Level 103
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Contemporary Art and Avant-Gardes

Contemporary Art and Avant-Gardes

A survey of art's radical break with tradition, from the fractured forms of Cubism and the dream logic of Surrealism through the raw gesture of Abstract Expressionism to the global, digital, and activist art world of today.

60-Second Review

Express review

A condensed, point-by-point summary of the module, for reviewing right before a test or exam.

  1. Fauvism, Expressionism, and Cubism. Fauvism's raw color, German Expressionist anguish, and Cubism's fracturing of form redefined painting after 1905.
  2. Futurism, Constructivism, and Geometric Abstraction. Futurism, Constructivism, Suprematism, De Stijl, and the Bauhaus pushed art into pure geometric abstraction.
  3. Dada and the Origins of Surrealism. Dada's anti-art response to World War I gave rise to Duchamp's readymade and Breton's Surrealism.
  4. Surrealism and the Mexican Muralists. Magritte's visual paradoxes, Kahlo's personal iconography, and Rivera's murals reshaped Surrealism and Mexican art.
  5. Abstract Expressionism and Its Critics. Pollock, Rothko, and de Kooning defined Abstract Expressionism, later challenged by post-painterly abstraction.
  6. Pop Art, Minimalism, and Conceptual Art. Warhol and Lichtenstein's Pop Art, Judd's Minimalism, and Conceptual and Land art redefined the art object.
  7. Body, Feminism, and Postmodern Art. Abramović's body art, Judy Chicago's feminism, and Basquiat's Neo-Expressionism reshaped 1970s-80s art.
  8. Contemporary Art in a Global, Digital Age. Installation, video, and photography converge with global, digital, and activist art in the 21st century.

This is the starting point of Contemporary Art and Avant-Gardes: you don't need any prior knowledge of this subject to begin.

Key points

Visual module map

1Fauvism, Expressionism, and Cubism
2Dada and the Origins of Surrealism
3Abstract Expressionism and Its Critics
4Pop Art, Minimalism, and Conceptual Art
5Contemporary Art in a Global, Digital Age

Alternative visual view: a simplified sequence of some of the module's key points, in their order within the syllabus.

Your module mastery

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Approximate breakdown by skill
Understanding of historiographical debate0%

A rough estimate based on the key points reviewed, not an exact measurement of actual mastery.

Final test

You need to review all key points to unlock the final test.

Optional mini-games

Extra practice, with no penalty, to reinforce the module's content.

Review Flashcards

Review each key point with cards that flip to reveal the summary.

Memory

Match each concept with its definition in as few attempts as possible.

Time Attack

Answer true or false statements before time runs out.

Chronological Order

Put the module's key points back in their original order.

Further reading

Bibliography and cited sources used to create this module.

  • Foster, H., Krauss, R., Bois, Y-A., Buchloh, B. H. D., and Joselit, D. (2016). Art Since 1900: Modernism, Antimodernism, Postmodernism. London: Thames & Hudson.
  • Arnason, H. H. and Mansfield, E. (2012). History of Modern Art. Boston: Pearson.
  • Chilvers, I. and Glaves-Smith, J. (2009). A Dictionary of Modern and Contemporary Art. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
  • Chadwick, W. (2020). Women, Art, and Society. London: Thames & Hudson.
  • Tate. "Art Terms." https://www.tate.org.uk/art/art-terms