I.

Cite the significance of the following theory of art. Research at least 5 examples in each given
theory of art.

1. Formalist
The theory of art known as formalism holds that the most important aspect of a work of art, it is the effective
use of the principles of art to arrange the elements of art. According to this theory, the effectiveness of a design
is determined by the artist's ability to arrange the colors, values, lines, textures, shapes, forms, and space
relationships used in the work. Meaning, a successful work of art need not look lifelike, but it must use the
elements and principles effectively to achieve an overall unity. Formalism is the study of art that focuses solely
on its form, how it is made and how it appears.
Examples of Formalism Art Theory:
 Two Musicians by Joseph Catanzaro
 Composition with Yellow, Blue, and Red by Piet Mondrian


 The Aficionado by Pablo Picasso

 Garden- lauves by Paul Cézanne

  The Rumanian Blouse by Henri Matisse

2. Expressionism
The essence of art, according to expressionism theory, is to express emotion, and the artist's goal is to translate
emotions into artworks in some way, with these emotions eventually reaching the audience or public of the
work of art being contemplated, listened to, or read. In other words, art viewed as a representation or
manifestation of the inner state of the artist.
Examples of Expressionism Art Theory:
 The Scream by Edvard Munch
 Schaumgeborene by Michael Ramsauer

 Davos under Snow by Ernst Ludwig Kirchner

  Girls Under Trees by Auguste Macke

 Sunflowers by Vincent Van Gogh

3. Aesthetic
Based on the idea that art exists for the sake of its beauty alone. Aesthetics, is the philosophical study of beauty
and taste. It favors emphasizing the aesthetic value and effects of literature, fine art, music, and other arts over
socio-political themes and positions. This meant that the movement's art was created first and foremost to be
beautiful, rather than to serve a moral, allegorical, doctrinal, or other such purpose.
Examples of Aesthetic Art Theory:
 La Ghirlandata by Dante Gabriel Rossetti

 The Peacock Room by James Whistler

 Charger by William de Morgan

  Teapot by Christopher Dresser

 The Golden Stairs by Edward Burne-Jones

4. Hedonism
The function of art, according to this theory, is to produce only one type of effect on its audience, pleasure. It
may also instruct or inform, represent or express, but it must first and foremost please. The better the art, the
more pleasure it provides. It means that, that for an art to be beautiful is for it to cause pleasure or that the
experience of beauty is always accompanied by pleasure.
Examples of Hedonism Art Theory:
 Triumph of Bacchus by Ciro Ferri
 The Andrians by Titian
 Cabaret by Maria Alquilar
 The Reverend Geoffrey Shovel, Chaplain of the Fleet, with his drinking companions by Thomas
Davidson
 The Swing by Jean Honore Fragonard
 5. Action
It developed in the 1940s and 1950s, during a period of turmoil following World War II, and is often
referred to as Abstract Expressionism. There was a lot of concern about the Cold War's future effects and
the spread of Communism across the world. This turmoil was mirrored in the action painting movement.
Since it included the vigorous, sweeping application of paint to the canvas, it was also known as "gestural
painting." Rather than accurately portraying realistic scenes and familiar shapes, this style focused on the
physical act of painting and expressing the artist's emotion.
Examples of Action Art Theory:
 Autumn Rhythm by Jackson Pollock
 Woman III by Willem de Kooning

 La Garrigue by Jean Fautrier

  Mr. Stella by Kazuō Shiraga
 Chief by Franz Kline

6. Futurism
Futurism was a theory that aimed to replace conventional artistic notions with an enthusiastic celebration of the
machine age, focusing on innovation and modernity. Artists integrated depictions of urban environments as well
as emerging technology such as trains, automobiles, and airplanes into their depictions, with the aim of creating
a specific and dynamic view of the future. In short he Futurism art movement celebrated technology, modernity,
speed, violence and youth; it glorified war and was in favour of the growth of Fascism.
Examples of Futurism Art Theory:
 New City by Antonio Sant'Elia
 Unique Forms of Continuity in Space by Umberto Boccioni
 Battle of Lights, Coney Island, Mardi Gras by Joseph Stella

 Speeding Train by Ivo Pannaggi


Aerial Portrait of Mussolini by Alfredo Ambrosi
 7. Institutional
The institutional theory of art is a theory about the nature of art that holds that an object can only become art in
the context of the institution known as "the artworld". Art is defined by the status bestowed on it by the art
world's institutions, not by any observable property in the artwork itself.
Examples of Institutional Art Theory:
 The Tribuna of the Uffizi by Johann Joseph Zoffany
 Luncheon on the Grass by Édouard Manet

 Craft Morphology Flow Chart by Mike Kelley

  Summer Cold by Charles Williams

 Naum June Paik by Fluxus

Reference:
https://www.artyfactory.com/art_appreciation/art_movements/expressionism.htm
http://retiary.org/art_theories/theories_of_art.html
https://www.theartstory.org/movement/aesthetic-art/artworks/#pnt_2
https://www.britannica.com/topic/philosophy-of-art/Art-as-a-means-to-truth-or-knowledge
https://www.britannica.com/topic/carpe-diem
https://www.theartstory.org/movement/action-painting/artworks/
https://www.theartstory.org/movement/futurism/artworks/