ART HISTORY MOVEMENT POST - VALENTINA PENA

After going through the Art Movements Timeline at The Art Story, what I am drawn to is Pop Art, Neo-Pop, and Contemporary Art which reflects both my visual style and the way I use art as a form of communication.

I am drawn to Pop Art for its bold graphic style and its connection to pop culture. In my work I use bright colors, simple shapes, and cartoon inspired visuals which it aligns with Pop Art that is accessible and very visual. Also I like how Pop Art has played out in contemporary illustration which in the case of artists like Ben Giles and Ben Allen really speaks to me.

I also have an interest in Contemporary Art that which blends fine art with design and cultural identity. Artists like Takashi Murakami and KAWS put out work that is part cartoon aesthetic and deep meaning, which it’s what I do with simple visuals to put across ideas and emotion. Also I am inspired by Yayoi Kusama’s use of repetition, pattern, and bold visual identity which for me is a demonstration of how a strong style may be very expressive.

Also I am into artists that play with space, installation, and large scale visual impact like Jason Rhoades and Marta Minujin. Though my work is based in illustration, I am drawn to their concept of putting together immersive and attention getting experiences which in turn plays with how I approach composition and visual story telling.

My interest in collage and graphic design is a large component of my appreciation for artists like Ben Giles who’s work is a blend of various visual elements into a unified, dynamic whole. This approach also gives me the chance to play with different layers, color, and meaning rather than realist portrayal.

Also I am drawn to what graphic and activist based art does, especially in the work of Shepard Fairey which is known for his bold almost poster style which puts forth strong social messages. This plays into my own interest of representation, identity and story telling which I see art as a way to inform and connect with audiences.

Artist Statement and Bio - Ashley Robinson

Bio: 

Ashley Robinson is a New Jersey artist who was born in Jamaica and moved here at the age of eight. She has always found movies to be a big inspiration for her, even asking her mom to come to New York since that's apparently where movies are made. Cinematography and photography has been a big influence in her work. She focuses on photography but also does sculpture, screen printing and likes to use alternative photographic processes. She got her bachelor's in fine arts degree at New Jersey City University with a concentration in Photography

Artist Statement:

I am an artist driven by a lifelong curiosity to create, explore, and transform materials into something visually compelling. My practice spans photography, sculpture, drawing, ceramics, and screen printing, allowing me to move fluidly between disciplines without being confined to a single medium. 

At the core of my work is an interest in visual impact. I aim to create pieces that immediately draw viewers in through composition, texture, and form. Aesthetic appeal serves as an entry point, an invitation to pause, look closer, and engage. Once that connection is made, I hope the work encourages deeper reflection, leaving space for personal interpretation rather than prescribing a fixed meaning.

Photography plays a significant role in my process, particularly through alternative printing methods. I am drawn to the unpredictable nature of these processes, every print is spontaneous in its own way. This sensibility carries into my sculptural work, where I experiment with a wide range of materials, often combining them in unconventional ways.

My influences are rooted in photography, sculpture, and cinematography. I am inspired by the way images can frame a moment, how objects can hold presence, and how visual narratives unfold through light and space. These influences inform not only what I create but how I approach making, thoughtfully, intuitively, and with attention to detail.

Creating has been a constant in my life since I was young. That early passion continues to shape my practice, pushing me to experiment, take risks, and remain open to new possibilities. Rather than seeking a singular style, I embrace variation and evolution, allowing my work to grow alongside my experiences.

Ultimately, my goal is to make work that resonates visually first, but lingers conceptually, pieces that invite curiosity, reward attention, and leave a lasting impression.

Art Movement Influence - Ishmael Adams - 4/9/2026

 

    Ishmael Adams 

    Professor Doris Cacilio 

    Studio Research 1 

    4/9/2026 

    The art style that connects the most with my most recent work is a mix expressionism and surrealism, specifically a great deal of Egyptian surrealism art and European centric expressionism. At it's core surrealism is about the unconscious mind, where the world inside your mind takes form through art. The difference between the European version and it's African counterpart is the latter's focus on anti fascism, colonial, social and economic inequality. These ideals were formed in 1938 by a group of Cairo based artists in response to the growing fascism of the Nazi party called the Art and Liberty. A group who spearheaded Egyptian Surrealism and later gave influence to Contemporary Art Group, another Egyptian surrealist art group.  A great deal of my work tends to lean on the side of mind bending irrationality, but once you look closer at the ideas registered within those said works there are huge anti war, anti colonialist and anti fascistic messages within. In terms of artwork akin to Egyptian surrealism my work features a great deal of elongated limbs, eyeballs and supernatural elements to allow the viewer to ponder not only the world around them, but their own imagination which tends to bleed into Expressionism. 

    The expressionism aspect of my work tends to veer more toward how my art takes shape as opposed to it's meaning, though as stated in the previous paragraph above there are Expressionistic elements that are intrinsically connected to my work and the idea of the unconscious mind bleeding into the everyday normalcy of the world is an idea that I've touch on in my past works. Expressionism at it's core is the idea of depicting personal emotions through artwork, and like my other art movement influence it's history also connects with the anti war, humanistic sentiment that was prevalent at the tail end of the first World War and it's aftermath. A message I've similarly expressed in my artist message detailing my want to showcasing the personal aftermath of people and events expressed through art. In terms of technical art the emphasis on elongated limbs, vibrant colors, emotionality and rough brush strokes is one to one in terms of  Expressionism. 

