American Musical Modernism and the American Symphony School

I have to admit I didn't really like any of the songs or melodies presented as American Musical Modernism. They seemed to me rather annoying and senseless. I usually love American music, but I'm more a Jazzy person: Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Louis Prima, Louis Armstrong  Ella Fitzgerald, Ray Charles, or even Cole Porter are my beloved ones, but American Musical Modernism doesn't speak to me... a bunch of sound awfully and repetitively arranged with no so great voices to accompany them are not a good combination for me!

American Modernist Painters

I didn't really like any of the American Modernist painters, except for a couple of them: Georgia O'Keeffe and Gerald Murphy are the only painters I could save from the whole list!

I think that O'Keeffe paintings are really subtle, relaxing and sublime. The color composition she uses is always delightful and assertive, and, at the same time she can prove to master several styles... she's eclectic!

Murphy has some really interesting and precise compositions in his own amazing style!

American Scene, Precisionist, and Regionalist Painters

Edward Hopper's paintings are somehow uncanny: there's something strange in the atmosphere that his works create, but it still looks familiar... His style is sometimes beyond description, I really loved his paintings!

Hopper's 'Nighthawks'

Ben Shahn can sometimes resemble Hopper's work, but I think Shahn is way too disturbing.

Shahn's 'Liberation' ... quite disturbing

Isabel Bishop's paintings are steady and calm; they make your senses relax in a really sublime way!

Bishop's 'Men Resting'

However, Bishop's friend Reginald Marsh is not really my style... his paintings are too disgusting and disturbing!

Marsh's 'The Bowl'

Ivan Albright's paintings are indeed really precise: they're busy and overwhelming, sometimes they're even alarming!

Albright's 'Poor Room'

I really liked all Charles Sheeler's pieces of work, but 'City Interior' really impressed me! What a realistic painting! *Hats off*

'City Interior'

Demuth can get really interesting and modern, speacially in 'I saw the Figure 5 in Gold', but he doesn't speak to me like other artists do.

'I saw the Figure 5 in Gold'

In general, I didn't really like the Regionalist paintings because I don't even like farms landscapes or farm animals in real life. However I think that Rockwell Kent's seascapes and polar landscapes ate great! Some paintings that stand out from the rest! In addition, I think that Grandma Moses's paintings are cute, she has a style that I would never paint, but anyway I think her work is cute!

I've always thought that Wood's 'American Gothic' is disturbing..
his other paintings are more charming and stylized, though

Thomas Hart Benton is indeed different from the rest of the American artists we've been reviewing. I liked his paintings because they're energetic and quite imaginative, sometimes even alarming!

Hart Breton's 'Cut the Line'

The Eight and the Ashcan School

The Eight and the Ashcan School painters are not really aesthetically similar from one another and thus, the reactions to their work should be done individually for each member:

Robert Henri's work doesn't give too much to talk about. I think it is great that the chose to portray not only celebrities or 'important' people, but normal citizens that were around him; he showed the world the faces of America! If you're looking for paintings that portray a certain period of American History for your sociology class, these are the ones you should be looking for. However, I didn't really like his style or technique... I think his paintings are not really special (aesthetically and stylistically speaking).

Henri's 'Willie Gee'

William Glackens, George Luks and Everett Shinn  all portrayed the glorious and innovative city of New York, and I guess they were trying to express their love to their city; nevertheless, they didn't make New York look like an inviting or amazing place; they give the city that never sleeps a somber look that did't please me at all! (I have to point out that Luks' black bear sketches are great and Shinn's style is somehow more appealing to eye even if it doesn't make New York look in its best shape)

Glackens' 'East River Park'

Luks' 'Street Scene'

Shinn's 'Washington Square'

John Sloan's paintings, in my opinion, portray much more interesting scenes than any Glackens', Luks' or Shinn's works.

Sloan's 'Pigeons' reminds me of a scene of Mary Poppins

This cat steals 'Chinese Restaurant'

Finally, I think that George Bellow made the most interesting work -even if he wasn't really a member of the Eight- because he used various styles and techniques, and even though the subject matters of his paintings don't differ a lot from the works  the rest of the members, Bellows seems to me more spontaneous and creative.

Bellow's 'Both members of the club'

'Blue Snow, The Battery'