CUBISM

Cubism was a revolutionary style of modern art that was developed by Georges Braques and Pablo Picasso. It was the first kind of abstract art that started at the beginning of the 20th century in Paris in response to a fast changing world. Cubism was an attempt by artists who believed the traditions of Western art had run their course and those traditions needed revitalizing. Cubists challenged conventional forms of representation, with perspective being an example, which had been the rule since the Renaissance. Their aim was to see a new way of looking at things that also reflected the modern age. Between 1870 and 1910, western society had more technological process than in the four centuries before. During this time, inventions such  as cinematography, photography, the telephone, sound recording, the motor car and the airplane where the beginning of a new age. Photography slowly started replacing painting as the main tool for documentation, so artists sought to use a more radical approach to expand the possibilities in art in the same way that technology was extending the boundaries of communication and travel. This new way of seeing things was called Cubism. Cubists introduced collage into paintings and were influenced by art from other cultures, particularly African masks. There are two important phases of the Cubist style; Analytical Cubism (pre 1912) and Synthetic Cubism (post 1912). Cubism led to influence many other styles of modern art such as Orphism, Futurism, Suprematism, Vorticism, Constructivism and Expressionism.

Pablo Picasso- Factory, Horta de Ebbo, 1909.

Paul Cezanne, Bibemus Quarry, 1895.

Georges Braque, Viaduct at L'Estaque, 1908.

Left: Pablo Picasso, Head of a Woman, 1907.

Right: Dan Mask from West Africa.

Pablo Picasso, Still Life with Mandolin and Guitar, 1924.

References:

Cubism | Thematic Essay | Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History | The Metropolitan Museum of Art. 2013. Cubism | Thematic Essay | Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History | The Metropolitan Museum of Art. [ONLINE] Available at:http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/cube/hd_cube.htm. [Accessed 15 May 2013].

Cubism - the first abstract style of modern art. 2013. Cubism - the first abstract style of modern art. [ONLINE] Available at:http://www.artyfactory.com/art_appreciation/art_movements/cubism.htm. [Accessed 15 May 2013].