Formalism first pops its head onto the scene with Georges Braque and Picasso.

piet mondrian georges braque alexander calder I. FORMALISM. Formalism first pops its head onto the scene with Georges Braque and Picasso. Working closely for some years, these two revolutionary artists draw away from Impressionism and create a new movement known as Cubism. Here modern art leaps away from content and into formalism, a new concept many new artists toy with. With Braque and Picasso at the reins, Cubism becomes very popular. New artists toy with …

…experience of making art was the art, not the finished product. Jean Tinguely was also a big supporter of this new wave of art. His Homage to New York machine, a contraption that's purpose was to self destruct embodied the period wonderfully. Spectators cheered as the machine was "set free" and exploded, not quite as intended, requiring firmen to put out the flames. Perhaps the unpredictability was the very thing that made it a success.