Laurent Marcel Salinas, Naissance (Birth), 1944, oil 

Ishmael S. Adams, Watchers, 2023, charcoal

Umbrella man at Sea, Peter Max, 2009, Mixed Media/ acrylic

Ishmael Adams, Sunny Days, 2025, oil 

Sources: 

https://www.parkwestgallery.com/blog/what-is-expressionism-art/

https://www.artforum.com/events/when-art-becomes-liberty-the-egyptian-surrealists-1938-1965-226839/

https://www.rogallery.com/artists/laurent-marcel-salinas/naissance/

ART HISTORY POST - Ricky Ochoa

I believe what best influences my own artwork is Romanticism. I am more attuned with the imagination, creativity, and subjectivity of it all. I often don't see art in a rational ideal of how the world is. Everything is subjective after all, when it comes to how we see and view the world. What I love about Romanticism is the point that emotions are important as well. We aren't purely logical beings and that is important as it's also tied to naturalism and preserving the past, compared to being cold and focusing on the future kind of thing. For my work, I take inspiration from Romanticism and add my own originality to it by using a lot of cool colors, while the warm colors are used for the audience to lend a hand.

The Third of May 1808 by Francisco Goya and Wanderer Above the Sea of Fog encapsulate Romanticism perfectly. The Third of May 1808 focuses on the depiction of the public execution of several Spaniards by Napoleonic troops. The painting is revolutionary in its unheroic treatment, the flatness of its perspective, and its matte, almost granular pigments. For Wanderer Above the Sea of Fog, it shows an aristocratic man stepping out upon a rocky crag as he surveys the landscape before him, with his back shown towards the viewer. It depicts a solitary figure standing as a byronic hero in an overwhelming landscape, overlooking and dominating the view.

The Third of May 1808, 1814, Francisco Goya

Wanderer Above the Sea of Fog, c. 1818, Caspar David Friedrich

Men are not Gods, Illustrator, Ricky Ochoa

Art History Movement - Andrew Diaz

The one movement I would have to pick is the Color Field movement. This movement is a form Abstract Expressionism. It was pioneered in the late 1940s by three abstract painters, Mark Rothko, Barnett Newman and Clifford Still who expressed a more immersive, smooth surfaces while rejecting figuration during the late 1940s and 1950s. This historical abstractionism featured large, stained, or painted of solid color, aiming for emotional, mythic, or purely aesthetic impact. I find this style of painting quite comforting in a way that just resonates with me on a personal level and taking these inspirations and putting it in my own creative ways to express my emotions with any different types of colors blend my feelings and the theme of my art accurately.

Lysander-1 by Jules Olitski (1970)

Orange and Yellow by Mark Rothko (1956)

These other two paintings are of my own work, I’m quite fond of the mixing in two or three colors together that fit the mood of my piece. In a way, I just express my love of color by incorporating a theme that works well together and giving the audience the narrative idea of my art, especially ideas that reflect calmness, tenderness, anxiety, fear, or even anger. Despite the fact I normally would draw figures, I can’t help but express colors in the background to give it a sense of a dramatic touch to it. 

Original work

Original work

Art Movement Post

 I view Dominican Costumbrism as the one of the foundational heartbeats of my visual identity, emerging in the late 19th and early 20th centuries as a movement dedicated to capturing the "essence" of daily life. It was born out of a profound need to define a Dominican aesthetic separate from colonial European standards, focusing intensely on the customs, folklore, and social realities of the rural and working classes. Pioneers like Adriana Billini and Leopoldo Navarro paved the way, but it was the arrival of Spanish exiles like José Vela Zanetti and the later mastery of Yoryi Morel that truly defined its spirit. Morel, in particular, is celebrated for his "spontaneous" brushwork and his ability to render the vibrant light and rhythm of the Cibao region, immortalizing scenes of local festivities, markets.

This movement is renowned for its rejection of academic rigidity in favor of a more visceral, emotional portrayal of the Dominican landscape and its people. It wasn't just about recording what was seen, but about celebrating the dignity of the peasant (el campesino) and the unique colorfulness of our Caribbean surroundings. The impact of Costumbrism was monumental; it provided a visual vocabulary for Dominican identity during a time of political transition and served as the precursor to the more abstract and surrealist movements that followed. In its aftermath, the movement left a legacy of "nationalist pride" that continues to influence modern artists who seek to bridge the gap between historical heritage and contemporary expression, ensuring that the "soul" of the island remains at the center of our artistic discourse.

Art History Post - Shayna Pullo

The art movement I feel most connected to is the Bauhaus movement. The Bauhaus movement did not create work that was only decorative but they believed design should be simple, clear, and useful. For example, they used basic shapes and clean lines to communicate ideas in a direct way. This movement changed how people see design, because it showed that design is not just about aesthetics, but also about purpose and structure.

Exhibition Poster 1923

For example in my GISHIKY designs, I focus on simplicity and purpose. I avoid unnecessary decoration and let space be part of the design. I feel drawn to Bauhaus because it reflects the way I approach my own work, I believe design should feel intentional. I try to create work that is bothmeaningful and visually clean.

GISHIKY packaging