Art Encyclopedia - Movement

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Movement
In sculpture, movement refers to the internal tensions existing among the parts of a sculpture. Movement also describes transitional situations between one form and another. Movement refers to a formal aspect, while motion refers to actual movement such as changing place or changing a posture. Movement in sculpture may be real, or implied as in kinetic sculpture.

In painting, movement is the flow, rythm and direction that leads the eye across the painting from one point to another, with an impression of continued harmony. It is found in both figurative and nonfigurative painting.

In art, movement can also mean a tendency or style in art with a specific common philosophy or goal, followed by a group of artists during a restricted period of time, or, at least, with the heyday of the movement more or less strictly so restricted. Art movements were especially important in modern art, where each consecutive movement was considered as a new avant-garde. Movements have almost entirely disappeared in contemporary art, where individualism and diversity prevail.