Art Changes of the Twenties Centuries

Art changes of the twentieth century
Name
Institution
Tutor
Date
Art changes of the twentieth century
Introduction
The twentieth century brought with it many social and developmental changes. In comparison to the previous century, the rate at which changes occurred was significantly higher than in the past. The modern world as we know it was at the peak of its growth during this period. Transportation, technology and the spread of the internet were some of the changes that brought about important inventions and impacts in people’s lives. Most people would argue that the most important development in the twentieth century was transportation while others would argue that it was technology and the invention of computers.
Apart from important developments, this century also experienced challenges caused by conflict and economic constraints. After a relatively peaceful 19th century, the outbreak of the first and second World Wars changed the aspect of life that was viewed by artists in the 19th century. In order to escape the horrors of war and economic depression, artists began to create artwork that abstracted life as it was before the challenges (Henderson 45). Social and cultural change was also evident during this century. These changes brought about changes in art as well. Technology brought with it new artistic materials and themes. Subject matters in artwork were mostly influenced by world affairs as they unfolded. Themes of space, time and representation were widely explored by artists during this period.
Even with the invention and wide usage of photographs to represent situations during this period, some artists still maintained earlier approaches in the creation of their artwork while clearly depicting the current state of the world as it was. Artwork during the 20th century became more direct and although different points of view could be attributed to these works, their overall message was quite clear (Henderson 56).
Approaches
Symbolism as an approach is clearly seen for example in ‘Guernica’. This was the name of a painting done by the cubist Spanish painter known as Pablo Picasso. Cubism was a modern way of art that was inspired by Albert Einstein’s law of relativity. One would argue that modernism had an influence on this exquisite artwork but since the message was symbolic in nature, the painting style might have been just a means of presentation (Henderson 49). The symbols depicted in this painting were those of chaos and war. The name of the painting referred to the city that was bombed during the Spanish Civil War in 1937. Using a technique that was inspired by the onset of technology, Pablo was able to relate this painting to the current situation and what had caused it.
Symbolism as seen in ‘Guernica’ was not directed to a specific audience rather, it was a message to the whole world displaying how war and conflict affects everyone including the perpetrators. This painting is very large. Measuring over three meters in height and approximately eight meters in width, this painting was meant to make every aspect of its message very clear. Using a simple monochrome range of colors, this oil painting exuded a feeling of sadness and ...