Art movements

Movements and artists that explain what we see today, from the Bauhaus to minimalism.

Catalan Modernisme and Graphic Arts

In the late nineteenth century Barcelona had its great poster moment. From the Anís del Mono contest to Els Quatre Gats: how Modernisme took…

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Art movements

Organic Abstract Art: Forms and Influences

In 1936 MoMA distinguished geometric from biomorphic abstraction. Roots of organic abstract art, from Arp and Miró to Hepworth, and how it differs today.

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Art movements

Art Deco Posters: Visual Features and History

Trains slicing through the air, monumental liners, geometric lettering: how to recognise Art Deco posters, from Paris 1925 to A. M. Cassandre.

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Art movements

Swiss Graphic Design: Grids, Typography and Posters

Grids, sans-serif type, asymmetry and clarity: what defines mid-century Swiss graphic design, who shaped it, and why it remains everywhere in design today.

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Art movements

Editorial Illustration: Art That Communicates Ideas

Editorial illustration is made to accompany a text and convey an idea. What defines it, how it differs from decorative art, and how to…

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Art movements

Figurative vs Abstract Art: How They Differ

Figurative art shows what we recognise; abstract art works with form and colour. How they differ, the shades in between, and how to choose…

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Art movements

De Stijl: Geometry and Colour in Modern Design

Black lines and red, blue and yellow planes: the Dutch De Stijl movement sought universal harmony through geometry. Its history, artists and legacy today.

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Art movements

Memphis Design: Colour, Pattern and Play

Founded in Milan around Ettore Sottsass, the Memphis Group broke with modernist restraint in the early 1980s through colour, pattern and humour. Its story.

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