ABSTRACTIONIS

M ART
DIRECTIONS: LOOK AT THE PICTURE BELOW,
WHAT MOOD OR FEELINGS THE PAINTING OF
VINCENT VAN GOGH SUGGEST? WRITE YOUR
ANSWER IN YOUR ACTIVITY NOTEBOOK.
II. DIRECTIONS: IDENTIFY THE ART STYLE
USED BY THE FILIPINO ARTISTS IN THE
FOLLOWING PICTURES. CHOOSE YOUR
ANSWER FROM THE BOX AND WRITE IT IN
YOUR ACTIVITY NOTEBOOK.
Cubism Futurism

Mechanical Style Non-objectivism

1. THREE MUSICIANS BY
PABLO PICASSO
2. THE CITY BY FERNAND
LEGER
3. NEW YORK CITY BY PIET
MONDRIAN
4. ARMORED TRAIN BY GINO SEVERINO
ABSTRACTIONISM ART
Abstractionism movement arose from the
intellectual points of view in the 20th Century.
In the world of science, physicists were
formulating a new view of the universe, which
resulted in the concepts of space-time and
relativity. This intellectualism was reflected
even in art.
While expressionism was emotional,
abstractionism was logical and rational. Artist
reduced the scenes into geometrical shapes,
patterns, lines, angles, textures and swirls of color.
The resulting works ranged from representational
abstractionism, depicting still recognizable subjects
(as in the artwork on the left), to pure
abstractionism, where no recognizable subject
could be discerned.
GROUPED UNDER ABSTRACTIONISM
ARE THE FOLLOWING ART STYLES:
o Cubism
o Futurism
o Mechanical style
o Nonobjectivism
 A. CUBISM
The cubist style derived its name from the cube, a threedimensional geometric
figure composed of strictly measured lines, planes, and angles. Cubist artworks
were, therefore, a play of planes and angles on a flat surface. Foremost among
the cubists was Spanish painter/sculptor Pablo Picasso (right).

In earlier styles, subjects were depicted in a three-dimensional manner, formed

by light and shadow. In contrast, the cubists analyzed their subjects’ basic
geometrical forms, and broke them up into a series of planes. Then they re-
assembled these planes, tilting and interlocking them in different ways.
In addition, the art of the past centuries had depicted a scene from a
single, stationary point of view. In contrast, cubism took the
contemporary view that things are actually seen hastily in
fragments and from different points of view at the same time. This
was reflected in the depiction of objects from more than one visual
angle in the same painting the bull’s head in Picasso’s Guernica.

Human figures as well were often represented with facial features

and body parts shown both frontally and from a side angle at once.
This gave a sense of imbalance and misplacement that created
immediate visual impact. It also gave cubism its characteristic
feeling of dynamism and energy. To this day, variations of cubism
continue to appear in many contemporary artworks.
 B. FUTURISM
The movement known as futurism began in Italy in the
early 1900s. As the name implies, the futurists created
art for a fast-paced, machine-propelled age. They
admired the motion, force, speed, and strength of
mechanical forms. Thus, their works depicted the
dynamic sensation of all these—as can be seen in the
works of Italian painter Gino Severini.
 C. MECHANICAL STYLE
As a result of the futurist movement, what became known as
the mechanical style emerged. In this style, basic forms such as
planes, cones, spheres, and cylinders all fit together precisely
and neatly in their appointed places.

This can be seen in the works of Fernand Leger. Mechanical

parts such as crankshafts, cylinder blocks, and pistons are
brightened only by the use primary colors. Otherwise they are
lifeless. Even human figures are mere outlines, rendered
purposely without expression.
 D. NON-OBJECTIVISM
The logical geometrical conclusion of abstractionism came in
the style known as nonobjectivism. From the very term “non-
object,” works in this style did not make use of figures or
even representations of figures. They did not refer to
recognizable objects or forms in the outside world. Lines,
shapes, and colors were used in a cool, impersonal approach
that aimed for balance, unity, and stability. Colors were
mainly black, white, and the primaries (red, yellow, and blue).
Foremost among the nonobjectivists was Dutch painter Piet
Mondrian
 MODULAR
Directions: Choose an art style from
Abstractionism art movement to create an
artwork that express your own emotions, idea or
messages. You can use available materials (eg.
crayons, oil pastels, color pencils etc.) Do this
in you Activity in a one whole bondpaper.