College is Back: Now go get some respectable posters for those dorm walls!

When I was in college I would frequently have this one experience with boys I would meet. Looking back, it’s become both vaguely flattering and simultaneously hilarious. It would go like this… I’d meet a random classmate or acquaintance in the art, history, or english building. They would tell me that they found art fascinating and encourage me to come see examples of what they liked. Eventually I would go over (usually with a girlfriend in tow—it’s always good to go in pairs) to their dorm, swim through a cloud of incense, and while indie music played in the background the guy would show me a Dali poster. For fifteen seconds he would try to fain an interest in art and then immediately begin to discuss going to the newest jazz club downtown where he hoped to avoid contemporary hip-hop. Being the person that I am, I just couldn’t help but persevere. I would insist on an explanation of the work. Inevitably I would get this horrible answer and the piece would be simply described as “trippy.” I’m not kidding, I heard this several times.


After experiencing this phenomenon four things began to occur to me: 1) A lot of people use their art as a means of bolstering their own image, sometimes to seem more intellectual than they really are. 2) If you find a person like this they typically know nothing about art history. 3) A lot of people don’t know the basic content of the images on their walls. 4) You can’t wholly trust someone who has no clue what you’re talking about when you mention apple bottom jeans and boots with the fur. After all, not everything in life is cerebral; some things should just be fun. ;)


In an attempt to separate the brooding, artistic intellectual from a pandering co-ed, I thought that it might be fun to cover some of the most popular movements and paintings that continuously appear in dorms, homes, and businesses. Just think of this as my contribution to college females everywhere! And even if you’re not in college, the information over the next week or two will provide you with some interesting dinner conversations. Here’s what I’m planning to cover:


Abstract Impressionism- American movement that following World War II that was defined by Clement Greenberg. Pollock and Rothko tie as the most recognized figures for this movement. Paintings are spontaneous and there is an emphasis on movement. Works are usually non-representational.
Impressionism- Paris based art movement that began in the 1870s. Claude Monet is considered the founder of the movement which gained notoriety because it was in stark contrast to the Paris Salon. The style is characterized by its focus on color theory, loose brushstroke, light, and the everyday.
Cubism- European movement that began in the early 20th century. Cubism is defined by two different categories: Analytic Cubism and Synthetic Cubism which each have differing visual characteristics. Pablo Picasso and Georges Braque are considered the innovators of this style.
Surrealism – A primarily Parisian movement that started in the 1920s based on literary trends. Often meticulously finished and detailed, Surrealist works are mind-bending compositions that juxtapose odd imagery in unexpected ways. My old friend Dali is the most commonly acknowledged Surrealist artist.

The man, the myth, the legend: Salvidor Dali And yes, I can admit it, he does look a little "trippy"