Photorealism

Photorealism is a genre of painting which uses cameras and photographs to create a painting which looks like a photograph. Although the height of photorealism was in the 1970's, it is a movement which continues today in the 21st century, even though many of the original pioneers have died.Chuck Close, Tom Blackwell, Ralph Goings and Charles Bell are all photorealist artists.
Photorealism evolved from Pop Art and Abstract Impressionism in the late 1960's and early 1970's America. Pop Art and Photorealism were both reactionary movements stemming from the ever increasing and overwhelming abundance of photographic media, which by the mid 20th century had grown into such a massive phenomenon that it was 'threatening to lessen the value of imagery in art'.

Futurism

Futurism is an artistic and social movement which originated in Italy in the early 20th century. It was a largely Italian phenomenom, but had small parallel movements in Russia, the rest of Europe, and the United States. The Futurists practiced in every medium of art, including painting, sculpture, ceramics, graphic design, industrial design, interior design, theatre, film, fashion, textiles, literature, music, architecture and even gastronomy.Vladimir Mayakovsky and Natalia Goncharova are celebrated Russian artists of this movement.
The founder of Futurism was Filippo Tommaso Marinetti. Marinetti expressed a passionate loathing of everything old, especially political and artistic tradition. "We want no part of it, the past", he wrote, "we the young and strong Futurists!" The Futurists admired speed, technology, youth and violence, the car, the airplane and the industrial city, all that represented the technological triumph of humanity over nature, and they were passionate nationalists.

Abstract Impressionism

Abstract impressionism (not to be confused with abstract expressionism) is a movement headlined by artists such as Jackson Pollock, Elaine de Kooning and Richard Pousette-Dart. It is characterised in painting by small, definite brush strokes which define larger shapes or structures. Abstract impressionism was most popular in the 1950s. de Kooning invented the term 'abstract impressionism' and it was soon used worldwide. The style is similar to Impressionists and Post-Impressionists.

Art Nouveau

Art Nouveau (literally 'new art')is a style of art, applied art, decoration, and architecture. It reached it's heyday in the latter Victorian era (1890 - 1910) and is still admired today. The movement was strongly influenced by Alphonse Mucha, a Czech artist who later claimed he did not think his own style was "particularly 'art nouveau'". Klimt, Gaudi and Mackintosh are also associated, along with Émile Gallé. Art nouveau is not a modernist style, preferring the flowery ornamentation of the era to which it belonged; and did not achieve much popularity in the later 20th century, in the wake of minimalism and realism. Art Nouveau is also quite an organic form and often incorporates plant and earth forms, as well as womankind and, rarely, men.

Minimalism

Minimalism is a term for a trend in art which came to prominence in the early 19th century, as a response to the over-decorated culture of the previous period. "minimalism" as a term is used to describe a 'less is more' style (coined by Ludwig Mies van der Rohe)incorporating the process of stripping things down until they are aesthetically simple and clean. Minimalism is often associated with clean, functional aspects and tasteful colour matching; in architecture open-plan and whole glass walls are common.Lighting is also very important and design elements must convey simplicity.