Modernism and 20th Century Art Pretest – Flashcards
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Throughout history, artists have regularly served political ends by using their art to make visual statements. Which of the following artists has created an overtly political statement with his/her work? a. Dorothea Lange b. John Sloan c. Wassily Kandinsky d. Barbara Hepworth
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a. Dorothea Lange
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Which of the following artists created large-scale, kinetic sculptures? a. Henry Moore b. Brancusi c. Alexander Calder d. Boccioni
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c. Alexander Calder
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What message did Vera Mukhina convey in her work entitled The Worker and the Collective Farm Worker? a. She conveyed the horror of war b. She glorified the communal labor of the Soviet people c. She glorified urban lifestyles d. She showed motion through dynamic line
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b. She glorified the communal labor of the Soviet people
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Which of the following artists developed the theory of neoplasticism or the new pure plastic art? a. Picasso b. Chagall c. Mondrian d. Marc
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c. Mondrian
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Which of the following works of art was melted down for ammunition by the Nazis in 1937? a. War Monument b. Bird in Space c. Unique Forms of Continuity in Space d. Column
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a. War Monument
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Which of the following artists created a modern American art style combining Synthetic Cubism with jazz tempos and his perception of the fast-paced American culture? a. Marsden Hartley b. Charles Demuth c. Georgia O'Keeffe d. Stuart Davis
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d. Stuart Davis
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What style is described as compositions of shapes and forms abstracted from the conventionally conceived world? a. Fauvism b. Cubism c. De Styl d. Neoplasticism
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b. Cubism
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The "Champs de Mars" or "The Red Tower" by Robert Delaunay depicts which of the following structures? a. Eiffel Tower b. Tower of Babel c. Coit Tower d. Tatlin Tower
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a. Eiffel Tower
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Which of the following is executed in the Synthetic Cubist style? a. The Dance b. Fate of the Animals c. Demoiselles d'Avignon d. Still-Life with Chair-Caning
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d. Still-Life with Chair-Caning
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Which of the following describes the focus of the Ashcan School? a. It focused on the horror of trench warfare in WW II. b. It focused on the hurley-burley activity of farm life. c. It focused on the bleak and seedy aspects of city life. d. It focused on the dynamism of the machine.
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c. It focused on the bleak and seedy aspects of city life.
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What message is portrayed in Edward Hopper's "Nighthawks"? a. the pervasive loneliness of modern humans b. the seediness of city life c. the energetic rhythm of city life d. the cosmopolitan atmosphere of big city life
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a. the pervasive loneliness of modern humans
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Thomas Hart Benton, a Regionalist artist, focused his attention on which of the following subjects? a. Times Square, New York b. the waterfront c. the social history of Missouri d. the farming landscape of the Midwest
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c. the social history of Missouri
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Which of the following artists did not depict themes of war? a. Picasso b. Matisse c. Max Beckmann d. Otto Dix
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b. Matisse
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In the artist's eyes, the "Fate of the Animals" was almost a premonition of which historical event? a. World War II b. the Great Depression c. the Russian Revolution d. World War I
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d. World War I
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Which of the following works demonstrates the Futurists' interest in motion? a. The City b. Dynamism of a Dog on a Leash c. Champs de Mars or The Red Tower d. The Portuguese
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b. Dynamism of a Dog on a Leash
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Which of the following artists was a Berlin Dadaist? a. Hannah Höch b. Barbara Hepworth c. Georgia O'Keeffe d. Frida Kahlo
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a. Hannah Höch
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Which of the following artists shared Stieglitz's concern to position photography as an art form with the same fine-art status as painting and sculpture? a. Dorothea Lange b. Georgia O'Keeffe c. Edward Hopper d. Edward Weston
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d. Edward Weston
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Who is the artist who created a work of art that can be described as "a wickedly funny gift"? a. Edward Weston b. Alfred Stieglitz c. Man Ray d. Marsden Hartley
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c. Man Ray
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Her work is often described as autobiographical because of her unflinching self-portrait portrayals. She gives the viewer a personal glimpse into herself and suffering. Which of the following artists does this describe a. Frida Kahlo b. Hannah Höch c. Georgia O'Keeffe d. Dorothea Lange
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a. Frida Kahlo
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Who is the artist who created a scathing visual commentary on the military with his Fit for Active Service? a. Picasso b. Marc c. Grosz d. Kandinsky
