Post 3

Modernism/Postmodernism

Through the years art has changed immensely. Through different eras came different ideas and technologies. Therefore, art was subject to change. As we as a society changed so did the art and the depiction of what art is. Great changes were seen in early 20th century as the Industrial Revolution came to a screeching halt.

Modernism brought a great change in how we view and create art. Art prior to the 19th century was very confined. The art prior to the Industrial Revolution came with a purpose: to inform the viewer. Most art wasn’t as expressive and emotional. It depicted Religious scenes, or in action war shots, all of which “told stories intended to instruct the viewer.”(MOMA). These paintings were often bought by churches and rich folk, but with great technological change came a new way of life. Painters started expressing themselves in much different ways, using symbolism and color to immerse the viewer into the artist’s psych. This broke boundaries, showing that art didn’t have to be such a confined thing. It didn’t have to be completely realistic and true to what we see in this world. 

A primary example modernism is Vincent van Gogh’s ‘The Starry Night’. It throws away the old ideas of art having to be realistic and informative. It rather expresses Vincent’s depiction of a starry night overlooking a small village. This piece is probably the most well-known example of modernism.

https://mymodernmet.com/what-is-modern-art-definition/

Women artists played a huge role in this change, their modern and abstract work changed how we perceive art. One primary woman expressionist was Gabriele Munter. Trained by Kandinsky, Gabriele was on the forefront of German expressionism creating works like Jawlensky and Werefkin, Paar in Interieur, and Breakfast of the Birds.  

This painting is Jawlensky and Werefkin painted in 1908 by Gabrielle Munter. It is a prime example of German Expressionism that she was famously known for. It depicts a woman and man picnicking on a hill. https://uploads7.wikiart.org/images/gabriele-munter/jawlensky-and-werefkin-1908(1).jpg

Another prominent woman to break grounds was Sonia Delaunay and her abstract work. Her work started as abstract paintings with great depth and color. But working alongside her husband, Sonia transitioned to decorative abstract art. Chadwick states “Delaunay's work with textiles and embroidery encouraged her to break down forms and emphasize surface structure. She quickly began"(Chadwick 260). A great example of her abstract work is the oil painting Simultaneous Contrasts (https://www.museothyssen.org/en/collection/artists/delaunay-sonia/simultaneous-contrasts). She and her husband were active Dada contributors, becoming huge icons in the modernism movement.  

This Sonia Delaunay piece is called Swimsuits and was produced in 1928. This work demonstrates the influence she has in the many areas of art. Reflecting her Modern Art to create the swim pieces above was a ground breaking feat. https://katedaviesdesigns.com/2015/02/09/sonia-delaunay-the-dress-of-the-future/

The influence of women on Surrealism is the most dramatic. Chadwick states “No artistic movement since the nineteenth century has celebrated the idea of woman and her creativity as passionately as did Surrealism during the 1920s and 1930s.”(Chadwick 309). This came as a result to the movements anti academic stance. At the time, women weren’t allowed to use the same academic resources as men, so this came as a huge outlet for them.

Banksy is one of the most famous Post-modern artists. This piece called Flower Bomber is a prime example of what postmodernism is about. It creates juxtaposition between something bad and good. Thus challenging what we know and what we believe to be true. The art work Flower Bomber depicts a man throwing a bouquet of flowers instead of a weapon or bomb. http://www.onpostmodernism.com/art

Post Modernism came during the late 20th century and brought some very different ideas. Postmodernism generally contradicts Modernism. It is much less aesthetically pleasing and isn’t the type of work that will just please the eye. Postmodern art brings a sense that we are living in a fantasy and that we need to reject the things that we believe are truths.

Feminist ideals played a huge role in Postmodernism. A prime example being the work done by Barbara Kruger, who manipulates the way women are objectified in her use of text with pictures. This is described in great detail by Chadwick, “She emphasizes the ways in which language manipulates and undermines the assumption of masculine control over language and viewing, by refusing to complete the cycle of meaning, and by shifting pronouns in order to expose the positioning of woman as "other." (Chadwick 382). The work done by women in the postmodern era yielded liberating results. This pushed boundaries on exposing lies and breaking clichés. Women use postmodern expression as an outlet to revolt against the male ruling of past art. The effects of this era are described in the Guerrilla Girls’ Bedside Companion, “In the current postmodern era, more kinds of art practice and more kinds of artists are accepted and written into the historical record. This is creating a truer, richer picture of the present and the past.”(Guerrilla Girls’ 90). This yielded great advances and a whole new approach of how women can affect art.

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This Barbara Kruger piece in an act of feminism through a postmodern lense. Using art to display and show an idea is one of the many good things brought from postmodernism. This work is a great example of it.

http://www.arthistoryarchive.com/arthistory/feminist/Barbara-Kruger.html

Modernism and Postmodernism brought two very different genres of work. These ideas are reflective of the time period and the status of society at the time. Yet, both eras were heavily affected and influenced by women artists. The work done by women during these times was no different in quality than that of the famous men artists.  

Works Cited

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

Guerilla Girls. The Guerilla Girls' bedside Companion to the History of Western Art .

“MoMA.” What Is Modern Art, www.moma.org/.