- One of the founders of the modern Dutch movement: De Stijl (de schtill)

(BRIEF HISTORY)
- Grew up in a Calvinist home (reformed Christianity; follows major practices)
- Mondrian was encouraged to pursue art by his family
- Father taught him to draw
- Uncle taught him to paint

- Much like society, (the new physics) his style changed w/the movement but adding his own abstract twist

*he was always pushing for a more abstract view of his art*

1905
- Painted landscapes = popular @ time
- He wanted to transform his artwork
- Landscapes revealed more drama and light
- This was when he was introduced to the Impressionists
- Dramatic change in his artwork: bold color and brushwork
- Influenced by Vincent van Gogh and Georges Seurat

"ALWAYS FURTHER" = HIS MOTTO; CONSTANTLY PUSHED HIMSELF

- Mondrian joined the Theosophical Society:
{Harmonious Universe}.
- Objects depicted in his art were FREED from naturalistic representation {TRUE-TO-LIFE STYLE} HIS WORK EPITOMIZES THIS THEORY
- reality/natural world MERGED with the spiritual message.
- He concentrated on depicting large forms in nature, such as the lighthouse in Westkapelle. (background image)
- Painting focused on forms and visual rhythms in nature.
- In 1910: Luminist work

- One of his last representational paintings
- Represented the summoning of a human and their journey to spiritualism.
Mondrian: Theosophy attempted to explain why science and religion can't give the answer to life’s mysteries.
- It was more of a philosophy that explained religion

- 1909 ~ 1914
- Pioneers of Nonobjective art: Kandinsky, Malevich, and
Mondrian.

- Nonobjective art: Abstract | does not rely on visual references to the world.

- They were all exposed to the early art movements of Cubism, Futurism, and Fauvism.

- Society was trying to figure out exactly what reality was and what they considered reality to be.
- NonObjective art deviated from reality, depicting real world subjects in other forms, that make it open for interpretation

- His drive to transform his art work "Always Further" led him to adapt the principles of Cubism to his own use
- Two versions of Still Life with Gingerpot
- 1911 –1912

1st version: Objects= recognizable
- Depictions of everyday life; common objects

- 2nd: He used geometric shapes and lines to create an abstract view.

- 2nd: The same objects were transformed into compositional structures using geometric shapes and lines for a more abstract view
- At this point in his life his drive toward abstraction was pushed further than ever before.
- He was revolutionary during his time. During each movement he pushed to remove the common forms from art and replace them with a general shape.
- Mondrian pushed himself for an abstract view that left art to be interpreted by the viewer.

- Cubism: turning point in his career
(involved with his theosopohical influence from previous)

1912: PARIS | Avant - Garde art
- Developed a style influenced by Picasso and Braque

- His style changed from Impressionism (art focused on the movement, light, and colors)

to the modern abstractions (a much less traditional representation of the common physical objects found in more traditional art)

Geometric order in the native landscape of his country
- Cubists’ limited color palette: brown, and gray
- Doesn't distract from form
- Cubist scheme of composition: Geometric divisions are used | gravitates toward a central focus, leaving the corners of the canvas: untouched
- Breaking objects into their individual parts
- Strived for a vision of reality that exceeded actually having to depict the object of interest:
- 1913 onward: His style began evolving toward total abstraction.

{1914}
- Mondrian went to the Netherlands(father was ill)
- WWI was starting: He couldn't return to Paris
M.H.J. Schoenmaekers: theosophical philosopher
- Work: symbolical meaning of lines "ideal geo. forms"
- Shoenmaekers influenced Mondrian’s vision of painting.
- Mondrian believed paintings provided a spiritual awakening for the viewer
{Theosophy’s goal: MERGE ART WITH LIFE.}
- Pier and Ocean marks the final stage of his Cubist style: an oval painting composed of black vertical and horizontal line fragments on a white background.

MEANS: THE STYLE {in dutch}
- Advocated the complete rejection of reality in paintings
DE STIJL (The Style): Avant-garde movement, artists that were a part of this movement wanted to create pure abstract art that could be interpreted by anyone. - Neoplasticism(NEW ART): free art from representing a visual moment in time

- This style emerged in response to aftermath of WWI
- Social and spiritual d redemption
Utopian, ideal universe
- All about searching for the Universal because the individual was losing significance
- Mondrian revolutionized this field with his abstract art and his pushing away from visual reality.

- The movement was started in 1917
- The advocates of this movement were devoted to the use of primary colors, and straight lines.
- Mimicked the Art Deco style of the 20's
Art deco influenced art of all kinds: Used geometric shapes and streamlined forms

- Became known as the "ultimate style" and has been seen traveling through the decades and prevalent in later works of art

De Stijl was soon being noticed in all other art forms like architecture, became the "international style"

- Mondrian's most popular piece, he created a few others with variations in the lines and position of color, but overall, they are similar.

- He finally reached the point of abstraction where his work was free of reality and represented only the new modern idea of pure abstract forms.

Mondrian's abstract work was a source of inspiration in the fashion industry for decades even after his death

His art was used as backdrops for photoshoots in magazines
he essentially developed his own "brand": his trademark use of primary colors and lines was a highly recognizable aesthetic in the fashion circle, his work was appealing to countries across the world.

Much Like Mondrian he was a revolutionary in the fashion industry.

He started out working for Dior, making dresses for him.

In the 1960's, he started his own fashion house and was becoming a leader in the fashion industry.

During this time there was an interest in new fresh designs and Saint Laurent contributed to this desire in the public by putting out new and innovative designs that were breaking through the boundaries of fashion.

He was a connoisseur of art, he loved beauty and the beauty to be found in art. He had a large collection and took much of his inspiration from art

- Much like Mondrian, who was always pushing the boundaries of art, YSL was constantly pushing the boundaries of fashion, woman outfitted in suits

Art and fashion collaboration {Piet Mondrian and Yves Saint Laurent}
The iconic A-line shift ‘Mondrian Dress’ was released during the autumn season of 1965.

Both Mondrian and YSL kept at it, continued to invent, and create new works of art.
YSL was an icon of his time, and like Mondrian, they both have continued to be influences among the arts for centuries after their times.