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c. Grosz
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Which of the Blaue Reiter artists found animals superior in beauty, strength, innocence, and naturalness? a. Wassily Kandinsky b. Paul Klee c. Emil Nolde d. Franz Marc
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d. Franz Marc
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Henry Moore's great series of reclining nudes is said to have been inspired by ____. a. an African ancestral figure b. a Chinese figure of Guanyin c. a pre-Columbian figure, the Chacmool d. a medieval representation of Mary Magdalene
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c. a pre-Columbian figure, the Chacmool
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Who wrote, "All my life I have sought the essence of flight. Don't look for the mysteries. I give you pure joy. Look at the sculptures until you see them. Those nearest to God have seen them." a. Barlach b. Brancusi c. Hepworth d. Moore
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b. Brancusi
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A nonobjective work refers to work that ____. a. has been abstracted from a natural object b. has no reference to the external appearance of the physical world c. is not considered objectionable by anyone d. has no material form but is merely conceived in the mind
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b. has no reference to the external appearance of the physical world
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Of the following, who is the best example of a twentieth-century artist who believed that art should delight, inspire, and enhance our lives as human beings? a. Beckmann b. Malevich c. Matisse d. Ensor
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c. Matisse
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The Chrysler Building by William van Alen has elements from which of the following styles? a. Art Nouveau b. Art Deco c. Cubist d. Fin-de- scìele
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b. Art Deco
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Symbolism and fantasy were joined to create works filled with visionary joy and despair by which of the following artists? a. Franc Marc b. Marc Chagall c. Frida Kahlo d. Emile Nolde
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b. Marc Chagall
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Which phrase best expresses the sculptural style of Boccioni? a. nervous agitation b. dynamic movement c. sinuous organic curves d. sharply intersecting planes
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b. dynamic movement
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Who said: "...we rejected imitative colors, and that with pure colors we obtained stronger reactions..."? a. Pablo Picasso b. Ernst Kirchner c. Max Beckmann d. Henri Matisse
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d. Henri Matisse
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Which artist, even though he was older than the Die Brücke artists, was invited to join them because he was pursuing similar ideas in his work? a. Henry Matisse b. André Derain c. Emile Nolde d. Kirchner
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c. Emile Nolde
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The work of Ernst Kirchner shows ____. a. the influence of the Pre-Raphaelites b. the influence of Italian Renaissance frescoes c. subjects drawn from the industrialized urban bourgeoisie d. the influence of Analytical Cubism
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c. subjects drawn from the industrialized urban bourgeoisie
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Who is the Surrealist? a. Salvador Dalí b. Jacob Lawrence c. Henri Matisse d. Pablo Picasso
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a. Salvador Dalí
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The hovering figure that served as a memorial to those who died in World War I was created by ____. a. Wilhelm Lehmbruck b. Ernst Barlach c. Ernst Kirchner d. Max Beckmann
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b. Ernst Barlach
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A painting that was done in reaction to World War I was ____. a. Ernst Kirchner's "Street, Berlin" b. Wassily Kandinsky's "Improvisation 28" c. Max Beckmann's "Night" d. Kurt Schwitters's "Merz" pictures
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c. Max Beckmann's "Night"
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Which of the following statements about Dada is true? a. Dada originated in Copenhagen b. All Dada works were created in marble c. The Dada artists were Marcel Duchamp, Pablo Picasso, and Kurt Schwitters d. Dada had no fixed ideas
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d. Dada had no fixed ideas
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Who photographed the rural poor displaced by the Great Depression in the 1930s? a. Alfred Stieglitz b. Charles Sheeler c. Edward Weston d. Dorothea Lange
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d. Dorothea Lange
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Empty piazzas depicting mysterious figures were often painted by which of the following artists? a. Matisse b. Ernst c. De Chirico d. Kandinsky
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c. De Chirico
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". . . I believe in the future resolution of the states of dream and reality, in appearance so contradictory, in a sort of absolute reality, or surreality." This definition of Surrealism was written by ____. a. Guillaume Apollinaire b. Friedrich Nietzsche c. Salvador Dalí d. André Breton
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d. André Breton
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Which one of the following statements is not true? a. Titles of Surrealist works were intended to challenge the expectations of the viewer. b. The Surrealists considered dreams to be an area in which people could reengage their deeper selves that society had repressed. c. Surrealism ignored the ideas of psychoanalysis put forth by Jung and Freud. d. One of the leading proponents of Surrealism was Salvador Dalí.
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c. Surrealism ignored the ideas of psychoanalysis put forth by Jung and Freud.
