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The unexpected juxtaposition of ordinary objects is a hallmark of which art movement?

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juxtaposition

American  

[juhk-stuh-puh-zish-uhn] / ˌdʒʌk stə pəˈzɪʃ ən /

noun

• juxtapositions
  plural

1. 

   an act or instance of placing close together or side by side, especially for comparison or contrast.

2. the state of being close together or side by side.

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• juxtapositional
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• juxtapositions
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of juxtaposition

First recorded in 1655–65; from French, from Latin juxtā “near, bordering, side by side” + French position position; cf. joust ( def. )

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Explanation

If a waiter served you a whole fish and a scoop of chocolate ice cream on the same plate, your surprise might be caused by the juxtaposition, or the side-by-side contrast, of the two foods. Any time unlike things bump up against each other, you can describe it as a juxtaposition. Imagine a funeral mourner telling jokes graveside, and you get the idea — the juxtaposition in this case is between grief and humor. Juxtaposition of two contrasting items is often done deliberately in writing, music, or art — in order to highlight their differences.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

juxtaposition juxtapositions

It should have been a precursor to a gratifying final bill, one notable for its unusual juxtaposition: Elgar’s “Enigma” Variations followed by Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 4.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 12, 2026

Here’s where the band generates a fascinating juxtaposition: part of “Escrito en Agua” is recorded in a lo-fi style, with rough-around-the-edges moments — like the kind of teen barrio band that you feel protective of.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 26, 2026

I don’t know how to make those facts, that awful juxtaposition, clean, and I have stopped trying.

From Salon ● Aug. 5, 2026

“I think the juxtaposition is the point,” Orchison said.

From Slate ● Jun. 25, 2026

What composers could impose instead of incremental change were more abrupt contrasts of loud and soft, like the juxtaposition of light and shade, chiaroscuro, in painting.

From "The Story of Music" by Howard Goodall

Mr. Romm emphasizes this through close juxtapositions: From Diphilus, a fourth-century comic writer, we learn that “time is a strange craftsman; it refashions all of us but makes us always worse.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 8, 2026

Loïc Gouzer, a former Christie’s rainmaker who created the app six years ago, said ensconcing Banksy inside a luxury jeweler nodded to the artist’s preference for high-low juxtapositions.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 21, 2026

He followed it with a succession of intensely theatrical divertissements, often revolving around unexpected intellectual conceits or bizarre juxtapositions and featuring brilliant dialogue, puns, repartee, double meanings and misunderstandings.

From BBC ● Nov. 29, 2025

Could we then define L.A. music as simply be music of, and open to, juxtapositions?

From Los Angeles Times ● May 16, 2025

The loveliest scenes, he found, were comprised of the simplest, most natural juxtapositions of native plants.

From "The Devil in the White City" by Erik Larson

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