Art of the Western World
Art of the Western World is a documentary series presented by Michael Wood, exploring magnificent masterpieces of the Western world in their cultural and historical settings. The series consists of eighteen episodes, each of which focuses on the artistic contributions of one period in the history of the West, from Ancient Greece to the late 1980s. From the classical ideals in Greek and Roman antiquity, through the Renaissance, to the postmodernism of the late 1980s, the series provides a panorama of 2000 years of architecture, painting and sculpture, and studies the art masterpieces as reflections of the Western culture that produced them.
| Episode 16 - Between Utopia and Crisis |
Modernism spawned not only Cubism, but also the abstract and the surreal. Le Corbusier and Wright applied the abstract principles to buildings. Dada responded to the devastation of World War One with nihilism; surrealists Dali, Magritte, and Miro showed Freudian influence.
| Related Links |
| Dada Dada or Dadaism was an art movement of the European avant-garde in the early 20th century. Many claim Dada began in Zurich, Switzerland in 1916, spreading to Berlin shortly thereafter but the height of New York Dada was the year before in 1915. |
| Surrealism Surrealism is a cultural movement that began in the early 1920s, and is best known for its visual artworks and writings. The aim was to "resolve the previously contradictory conditions of dream and reality." |
| Modern Masters This is a four-part BBC documentary series presented by Alastair Sooke, detailing the life and work of four giants of 20th century art: Henri Matisse, Pablo Picasso, Salvador Dali, and Andy Warhol. |
| Modern Art - A Complete Guide This is a 1974 American documentary film directed by Herbert Kline detailing the revolution in art instigated by Cezanne that became MODERN ART. |
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