Postwar Modern Movements

Mark Dion is an American contemporary Artist. Mark’s art works are majorly sculptures and installations. Instead of fantasizing and overly thinking about creating art works based on idealistic or romantic expectations, Mark is focused on capturing the realism of the happenings – his fundamental believes of what contemporary art should be based on.

Marks concepts behind his works seem to be more practical than theoretical. Most of his works are based on analyzing the ideas resulted from the interaction of science and art. Therefore, most of his works demonstrated the inseparable relationship between science and nature.

Assignment #6: Early 20th Century- Dada photocollage

Assignment #5: Early 20th Century - Between World Wars

1. Describe a Dada artwork:

Fountain by Marcel Duchamp

     What is art? Is a urinal signed by an artist and displayed in an exhibition considered a piece of art work?

     Artist Marcel Duchamp asked the public these questions when he presented this piece of work in the “First Annual Exhibition in 1916. Like many Data artworks, Fountain is made from ready-made object and by signing name on the urinal and displaying it in an exhibition; Fountain challenged and ridiculed the art society in an unconventional approach.

2. What were the influences of Jacob Lawrence? (include a description of his work)

Influences by Harlem renaissance and African American history, artist Jacob Lawrence depicted the lives of African Americans during 1940 and celebrated African American culture in his works, which solidified his influences in the early stage of The Civil Rights Movements.

This is one of the paintings from Jacob Lawrence’s the migration series, it illustrated how African Americans’ lives and safety were threatened as they were prisoned. The cold color used in the painting hinted the depressing mood of these oppressed live.