Sandra Song

Precisionism is often referred to as the first “[homegrown](https://www.artnews.com/art-news/news/critics-diary-june-2018-10914/)” American avant-garde movement, despite there never being a manifesto. In this sense, you could also consider them a loosely affiliated group of like-minded artists throughout the ‘20s and ‘30s, who pioneered an abstracted modernist style associated with what’s now referred to as “[The Machine Age](http://pastexhibitions.guggenheim.org/motorcycle/motorcycle/1922-1929.html#:~:text=The%20aftermath%20of%20this%20far,an%20outburst%20of%20artistic%20creativity.).” However, the Precisionists weren’t actually part of a formally organized movement, meaning there’s some flexibility when it comes to defining the “Precisionist” aesthetic. As a more individualist style though, it can be hard to identify So if you’re looking to buy an homage to America’s first avant-garde moment and don’t know where to start, we’ve assembled a little cheat sheet with some examples from Cohart to help you out with the core basics.

#### How can I recognize a Precisionist work?

Precisionism references the United States emerging as a global industrial powerhouse around the 1920s, so it was all about modernization, industrialization, and mechanization. Primarily inspired by shiny machines and man-made structures, artists tried to mimic these utilitarian forms and designs through the use of hard outlines, geometric shapes, and smooth surfaces. 

Living during an era of prosperity and progress, Precisionists worked with bright, optimistic colors like bold reds, yellows, and oranges, while using color contrast to add depth to their depictions of urban structures. Think skyscrapers, bridges, factories, and highways that were then broken down into single-color shapes, with little to no detail. Even scenes from rural America were crisp and clean, with many of these artists choosing subjects like barns and grain elevators. 

#### Machines and buildings, gotcha. But where did the idea of painting factories come from? 

If you’ve already read our [Cubism explainer](https://www.cohart.com/news/what-is-cubsim), you’ll know that its use of fragmented geometric shapes was the starting point for a lot of [other modernist movements](https://magazine.artland.com/art-movements-precisionism/#:~:text=Precisionist%20artworks%20are%20characterised%20by,famous%20name%20associated%20with%20Precisionism.). Some of these subsequent movements also inspired the Precisionists, who were also influenced by Orphism’s fixation on pure form and Italian Futurism’s dynamic depictions of technology.

That said, their main aesthetic inspiration came from a new class of American art photographers, who were experimenting with lighting, angles, cropping, and sharp focus. With an emphasis on form and technique, these photographers used the objectivity of the mechanical eye to view the world in a clinical and detached way. The Precisionists, obviously, adopted this attitude as well, hence their preference for smokestacks over human subjects.

It’s also worth noting, however, that there were several prominent Precisionists, who supposedly used their work [to critique the dehumanization](https://www.widewalls.ch/magazine/precisionism-art-history) that comes with technology.

#### What artists and artworks should I know about?

Since we just talked about photos, let’s start with Paul Strand’s “[Wall Street](https://whitney.org/collection/works/7841).” It’s 1915, and a bunch of men are walking past the new J.P. Morgan & Co. building on their morning commute. Except they’re just faceless guys in bowler hats, completely overshadowed by this giant geometric structure that’s an American symbol of financial power. 

Painter and photographer Charles Sheeler is also an important name to know, as his 1922 painting “[Skyscrapers](https://www.phillipscollection.org/collection/skyscrapers)” is considered one of the most notable Precisionist paintings. Meanwhile,  his 1927 photograph of the newly built Ford plant near Detroit, “[Criss-Crossed Conveyors, River Rouge Plant, Ford Motor Company](https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/265132).”

There’s also Georgia O’Keeffe, who’s best known for her desert flower paintings. Before she started going to New Mexico in 1929 though, O’Keeffe was very much a Precisionist while living in New York with photographer and gallerist, Alfred Stieglitz. Just take a look at her 1927 painting, “[Radiator Building — Night, New York](https://www.georgiaokeeffe.org/radiator-building-at-night/).” Notably, Stieglitz — who also happened to be O’Keeffe’s husband — is [credited](https://www.theartstory.org/movement/precisionism/#:~:text=It%20is%20not%20clear%20who,New%20York%20City%2C%20in%201927.) with introducing European modernism to America via his gallery.

Last but not least is Charles Demuth, whose “[I Saw the Figure 5 in Gold](https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/488315)” is probably one of the most famous Precisionist works out there. Part of a series of symbolic “portraits,” the 1928 rendering of poet William Carlos Williams as the number “5” tells you everything you need to know about the Precisionists’ opinion on the human form.

#### Why does Precisionism matter in art history?
 
Speaking of “I Saw the Figure 5 in Gold,” Demuth’s iconic painting was a particularly important influence for proto-Pop artists like Jasper Johns and Pop artist Robert Indiana, both of whom were interested in his technique and choice of subject matter. 

In addition to Pop Art, Precisionism also influenced several other modernist movements. Among the most prominent are American Scene Painting, which is best represented by Edward Hopper’s “[Nighthawks](https://www.artic.edu/artworks/111628/nighthawks),” and Abstract Art, with its stylized abstractions and minimal details.

#### Are there some examples of Precisionist-inspired pieces on Cohart?

Of course! [Ed Wino](https://www.cohart.com/u/fakeedwino) has an entire collection of paintings like “[1bd/bth 9th ward high rise condo, no street access 350,000/mo](https://www.cohart.com/artworks/4721),” a dystopian rendering of a deserted condo, as commentary on the rising cost of real estate and the lack of affordable housing in America. [Merryn Trevethan](https://www.cohart.com/u/merryntrevethan)’s focus on the evolving structure of urban environments and cities — for better or worse — is reflected within works like “[Until Further Notice 2](https://www.cohart.com/artworks/626)” and “[Until Further Notice 3](https://www.cohart.com/artworks/544),” while [Cristo](https://www.cohart.com/u/nymetro)’s “[Hypnosis](https://www.cohart.com/artworks/9471)” and “[Buena ingeniería](https://www.cohart.com/artworks/9465)” depict urbanity through dizzying angles and unsettling patterns, providing another melancholy perspective on man-made structures. We’d also recommend taking a look at the building captured by photographers like [bdx](https://www.cohart.com/u/bdx/artworks), [Thanh-Huyen Nguyen-Hoang](https://www.cohart.com/u/bokuwabo), and [Charles Owen](https://www.cohart.com/u/cropraw).

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Cohart's own cheat sheet on Precisionism, the first “homegrown” American avant-garde movement

Cohart 101: Precisionism

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