Modernism

• Modernism - A style/movement in the arts (painting, sculpture, architecture, literature, poetry etc.) that challenged traditional and classical forms.

•  We might think of this as beginning in the late 1800's. Roughly occurred between 1875 and the mid- 1900's.

• Put very simply, the argument is that artists etc. believed that art needed to change to reflect the change in society - which was becoming more modern, industrial, secular (non-religious) and rational (ideas based on reason and science as opposed to religion).

Modernist Art


• Modernist art challenged the realism and illusion of the romantic era and was often abstract.



(Modernism)

 

(Romanticism art)



• Modernism is self conscious and let to experimentation - artists'
• Paintings draw attention to themselves and the materials used ie the blob of paint. - E.g. Jackson Pollock.



The blob of paint

Modernist Architecture

• This skyscraper, the seagram building in New York (19556-58 by Ludwig van der Rohe's) became the archetypal modernist building.

The Seagram Building

• Modernist architects and designers believed that buildings should be practically designed - as opposed to decorative churches or cathedrals in the past.

• Modernist designers typically rejected decoration in design, preffering to emphasise the materials used and pure geometrical forms.

 Modernist Literature

• Modernist literature is a sub-genre of modernism - characterised by writing that was utopian, positive and reflected great developments int he field of political theory, philosophy and psychoanalysis.

• But after World War 2, the writing reflected disillusionist and a lack of trust in government and religion, and displayed the fears of a darker side of humanity. (eg T S Eliot's Wasteland)
• T S Eliot - poet
• EM Forester - novelist
• James Joyce - novelist and poet - Ulysses and Homer's Odyssey
• D H Lawrence - novelist, poet, playright - Lady Chatterley's Lover

Modernism

• Some argue we moved on to the postmodern age - from the period following the end of the 2nd World War. This is contentious though  - many critics and academics would argue that postmodernism is just a late stage of modernism.

• Self-comciousness/self-reflexivity.
• Alternate ways of thinking about representation - rejecting traditional approaches.
• Rejection of realism.
• Experimentation.
• Fragmentation in form and representation.
• Modernism challenged the status quo.
• Modernism retained a belief that rationality and reason were the key to progress.

• Self-reflexivity. (drawing attention to itself as art)
• Rejecting traditional ideas about realism and experimenting with representation.