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The goal of Dalí's "paranoiac-critical" method was to ____. a. portray the art of madmen b. illustrate the sado-masochistic theories of Krafft-Ebing c. pour his emotions directly onto the canvas, with no thought of technique d. create images of inner reality and irrationality as concrete as the world of physical reality
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d. create images of inner reality and irrationality as concrete as the world of physical reality
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How did avant-garde artists go about challenging artistic convention? a. They sought innovative forms of expression. b. They did nothing; they relaxed in their avant-gardism. c. They advised a return to Renaissance traditions. d. They advised a return to classical traditions
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a. They sought innovative forms of expression.
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Performance Art can be described as movements, gestures and sounds of persons communicating. Which of the following describes the focus of Performance Art? a. It imitates live theater. b. It is a commentary on contemporary art. c. It replaces physical objects. d. It is purposefully confusing the audience
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c. It replaces physical objects.
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What is the evidence of a Performance Art event? a. documentary photos of a rehearsed performance b. documentary photos at the time of the performance c. a script for a repeat performance d. a script and direction transformed into video
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b. documentary photos at the time of the performance
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Because of the spontaneous and informal nature of Performance Art, which of the following was the primary medium? a. the human body b. newsprint c. cheap paper d. cardboard
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a. the human body
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Which of the following earlier art styles formed the characterizing spirit of Performance Art? a. German Expressionism b. Cubism c. Dada d. Abstract Expressionism
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c. Dada
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Which of the following was the purpose of Performance Art? a. To challenge art's function as commodity b. To challenge art's function as art c. To challenge art's function d. To challenge art's function in the Post-Modern period
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a. To challenge art's function as commodity
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How did museum commissions of performance events neutralize Performance Art? a. The commissions neutralized the purpose of art. b. The commissions made the events mundane. c. The commissions neutralized the subversiveness. d. The commissions nullified Performance Art.
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c. The commissions neutralized the subversiveness.
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How did Allan Kaprow view art? a. He had no views whatsoever. b. He viewed it as an intersection of art and life. c. He viewed art as the zenith of his existence. d. He was interested in music as an art form.
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b. He viewed it as an intersection of art and life.
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Which of the following describes Happenings? a. planned b. controlled c. individualized d. participatory
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d. participatory
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How did the Fluxus group see aesthetic potential? a. in the traditional b. in the nontraditional and commonplace c. in the traditional and unique d. in the experimental
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b. in the nontraditional and commonplace
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How did Carolee Schneeman transform Performance Art? a. She introduced a political dimension. b. She introduced a social dimension. c. She introduced a racist dimension. d. She introduced a feminist dimension
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d. She introduced a feminist dimension
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Which of the following describes Joseph Beuys purpose for his art? a. It was illuminating the condition of the political classes. b. It was illuminating the condition of women. c. It was illuminating the condition of modern humanity. d. It was illuminating the condition of the homeless.
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c. It was illuminating the condition of modern humanity.
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Beuys wanted "to shape our thoughts into words." Which of the following did he want to create? a. social sculptures b. word sculptures c. no sculpture d. formless sculptures
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a. social sculptures
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Chris Ofili explores traditional themes and approaches with cross-cultural eyes. Which of the following describes his work? a. It raises issues of social awareness. b. It is de-constructing racist sentiment. c. It is expressionistic in nature. d. It is political in nature.
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c. It is expressionistic in nature.
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Barbara Kruger's work takes on the slick design of contemporary advertising. Which of the following is her principal aim? a. To expose the deceptiveness of media messages b. To expose bad design c. To incorporate design and to sell her art d. To incorporate myths about women and to reinforce the design issues related to the myths
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a. To expose the deceptiveness of media messages
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Which of the following describes Kruger's photo-collages? a. They inform the "preciousness" of good small photo-collage. b. They challenge media markets to pursue good design. c. The indiscriminate use of words and photos creates bad design and her work is deemed critically unacceptable. d. They challenge cultural attitudes.
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d. They challenge cultural attitudes.
