The Impact of Cubism on Modern Sculpture_II. Primitivism

 

Paul Gauguin, 「Sunday (Mahana no Atua)」, 1894

 

The Impact of Cubism on Modern Sculpture

 

II. Primitivism

After Rodin, there were lots of changes in sculpture, but still traditional sculptural forms were mainstream. Before reviewing Cubism and Futurism, we should look over Primitivism to get a better understanding of modern art, modern sculpture, and the social and historical circumstances at this time.

 

In the late nineteenth century and beginning of the twentieth century, many European and American artists especially sculptors tried to accomplish 'the pure art form', 'purity' through the way of primitive art. This purity, the major concept of primitive art, coincides with the purpose of modernist art. Naturally Primitivism strongly influenced Cubism, surrealism, fauvism, and after all modernism. Primitivism played a role as a starting point of modern art form.

 

Primitivism has various meanings in art history. In the eighteenth century, the philosopher Rousseau used the word 'noble savage.' This means he admired the people who were not polluted by civilization. This primitive art (non-western art) includes far eastern, and oriental, pre-Columbian, African, American Indian, and Oceanic art.

 

After the Industrial Revolution in Europe around mid nineteenth century, roughly two major trends appeared in art, including sculpture, throughout Europe and America. one trend is positivism toward the industrial civilization, and the other is pessimism toward it. Primitivism in sculpture is one of the pessimistic movements in response to the Industrial Revolution and Civilization. The major concept of primitivism is to seek and to admire the pure art form. During the late nineteenth century and beginning of the twentieth century, many Europeans made contact with non-western (Primitive art form) cultures throughout domination and colonization. Through this social movement, many European artists such as Gauguin, Picasso, Matisse, Modigliani, and Jacob Epstein were very much inspired by non-western (primitive) art forms.

 

For instance, Gauguin made Figure of standing woman, 1890s. This figure is made of gray limestone and looks much more like a Greek stone sculpture. This is a life-size frontal figure just like the ancient Greek tradition. The woman is a simplified figure with very exaggerated breasts, and unusual long arms, hands, and feet. In turn, Picasso’s Figure (1907) was influenced by Gauguin's Figure of a Standing Woman, (1890) as well as by some African primitive works. This is a very abstract, irrational figure. We do not know exactly if this is a man or a woman, although we can guess because of the shape of the breast, that it could be a woman. Head, 1911-13(?) was made by Amedeo Modigliani in the manner of early Chinese or Iberian style . one of his head series, this piece is also quite abstract and has an unnatural ratio of the head. Jacob Epstein made Venus with Doves, ca.1913. This is much more like Egyptian and tribal art form. Human figure (Venus) above doves is a very much simplified, abstract, and unnatural figure.    

 

All of these works are very much individualized and personalized figures apart from classic form. Because of the influence by primitive art forms, all figures are very simplified and focus more on the basic concept of art rather than realistic appearances.

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