Introduction The 20th century witnessed revolutionary ideas and designs in terms of art and architecture. It is easy to see the influences of new ideas in various disciplines of sculptures, music, painting and architecture. The 20th-century arts and humanities reflect the emerging and developing human conditions that were acutely aware of the social use of urban spaces.
Thesis Statement The essay looks at two distinct disciplines of architecture and sculpture that display the impact of the new ideas developing in the 20th century. “Victoria Building,” University of Liverpool shows the use of” red bricks” in the architecture and the next example is taken from innovative sculptural forms made by the famous Swiss Sculptor and Painter, “Alberto Giacometti.Analysis of first work - Victoria Building Victoria Building opened in 1892 and is placed at the corner with Ashton Street (Banerjee 2012). It was meant for administrative and teaching purposes. Its color looks bright because of the use of bricks and red terracotta dressings and makes the exterior look dramatic. Under the bright exterior, there is iron construction and concrete to add to the strength of the building. The use of red bricks was seen as a traditional material in building and architecture (Sennott 84). The architecture in England took its name from the red brick construction. After World War II, the use of bricks revitalized a new interest in the use of raw materials. The vocabulary of the 20th-century architecture got new terms as the traditional load-bearing arch. (Sennott 172). During this time, brick cladding became an accepted part of the construction. The weight, strength, and solidity of bricks was valued and exploited in architecture. For the greater part of the history of architecture, brick fulfilled the dual role of supporting the roof and the floor. It had to compete with the revolutionary building material of the 20th century such as glass, steel and concrete as stated by Sennott (170). Analysis of the second work of art - “Gazing Head.” Alberto Giacometti was inlfeucned by his artist father who was an impressionist painter. He went to Paris to study, and the work of the young artist shows the influence of African and Oceanian sculpture. Within no time, he stood out amongst the sculptors because of those surrealist procedures. Those objects with dreamlike visions and metaphorical functions show his magical treatment of the figure (Biography Of An Œuvre 2016). When “Gazing Head” was first exhibited, it grabbed the attention of the French Surrealists immediately. The plaster bust is one of the truly original works by the Giacometti. The artist shows his efforts in the abstract and figurative flatness of the head and face. The viewer is forced to ponder if they are looking at a mirror (Alberto Giacometti 2016). The noncorporeal sculpture looks like a head with depressions that stand for eyes and nose. It is simple and understandable but at the same time, it is bewildering. The flattened face with incised signs for facial features achieve a proper likeness and reduce the ultimate core of a being. The highly convex overtones create tension in the “Gazing Head” which is a thing, and yet not a thing.Conclusion The essay looks at two distinct disciplines of architecture and sculpture that display the impact of the new ideas developing in the 20th century. “Victoria Building,” University of Liverpool shows the use of” red bricks” in the architecture and the next example is taken from innovative sculptural forms made by the famous Swiss Sculptor and Painter, “Alberto Giacometti. The evaluation of those works of art and architecture shed light on the visionary projects and new art styles experimented by the architects and artists in the late nineteenth century. The new capitalist world was ready to experiment with new materials and technologies, and art was breaking away completely with earlier artistic traditions. One comes to understand the thinking process of the artists and architects of that era.
Works Cited
"Alberto Giacometti." theartstory. 2016. Web. 18 March. 2016.
"Biography Of An Œuvre." fondation-giacometti.fr. 2016. Web. 18 March. 2016.
Banerjee, Jacqueline. "Victoria Building, University of Liverpool, by Alfred Waterhouse." The Victorian Web. 2012. Web. 18 March. 2016.
Sennott, Stephen R. "Encyclopedia of Twentieth Century Architecture. Taylor & Francis." Taylor & Francis Group 1.1 (2004): 1-1525. Print.
