We have evolved into a species worshipping ISMS!As a sign of our continuing abstraction process, we analyse and catalogise our world and label it according to what we perceive as distinctive traits. In political terms, I passionately advocate feminism, humanism, multiculturalism, individualism, multilingualism, environmentalism and so on and I strongly oppose racism, antisemitism, ostracism, conservatism, religious fanaticism and so on. Each ISM is connected in my mind to a set of values, We have evolved into a species worshipping ISMS!As a sign of our continuing abstraction process, we analyse and catalogise our world and label it according to what we perceive as distinctive traits. In political terms, I passionately advocate feminism, humanism, multiculturalism, individualism, multilingualism, environmentalism and so on and I strongly oppose racism, antisemitism, ostracism, conservatism, religious fanaticism and so on. Each ISM is connected in my mind to a set of values, emotions and ideas.Art - being a visual expression of values, thoughts, emotions and ideas of a specific time - obviously mirrors the different social and political movements and shows them from a creative point of view. Often, art follows broad cultural trends, such as romanticism or classicism, and develops its visual expressions matching the values expressed during the era.
Sometimes art creates a movement which is unique for the medium - such as perspectivism or illusionism to suggest space on a two-dimensional canvas or wall. Sometimes artists themselves define their art as a specific ISM - publishing official statements on the birth of a new movement, as in the case of futurism at the beginning of the 20th century.Quite often, an ISM is retrospectively added to define a movement by comparing it to an earlier or later phase. Post-impressionism or post-modernism are examples of such ISMs.Unsurprisingly, humankind finds it difficult to navigate the flood of ISMs it has created to catalogue its ideas and expressions. We are a storytelling species, and we tell stories in words, pictures, buildings, statues, music and politics. Our narratives become more and more complex, and confusing, despite - or because of - all the labelling.Our need for structure has created a massive backlash.
That is where this short volume comes in. A guide to the most common ISMs in art, it also gives us definitions, key words, main artists, timelines, glossary, comparisons of artists and movements.In the Jungle of ISMs, this is a good compass!I use it for teaching, but any art lover will find some valuable guidelines within it - or something to argue about, as there is hardly anything we feel so strongly about as about our preferred ISMS. I suppose this is one of those books which any amateur should have in their library, but it is very, very unspecific.
The book is really good for someone who just wants to scratch the surface and sort of get some general knowledge, but that's about it. I liked that some of the art which has been referenced is not mainstream/well known so one gets a more broad idea of the specific genre. The format is really easy to follow and overall it's an okay read, but not for someone with years of studying I suppose this is one of those books which any amateur should have in their library, but it is very, very unspecific.
The book is really good for someone who just wants to scratch the surface and sort of get some general knowledge, but that's about it. I liked that some of the art which has been referenced is not mainstream/well known so one gets a more broad idea of the specific genre.
The format is really easy to follow and overall it's an okay read, but not for someone with years of studying beforehand. It is the sort of book you would read if you're scared to dive right in the big books. The book was recommended to me by my college tutors and this is pretty much the only reason I read it, but I cannot say that it was totally useless. I suppose what I'm trying to say is that if you have no background in art history go for it, it will sort of help you sort things in your pretty little heads, but if you have even the slightest idea don't bother. It really doesn't offer much more than what a simple common knowledge should include. This is one of the books that sits on a short square table in my studio. I browse through it again and again when I want to refer to a period, a style, a painter.
I have myriad other books on art but this book is small, packed with information and decent color reproductions of key works by key artists from key periods. The chronology of periods and styles and the layout of the book has really helped me to form and keep in my head a solid visual timeline of painters and movements. While this This is one of the books that sits on a short square table in my studio.
I browse through it again and again when I want to refer to a period, a style, a painter. I have myriad other books on art but this book is small, packed with information and decent color reproductions of key works by key artists from key periods. The chronology of periods and styles and the layout of the book has really helped me to form and keep in my head a solid visual timeline of painters and movements. While this isn't comprehensive like Art: A World History by Bucholz,et al.
Or 30,000 Years of Art by Phaidon (two tomes I highly recommend) this little book of art Isms: like the other books in the Isms series offers enough information that upon finishing reading one can walk through any major museum and look at the works with a greater sense of understanding their importance and how those artists and works fit into a grander scheme of culture and history. This is a good primer on modern art movements. It's designed as a primer, with a basic description, some background, some examples, and some guidance as to where it fits within the overall art movements.
The choice to focus on pieces at a single museum per movement was a little strange, and a more visual representation of how the movements fed off of or bled into each other would have been nice, but this does a very good job of giving the prominent names and time periods for each movement. This This is a good primer on modern art movements. It's designed as a primer, with a basic description, some background, some examples, and some guidance as to where it fits within the overall art movements. The choice to focus on pieces at a single museum per movement was a little strange, and a more visual representation of how the movements fed off of or bled into each other would have been nice, but this does a very good job of giving the prominent names and time periods for each movement. This would be a very handy book to have while visiting museums, and it's a good jumping off point for other research.