM IN EUROPE
MODERNIST FORMALISM
ALTERNATIVES TO MODERNIST FORMALISM
NEW MODELS FOR ARCHITECTURE: MODERNISM TO POSTMODERNISM
POSTMODERNISM IN PAINTING, SCULPTURE, AND NEW MEDIA
POSTWAR EXPRESSIONISM IN EUROPE
World War II resulted in a pervasive sense of despair, disillusionment, and skepticism.
Existentialism: The Absurdity of Human Existence
The philosophy of existentialism, which asserted the absurdity of human existence and the impossibility of achieving certitude, reflected the cynicism of the period. The spirit of pessimism and despair emerged frequently in the European art.
An Indictment of Humanity: Francis Bacon's Painting can be read as an indictment of humanity and a reflection of war's butchery.
34-1 FRANCIS BACON, Painting, 1946. Oil and pastel on linen, approx. 6' 5" x 4' 4". Museum of Modern Art, New York.
Scraped and Smeared Canvases: In Vie Inquiète, or Uneasy Life, Jean Dubuffet presents crudely scrawled or scribbled images painted or incised on a thickly encrusted surface of plaster, glue, sand, asphalt, or other common materials.
34-2 JEAN DUBUFFET, Vie Inquiète, 1953. Oil on canvas, approx. 4' 3" x 6' 4". Tate Gallery, London.
Lost in the World's Immensity: Alberto Giacometti's sculpture Man Pointing is a thin, severely attenuated figure with rough, agitated surfaces. The figure imparts a sense of isolation and fragility.
34-3 ALBERTO GIACOMETTI, Man Pointing, 1947. Bronze no. 5 of 6, 5' 9 3/4" x 3' 1" x 2'. Des Moines Art Center (Coffin Fine Arts Trust Fund), Des Moines.
WORLD WAR II AND ITS AFTERMATH
THE ART WORLD'S FOCUS SHIFTS WEST
POSTWAR EXPRESSIONISM IN EUROPE
MODERNIST FORMALISM
ALTERNATIVES TO MODERNIST FORMALISM
NEW MODELS FOR ARCHITECTURE: MODERNISM TO POSTMODERNISM
POSTMODERNISM IN PAINTING, SCULPTURE, AND NEW MEDIA