- May 15
- 4 min read

Radical Change in Style

Updated: May 16

There are artists whose work has changed radically in style, medium or subject matter at some point in their career, their motivation for change, the challenges that these presented and the ways in which the artist tackled them.

Pablo Picasso: Picasso is perhaps one of the most famous examples of an artist who underwent radical stylistic changes throughout his career. He began as a relatively traditional painter in the late 19th century, but his encounter with African and Iberian art, as well as his involvement with the Cubist movement, led to a dramatic shift in his style. Picasso's motivation for change was rooted in his desire to push the boundaries of artistic expression and explore new ways of representing the world. The challenges he faced included criticism from traditionalists and the need to break free from established conventions. However, Picasso tackled these challenges by embracing experimentation and innovation, constantly pushing himself to explore new techniques and ideas.

Willem de Kooning: De Kooning was a Dutch-American artist associated with the Abstract Expressionist movement. Early in his career, he was known for his figurative paintings, but in the late 1940s and early 1950s, he began to transition towards abstraction. This marked a significant departure from his previous work and posed challenges in terms of finding a new visual language and communicating ideas without figuration. De Kooning's motivation for change stemmed from his desire to capture the essence of human experience in a more visceral and immediate way. To tackle these challenges, he immersed himself in the process of experimentation, allowing his intuition and spontaneity to guide his artistic practice.

Georgia O'Keeffe: O'Keeffe is best known for her iconic paintings of enlarged flowers, New York skyscrapers, and landscapes of the American Southwest. However, earlier in her career, she experimented with various styles and subjects, including abstraction and still life. O'Keeffe's motivation for change was driven by her desire to find her own voice as an artist and express her unique perspective on the world. The challenges she faced included breaking away from the dominant artistic trends of her time and establishing herself as a pioneering female artist. O'Keeffe tackled these challenges by embracing solitude and introspection, allowing herself the freedom to explore her own artistic vision without external influences.

Mark Rothko: Rothko initially began his career as a figurative painter, but he later transitioned to abstract expressionism, for which he became renowned. His motivation for change stemmed from a desire to convey profound emotional and spiritual experiences through colour and form. The challenges he faced included finding a new visual language that could effectively communicate his innermost thoughts and feelings. Rothko tackled these challenges by immersing himself in the process of abstraction, experimenting with colour relationships, and developing his signature style of large-scale, colour-field paintings.

Louise Bourgeois: Bourgeois is known for her work in sculpture, installation, and mixed media, but her artistic practice underwent significant changes throughout her career. Early on, she explored themes of trauma, memory, and the body through figurative sculpture, but later in life, she began to incorporate more abstract and conceptual elements into her work. Her motivation for change was rooted in a desire to confront her personal demons and explore new ways of expressing her innermost thoughts and emotions. The challenges she faced included reconciling her past with her present, as well as finding new ways to communicate her ideas without relying on figuration. Bourgeois tackled these challenges by embracing experimentation, introspection, and a willingness to confront her own vulnerabilities in her art.

Andy Warhol: Warhol is best known for his iconic pop art images of consumer products, celebrities, and everyday objects, but his artistic practice underwent significant changes over time. Early in his career, he worked as a commercial illustrator, but he later transitioned to fine art and became a leading figure in the pop art movement. His motivation for change was driven by a desire to challenge traditional notions of art and elevate popular culture to the status of high art. The challenges he faced included criticism from the art establishment and the need to balance commercial success with artistic integrity. Warhol tackled these challenges by embracing mass production techniques, blurring the boundaries between art and commerce, and creating works that reflected the changing landscape of post-war America.

Vincent van Gogh: Van Gogh's artistic career is characterized by dramatic shifts in style and technique. He began as a realist painter influenced by Dutch masters such as Rembrandt, but he later transitioned to a more expressive and colorful style, marked by bold brushwork and heightened emotion. His motivation for change was driven by a desire to convey his inner turmoil and explore the spiritual essence of the world around him. The challenges he faced included mental illness, financial hardship, and criticism from his contemporaries. Van Gogh tackled these challenges by immersing himself in his work, experimenting with new techniques, and channelling his emotions into his art. But in the end, these challenges killed him.

Jackson Pollock: Pollock is best known for his revolutionary drip painting technique, which he developed in the late 1940s. This marked a radical departure from his earlier work, which was more figurative and influenced by surrealism and Native American art. His motivation for change was rooted in a desire to break free from traditional painting methods and explore new ways of creating art. The challenges he faced included mastering the drip technique and overcoming skepticism from the art world. Pollock tackled these challenges by embracing spontaneity, physicality, and the act of painting itself as a form of expression.

Marina Abramović: Abramović is known for her pioneering work in performance art, which often explores themes of endurance, vulnerability, and the limits of the body. Over the course of her career, she has experimented with various forms of performance, from durational pieces to interactive works involving audience participation. Her motivation for change is driven by a desire to push the boundaries of performance art and explore new ways of engaging with her audience. The challenges she faces include physical and emotional exhaustion, as well as the logistics of organizing large-scale performances. Abramović tackles these challenges by embracing risk, vulnerability, and a willingness to confront her own limitations in her art.

Me:

Motivation for change: search for understending

The challenges: physical and emotional exhaustion, criticism from his contemporaries, reconciling past with her present,

Tackling these challenges: Reflection, constant work, experiments