Network Analysis Exploration

MoMA Inventing Abstraction 1910-1925

MoMA’s Inventing Abstraction is a network analysis of artists that were involved in abstraction’s emergence from the years 1910-1925. The site maintains that this movement was not the product of one artistic genius but that of dozens of artists from across the world. This analysis demonstrates that the field was not only shaped by each artist’s individual contributions but, more so, by their relationships with each other.

Nodes represent artists who were involved in the abstraction movement. Edges are relationships among artists documented at some point during the years 1910-1925. Artists with many connections are highlighted in red as opposed to white.

Site Navigation

To interact with the site, users can select a node (individual artist) and the map will reconfigure to focus on the artist, isolate their personal acquaintances, and provide their respective metadata with a split screen. By clicking on a node, users are able to see the artist’s name, lifespan, images of their work, birthplace, places worked, and interests (focuses of their work). If the selected name is red, below their metadata is a written description of their contributions to abstraction. Hovering over a node enlarges the name label and highlights its corresponding edges.

For the default setting in space, nodes appear to be organized geographically by where the artists worked. Artists in the United States are on the left side of the map, artists in Russia on the right, the UK and Netherlands above, France and Spain in the center, and Italy below. The nodes of artists who worked multiple places are in between the extremes.

Reflection

I enjoyed exploring this site. My elementary school had a program called “Art in Action” which allowed kids once a month to learn about art history with art projects, history lessons, and related snacks. My mom was a volunteer and dressed up as Pablo Picasso with a tiny mustache. While this association is distant in my personal network analysis, it was fun to have a full circle moment now in college pursuing humanistic inquiry like I did when I was making my own contributions to abstraction at the age of eight but this time doing so digitally (still with snacks).