Explorations of Art

 Muromachi Period The Muromachi Period in Japan extends from 1392-1573. It is characterized by the first advancements in modern commercial and urban developments, which allowed for broad growth in the arts ( MET Department of Asian Arts ). Due to growth in transportation, ideals from China began to influence Japanese culture, one of the largest influences being Zen Buddhism. Buddhist ideals were adopted by many Japanese military forces slightly prior to the Muromachi Period. Zen influenced the creation of chanoyu (tea) aesthetic. Chanoyu included appreciation for "garden design, architecture, interior design, calligraphy, painting, flower arranging, the decorative arts, and the preparation and service of food," ( MET Department of Asian Arts ). These sorts of values within culture led to artwork that centered along natural elements like flowers and landscapes and included depictions of Zen Buddhism. Natural Landscapes and Ink Painting Landscape of the Four Seasons (Eight Vie...

Mid-Century Modern art refers to the artwork that was created in the mid-1900's, around 1940-1960. During this time period, multiple major events took place including World War 2. World War 2 dramatically influenced art in similar ways to World War 1; however, there were a few key differences in how the events were put onto canvas. Following the mid-modern era, was the post-modern era. Post-modern extends from the late 1900's to present day. Post-modern art is constantly changing and shifting. Although the time period plays a major role into each of these artistic eras, there are some other artistic differences that differentiate the two. Mid-modern artwork often sought to convey universal truths. They looked for ways to show things as fact and the artists often took on assumptions that there was only one "correct" way to view something. Post-modern artists challenged this approach by instead turning their focus to the idea that one event can have many different persp...

The beginning of the 20th century became the artistic era for emotional exploration and rebellion. Early Modern art was also heavily influenced by the Great War (WWI) starting in 1914. Artists used their art as an expression of the deep grief or stress that they felt from World War I and the desire to create art that escaped reality flourished. This contributed to the rise of styles like Surrealism. Prior to the war, many early modern pieces were focused on trying to showcase deep emotional connections and reflect the new way of life where cities were now the norm. Art also began to focus on topics like racial justice, sexuality, and other taboo topics. Woman and Mirror  by Ernest Ludwig Kirchner, 1912, Germany https://robinurton.com/history/expressionism.htm Woman and Mirror was painted prior to WW1 in Germany. It was one of the many Expressionist paintings completed by Kirchner, a major contributor to German Expressionism. It displays a woman in a dressing room getting ready for ...