Sam Francis

Untitled, 1984

106.7 X 73 inch

What is a triennial?

What is a triennial?

A triennial is a large-scale art exhibition that takes place every three years. These exhibitions often feature the latest artistic developments, works, and emerging artists on an international scale, involving major institutions from around the world. Triennials are significant events in the art world, offering a platform for contemporary art and fostering global cultural exchange.

Entropy

Entropy, in a broader sense, refers to the inevitable deterioration or decline of a society or system. In art, the concept was popularized by artist Robert Smithson in the 1960s. He used the term to critique what he saw as the static and overly simplified nature of contemporary minimalist art. Smithson's work often explored the idea of entropy as a force of chaos and decay, contrasting with the perceived order and purity of minimalist works.

New Figuration

Neo-Figurative Art is a collective term that refers to the revival of figurative art in America and Europe during the 1960s, following a period dominated by abstraction. Michel Ragon, a French art critic, argued that this resurgence of figuration occurred during a critical time of social and political upheaval in both regions.

Kitsch

Kitsch is a term used to describe cheap, commercial, sentimental, or vulgar art and objects commonly associated with popular culture. The word is borrowed from German, where it originally means trash. Since the 1920s, kitsch has been used to denote the opposite of high art, often implying that the work lacks sophistication or artistic merit.

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