Non-Traditional Thinking & Unconventional Art

What is Non-Traditional Thinking? requires you to think differently or in a new way we must understand that our traditions, beliefs, and preconceived notions lead us to conclusions that are not always correct the ability to keep an open mind when dealing with solutions to problems

What is Traditional Thinking? ingrained habits of thought in the traditional mode of thinking, the central belief is that things are as they have always been and will continue to be that way in the future logic and argumentation are not important because no alternative solutions exist

“Traditional” Art 1200’s 1300’s 1400’s

“Traditional” Art 1500’s 1600’s 1700’s

Birth of Impressionism Haystacks (Sunset), Claude Monet, 1891 The movement was met with harsh opposition from the conventional art community in France Historical subjects, religious themes, and portraits were valued -- landscape and still life were not The French Académie preferred: carefully finished, realistic images precise brush strokes carefully blended to hide the artist's hand in the work restrained color, often toned down further by the application of a golden varnish

 Characteristics include : short “broken” brush strokes of color – not blended or shaded, as was customary at the time captured momentary and transient effects of light subject matter was often realistic scenes of modern life -- often painted outdoors inclusion of movement as a crucial element of human perception and experience unusual visual angles Lydia Leaning on Her Arms, Mary Cassatt 1879

Boulevard Montmartre Camille Pissarro, 1897

Mont Sainte-Victoire seen from Bellevue Paul Cezanne, 1885

Impressionism Leads the Way to Cubism initially influenced by the geometric motifs in the landscape compositions of the Post-Impressionist painter Paul Cezanne describes the revolutionary style of painting invented by Pablo Picasso ( ) and Georges Braque ( ). The two met in Paris and developed the style between La Guitare, Georges Braque,

Picasso worried that Impressionistic painting was a dead-end with less and less potential for intellectual exploration After being exposed to African tribal art while in Spain, he began painting Les Demoiselles D'Avignon (1907) (left) This was a ground-breaking piece, with flat splintered planes that replaced traditional linear perspective and rounded volumes This piece signaled his break with the naturalistic traditions of Western art

Braque and Picasso thought that the full significance of an object could only be captured by showing it from multiple points of view and at different times The object was then reassembled out of fragments of these different views, rather like a complex jigsaw puzzle. In this way, many different views of an object were simultaneously depicted in the same picture La Tasse (The Cup), Georges Braque, 1911

Guitar with Clarinet, Juan Gris, 1920 Portrait of Madame Metzinger Jean Metzinger, 1911