Art Movements

Scientific Revolution: 17^th century

Move away from religion to answer questions, and used scientific methods and experiments. Wealth came from birth and land, middle class exploited mass consumption and production. Consequent social and political power led to more and more revolutions. Search for enlightenment. Enlightenment gave way to revolutions in America and France. Inspired the Industrial Revolution.

Marxism: Replaced feudalism.

Contemporary: The Present state of Art.

Modern: Refers to the period after the industrial revolution

Zeitgeist: Something in the air, before a fad begins, something cool, that not many people are doing e.g. New fashions.

Bauhaus:  Created “rules for design” based on less is more, which led to reductionism which led to minimalism inspired by Zeitgeist.

Neoclassicism: The Renaissance inspired Art Movement started by the discovery of Pompeii and Herculaneum put Europeans in touch with their antique roots it incorporated experimentation and was a result of dissatisfaction of the past, and the need for “radical” changes in society in the future

Cubism: Changed the way society saw things

Plakostile: Simple images with large bold text, flat areas of colour, no modeling or gradations of tone

Futurism: Non linear composition, harmony is rejected in favour of noise in love with the possibilities of the future and mechanization

Dada: Nonsense Art Movement similar to graffiti inspired by futurism and consisted of “found” objects.

Russian constructivism: A mixture of cubism and futurism created a new movement which unifies communist ideologies with visual form

Art was heavily reduced to its elements, Technology would provide for society, Lines were known as rules, space was important to the modern designs, Used Red yellow black colours and San serif fonts.

Mondrian: Dividing the page into rectangles and simple geometric shapes.

John Heartfield

John Heartfield pioneered the photomontage technique and is one of the most well known users of photomontage in design. Heartfield was a German designer, painter and journalist. Through the use of the photomontage technique, Heartfield has created some very strong and clear imagery, that has been used to visually communicate his messages which was largely a reaction against The Nazis and WW2. His work included images of Adolf Hitler and Nazi symbols in a satirical and undermining way. His photomontages were often in the form of book covers and posters. Example of his work.

Arts and Crafts

The Arts and Crafts Movement was a Modernist / Victorian style period the united artists, architects, jewelry makers and Corresponded with the Art Nouveau movement. The main reason for the start of this movement was the Function over Aesthetics ideals of the Industrial Revolution.

Even today you can see the influence of the Arts and Crafts movement in many everyday objects.

William Morace was the figurehead of the Arts and Crafts movement. More like the Poster Boy, the one well known artist and was known to fight against ugliness in all its forms and influence artists and works, in the Arts and Crafts movement. His own house was heavily decorated, Medieval on the outside and warm Artsy and craftsy on the inside.

Arts and Crafts Movement had very distinctive characteristics such as Organic Shapes, Unity, some basis on oriental designs. The movement believed in the beauty of true forms, i.e. Wood would not be painted on but varnished to bring out its natural beauty.

Morace is one of the most influential architects in the world now. Caxton and Goudy Typefaces were also created by him.


This is an example of Arts and Crafts inspired wallpaper :)