4 Famous Modern Painters -
Modern art includes pieces from the approximate time period between the 1860s to the 1970s — showcasing the spirit of experimentation. Meaning, modern artists often rejected more traditional approaches in order to experiment with new materials, concepts, and techniques.
Within this time period, artists produced influential styles, including Pop Art, Surrealism, Impressionism, and Cubism. Although hundreds of artists left their own mark, influencing those around them, these four famous modern painters created pieces that will be discussed for many years to come.
1. Jackson Pollock
American Painter — Abstract Expressionism and Surrealism
Photo source: Jackson Pollock
Within the modern era, there were plenty of influences and Pollock used these to create original pieces of art that represented himself as an artist. He is known for his radical abstract style and interesting approach in terms of color, lines, and pictorial space.
One: Number 31 was painted in 1950 and is known to be a masterpiece of the 'drip' technique. Within his barn in East Hampton, New York, Jackson would lay his canvases on the floor in order to create this painting which was one of four in this drip painting series. Although the piece itself may seem chaotic, at a closer glance, Pollock showed immense control.
2. Andy Warhol
American Illustrator, Painter, and Filmmaker — Pop Art
Photo source: Flickr
Andy Warhol was a superstar within the Pop Art movement, blurring a fine line between fine art and more modern, trendy aesthetics. After graduating with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree, Warhol moved to New York and became one of the most successful commercial artists of the 1950s.
Around this time, he focused more so on painting, and began showcasing mass-produced consumer goods, such as the iconic Campbell's soup painting. In 2008, his portrait Eight Elvises, was one of the most valuable paintings in history, as it resold for $100 million. He later released his book The Philosophy of Andy Warhol, addressing some of the controversy that took place throughout his personal and professional life.
3. Frida Kahlo
Mexican Painter and Feminist Icon — Self-Portrait Artist
Photo source: Flickr
Considered to be one of Mexico's greatest artists, Frida Kahlo was both an artist and influential feminist. In 1925, Kahlo was impaled by a steel handrail within a bus accident and began to paint during her recovery. Once she began to evolve as an artist, she moved to New York with her husband.
Her self portraits began to incorporate more graphic and surrealistic elements by the early 1930s — her paintings were deeply personal. After living a highly influential life, she died at the age of 47. Since her death, her fame has grown and in the 1970s, her life was celebrated among feminists based on her female creativity.
4. Max Ernst
German Painter, Sculptor, and Poet — Dada Movement and Surrealism
Photo source: Flickr
Born in Germany, Max Ernst created pieces that were shocking yet innovative, showcasing dreamlike imagery. The basis of his artwork was western culture and the idea that it was both irrational and unjust. Often mocking social conventions, he was a pioneer if both the Dada and Surrealism movements.
Although Ernst displayed immense European art history knowledge, he rejected the traditions of art. He experimented with both subject and technique, which made him a highly influential modern artist. He expressed modern conditions with enthusiasm and humor, focusing on sub-conscious, also known as automatic painting.