Art Informel - 1940-1950

Art Informel is a French style of abstract painting in the 1940s and 1950s. It is often considered to be the European offshoot of abstract expressionism. Sometimes referred also to as Tashism, Art Autre or Lyrical Abstraction, it was a type of abstraction in which form became subservient to the expressive impulses of the artist, and it was thus diametrically opposed to the cool rationalism of geometric abstraction. Term was coined in 1950 by the French critic Michel Tapi, primarily in relation to the work of Wols. Here are some of his pictures which marked the beginning of Art Informel movement:

Following the lead of Surrealist automatism, current in Surrealism, Art informel pictures were executed spontaneously and often at speed so as to give vent to the subconscious of the artist. Though embodying a wide range of approaches to abstraction, the brushwork in such works is generally gestural or calligraphic. Sometimes there is an emphasis on the texture or tactile quality of the paint, leading to a variant of Art informel referred to as Matter Painting.

   Antecedents of this style were Vasily Kandinsky, Paul Klee and Jean Dubuffet and particularly Andre Masson. In its more precise historical sense its pioneers were artists based in Paris, such as Jean Fautrier and Hans Hartung. Hartung in particular was producing paintings with many of the features of Art informel by the mid-1930s. 

Kinetic art - 1930-1960

Kinetic art is art that contains moving parts or depends on motion for its effect. The moving parts are generally powered by wind, a motor or the observer. Kinetic art encompasses a wide variety of overlapping techniques and styles.

Kinetic drawing.

   Kinetic drawing makes use of the critical balance and creates 3D drawings from various materials. Kinetic means that the object holds energy, kinetic drawings usually are critical in their stability and are eager to find a more stable position, through gravity. From there they are built up again, better and stronger and with a repetition of this process a beauty of its own starts to grow by natural forces.

   A variation of kinetic art in the realm of painting is ModulArt, where smaller modular elements allow a larger painting to be in flux, though not continuously but at the will of its creator, owner, or user. However, the painting stays in motion, offering alternative views and alternative interpretations.

Selected kinetic of artists

• Nadir Afonso
• Getulio Alviani
• Carlos Cruz-Díez

Art Deco - 1925-1940

Art Deco is a decorative and architectural style of the period 1925-1940, characterized by geometric designs, bold colors, and the use of plastic and glass. This movement first appeared in France during the 1920s, flourished internationally during the 30s and 40s, then waned in the post-World War II era. It is an eclectic style that combines traditional craft motifs with Machine Age imagery and materials. Its products included both individually crafted luxury items and mass-produced wares, but, in either case, the intention was to create a sleek and antitraditional elegance that symbolized wealth and sophistication.

  Influenced by Art Nouveau, Bauhaus, Cubist, Native American, and Egyptian sources, the distinguishing features of the style are simple, clean shapes, often with a streamlined look; ornament that is geometric or stylized from representational forms; and unusually varied, often expensive materials, which frequently include man-made substances (plastics, especially bakelite; vita-glass; and ferroconcrete) in addition to natural ones (silver, ivory and rock crystal). Typical motifs included stylized animals, foliage, nude female figures, and sun rays. The name derives from the "Exposition Internationale des Arts Dcoratifs et Industriels Modernes" in Paris in 1925, where new ideas in applied arts were demonstrated. Here are some of them:

Speaking about painting Vadym Maller was the first artist to be awarded a gold medal in this exhibition. Here is one of his pictures in Art Deco style:

By the way, the famouse Christ the Redeemer in Rio de Janeiro is also refered to this art movement. This is the largest Art Deco statue in the world.

Here are some of representatives: Cassandre, Tamara de Lempicka, Andre Mare, George Barbier, Vadym Meller.