Modernism vs. Postmodernism

In the early 20^th century the emergence of modernism made its arrival, which was the simplicity of reforming different cultural movements in architecture, art, music, and literature. The most important impact that shaped modernism was the industrial societies and rapid growth of cities after the devastations of WWI. Modernism changed traditional and cultural norms in society, therefore a new industrialized world produced new innovations of abstract art and divisionist painting. In the past where women had no ability to educate themselves or make decisions that would benefit them, this all will change in the modern era, especially in the early 20^th century where women fight for social and political rights. One of the most significant political reform movements was the women’s suffrage, which is the right of women to vote in elections, and let their voices be heard. This period is the start of women’s role in art and their acknowledgement of pure interest in art and society. Nevertheless women are constantly discriminated against, because of gender role and common stereotypes from white male Europeans that believe in the notion that a female could not exceed a male’s ability or talent. The power of the male gaze that continues to occur in modernism was predominantly white males, which always are given more recognition and opportunity. During early 20^th century women are given the opportunity to express their emotions and become whoever they wish to be, but the lack of resources and constant habit of common stereotypes resolve in women sticking with what they know and never challenging themselves to overcome patriarchy.

Very few female artists during modernism were seen as influential and notice for their excellence. A key female artist at the age of 22 in 1930 was Lee Krasner, which she illustrates her self-portrait as early traditional training of realism. Krasner has strong technical skill with her self-assuredness in the role of a female artist. Lee Krasner set a foundation of women in art and how to empower all females to have high standards and to capture their own reflection for enlightenment. In Chadwick’s text, he asserts, “Krasner and other women Abstract Expressionists were well aware of the operations of sexual difference within artistic practice. During the 1940s and 1950s, they confronted the widely held view that women “couldn’t paint.” Teachers like Hoffmann, following an example set earlier by Freud’s disciple, Havelock Ellis, believed that “only men had the wings for art.”” (323). This quote is a prime example of evidence of the belief that men were superior to women in every aspect in life, especially in art. The main conclusion of modernism is how the society was changing into a industrial transition of growth after the first World War, which gave women a better opportunity in society, but continuingly to come second to men. In the art world women were making progress and expressing their talents, but they were always subjected to male dominance and never taken seriously. 

 

             After the WWII modernism was in the past and the era of postmodernism became the new future for women. This movement was the characterization of technology and advancement of society, which developed new use of music, art and literature. Postmodernism questions the rationality of modernism, because postmodernism wanted to highlight the manipulation of society. The advancement of technology was prominent during this time, therefore the undergoing mechanism of advertising and machinery helped prosper new environmental growth. In the 1970s women were impacted by the debates of abortion and the international epidemic of AIDS, therefore these contributed to social and political controversy during this time period.  Issues such as sexuality, gender, ethnicity, and race all shaped female artists in a negative way, because postmodernism relied heavily on existing representations rather than inventing new styles. This led people to focus their attention on the ways sexual and cultural differences were reinforced through images. The way women were positioned in photographs was critiqued heavily as it depicted patriarchal power. Throughout the 1960s and 70s, at the end of the modernist period, we saw the second wave of feminism, which produced the first wave of feminist art. The sexism seen within the art world, was indicative of a larger, generalized misogyny, and through liberating and accessible forms of art such as performance, photography and film, women artists were able to express their dissatisfaction about gender roles. Cindy Sherman a postmodern female artist that is known for a series of 69 black and white photographs which were meant to subvert the stereotypes of women in media films. Her photographs reveal the instability of gender, and challenge the idea that there might be an innate female sexuality. She exposes the “real” woman behind the images that Western culture has already instilled in society through the use of film and advertising. She positioned herself within an art historical tradition that has for centuries objected the female body. In Chadwick’s text he illustrates, “Cindy Sherman’s (1954) photographs reveal the instability of gender, and challenges the idea that there might be an innate, unmediated female sexuality. She does this by exposing the fiction of a “real” woman behind the images that Western culture constructs for our consumption in films and advertising media”(383). The quote expresses how Cindy Sherman really used her art to challenge patriarchy and stop the use of women in roles of sexual objects or stereotypical gender roles. Women artist didn’t challenge the idea of male privilege over females; the feminist outlook used in art really takes place in postmodernism. 

 

 

 

Work Cited 

 

                                Chadwick, Whitney. Women, Art, and Society. Langara College, 2016