Amazing America: Arts and Music

Arts

Arts include painting, drawing and sculpture.

At the begining, American art was really close to european art. During the colonial time the only kind of painting was the portrait.

This is the most famous one, George Washington by Gilbert Stuart, also known as The Athenaeum and The Unfinished Portrait, 1796, is his most celebrated and famous work.

Since the eighteenth century, the main topics in painting were history and everyday life.

For example we have The Bath, by Mary Cassatt

The twentieth century was divided on three periods.

In the first one, in the early 20th century, the realism was the most important trend, with examples as Edward Hopper and Thomas Hart Benton.

Edward Hopper's Morning Sun

The second period, in the mid 20th century, was strongly influenced by modern European art after the World War II. It was represented by abstract art.
One of the most important trends of the period was abstract expressionism, exemplified by the inventor of action painting, Jackson Pollock.

Another important trend of the period was pop art, it was led by Andy Warhol.

Jackson Pollock painting

Andy Warhol's Campbell's Soup and Marilyn Monroe

The third period was led by photorealism with artists such as Chuck Close and Richard Estes.

Sunday afternoon in the park, by Richard Estes.

Music

The first musical expressions in the US were created by Native American people.

Music in the US is influenced by immigrants that arrived to the territory on the 17th century. Immigrants came from United Kingdom, Ireland, Spain, Germany and France.

Many musical styles were born in the US, and the most important are the following:

Blues

Blues were born among African-American communities of primarily the Deep South of the US at the end of 19th Century. The term "the blues" refers to the "blue devils", meaning melancholy and sadness.

Some important blues singers and composers are Bessie Smith, Muddy Waters, John Lee Hooker and B.B. King.

B.B. King

Bessie Smith

Jazz

It was born out of a confluence of African and European music traditions. The term Jazz began as a West Coast slang term and was first used to refer to music in Chicago about 1915.

Some famous jazz players are Louis Armstrong, Chuck Mangione, Freddie Hubbard and Charlie Parker.

The Save Brubeck Quartet's Take Five

Country Music

Is a popular American musical style that began in the Southern United States in the 1920s.

The main instruments used in country music are the fiddle, guitar and banjo. Country music was created by African-Americans and European-Americans.

Some important country musicians are Vernon Dalhart, the North Carolina Ramblers, Roy Acuff, Johnny Cash, Jim Reeves.

Roy Acuff's Wabash Cannonball

Rock

Rock was an urban style that started its popular period as Rock & Roll, and it became completely popular with Elvis Presley. From Rock & Roll and many other music styles were also born very popular genres such as Heavy Metal, Hard Rock and Punk Rock.

Elvis Presley's Jailhouse Rock

Rock & Roll all night by KISS

Twisted Sister's I wanna rock

Pop

Pop music is commercially recorded music, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.

The US is home to many pop icons, such as Michael Jackson, Madonna, Britney Spears, Lady Gaga and young pop musicians as Miley Cirus, Selena Gomez and Demi Lovato.

Bad by Michael Jackson