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Which of the following artists is best known for his large-scale portraits? a. Willem de Kooning b. Chuck Close c. Jackson Pollock d. Francis Bacon
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b. Chuck Close
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Which of the following painters illustrates Clement Greenberg's insistence "on purity in art"? a. Frank Stella b. Francis Bacon c. David Smith d. Jean Dubuffet
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a. Frank Stella
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Color field painting emphasized painting's basic properties. Color field painters poured diluted paint onto unprimed canvas. Which of the following artists was a color field painter? a. Jasper Johns b. Jackson Pollock c. Helen Frankenthaler d. Barnett Newman
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c. Helen Frankenthaler
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When did the center of the Western art world shift from Europe to the United States? a. with the Armory Show of 1913 b. during the 1920s c. during the 1940s d. during the 1960s
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c. during the 1940s
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What was the main focus of the work of the postwar New York School? a. life on the streets b. optical phenomena c. the act of painting itself d. Postmodern appropriation of early material
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c. the act of painting itself
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The terms gestural abstraction and Action Painting are most appropriately applied to the work of ____. a. Jackson Pollock b. Robert Motherwell c. Ellsworth Kelly d. Barnett Newman
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a. Jackson Pollock
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The New York artist whose paintings became compositionally simple and focused on color was ____. a. Jackson Pollock b. Jean Dubuffet c. Mark Rothko d. Willem de Kooning
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c. Mark Rothko
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How did Barnett Newman increase the capacity of color to communicate emotion? a. by simplifying the composition b. by creating complex compositions using the widest range of colors c. by using soft pastel color d. by creating softly colored complex compositions
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a. by simplifying the composition
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Which of the following describes the work of Jackson Pollock? a. quiet and intense remaining true to conventional painting b. strictly organized adhering to conventional painting c. colorful remaining true to conventional painting d. significant departure from conventional painting
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d. significant departure from conventional painting
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How does Faith Ringgold address issues of gender and racism in her work? a. by creating clear and lucid oil paintings b. by using fabrics, traditionally associated with women and incisive narrative c. by using exotic subject matter to draw the viewer into her photo-collages d. by using wood, traditionally associated with men and incisive narrative
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b. by using fabrics, traditionally associated with women and incisive narrative
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Who was the sculptor who believed that "the only stable thing is movement"? a. Donald Judd b. David Smith c. Jean Tinguely d. Claes Oldenburg
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c. Jean Tinguely
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Which of the following movements had a great distrust of the Western ideas of progress and objective truth and viewed all cultures as equally valid? a. Constructivism b. Postmodernism c. Social Realism d. the International style
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b. Postmodernism
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The work of ____ deals with the issue of who "controls the body". a. Judy Chicago b. Kiki Smith c. Jeff Koons d. Faith Ringgold
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b. Kiki Smith
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Which of the following describes what artists working in the Post-Painterly Abstractionist style believed? a. Abstract Expressionists had gone too far in removing social references from works of art. b. Their works should contain no reference to the world outside their own compositions. c. They wanted to express religious feelings through simple forms. d. They were deeply influenced by the work of African and pre-Columbian cultures.
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b. Their works should contain no reference to the world outside their own compositions.
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A good example of Postmodernist architecture is ____. a. Guggenheim Museum, Bilbao b. Guggenheim Museum, New York c. Notre Dame du Haut, Ronchamp d. Seagram Building, New York
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a. Guggenheim Museum, Bilbao
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Which artist stated that she wanted her pieces to be "non art, non connotative, non anthropomorphic, non geometric, non nothing, everything, but of another kind, vision, sort"? a. Helen Frankenthaler b. Judy Chicago c. Sonia Sheridan d. Eva Hesse
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d. Eva Hesse
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Pop Art, and art that utilized the techniques of advertising, industrial design, and Hollywood movies were at their heights during which of the following decades? a. 1950s b. 1960s c. 1970s d. 1980s
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b. 1960s
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John Cage encouraged his students to link their art to which of the following? a. life b. music c. a collaborator d. poetry
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a. life
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Cindy Sherman works in which medium representing the "male gaze"? a. sculpture b. acrylics c. video d. photography
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d. photography
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How does the architecture of Günter Behnisch express Deconstructivist architecture? a. It is arranged to form a square. b. It avoids the suggestion of a clear, stable mass. c. It uses non-traditional materials. d. It always has one door and one window obviously broken and non-functional.
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b. It avoids the suggestion of a clear, stable mass.
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The work of Melvin Edwards is very evocative. He uses small found metal objects that he intertwines and welds together creating a haunting theme. Which of the following is that theme? a. lynching b. war c. assassination d. riots
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a. lynching
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Which of the following describes the Portland Building located in Portland, Oregon? a. a Las Vegas monstrosity b. a tribute to Philip Johnson c. an enlarged jukebox d. a sham palace
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c. an enlarged jukebox
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The work of Adrian Piper is provocative and confrontational. She announces in a video installation, "I'm black" What is her motivation with this pronouncement? a. She is announcing her pride in her heritage. b. She wants viewers to examine their behaviors and values. c. She wants viewers to examine her in this context. d. She wants acceptance and recognition as a Black artist.
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b. She wants viewers to examine their behaviors and values.
