“Painting today is pure intuition and luck and taking advantage of what happens when you splash the stuff down. “- Francis Bacon. However when I learnt more about history of art and the way each movement and happenings in the world inspired artist to make new works, I was able to see much more than just a canvas with random paints and sketches. The interesting part about this concept is that each piece of art could be interpreted in many different ways. In contemporary art there isn’t right and wrong, each of us view and find different meanings and connections with artworks. The beginning of 20th century was a time of drastic change. New developments were made in the arenas of the classical sciences, social science, psychology and philosophy - each challenging traditional thought. Industrialization and the introduction of many new, challenging concepts in the fields of politics as well as the development of new technologies gave artist more freedom to innovate and break the rules of traditional art. By using new materials, techniques and the new approach artists were pushing boundaries of what has previously been accepted art practice in order to invent radically new styles. Modernism was a broad period surrounding many movements. It covered from 1860 to 1970. This movement challenged the traditional thinking with the aim to change the way artists represented the world. Modernism refers to this
“Modernism was a cultural movement that was based on the idea of artistically re- creating new, unique, and radical forms of expression. In regard to music and modernism, jazz and Bebop were considered a part of this category due to the way in which these musical modes created new aesthetics, techniques, and a major cultural effect.”
Modernism is a period in which technological advancements have been made and refers to cultural and aesthetic responses;
Art in the nineteenth century can be described as very traditional, similar, romantic, and simple. Stepping into the twentieth century, artists turned to color, angles, and new incredibly unconventional styles. Major art forms such as cubism, futurism, fauvism, non-objective, and the international style were born. Artists became more creative and inspired by the new age. All three styles rejected the traditional ways of nineteenth century art and entered the new century with unconventional and revolutionary techniques and pieces that have changed the way artists think and create still to this day.
The definition of the Modernist period of art is artistic work produced during the period of the 1860s to the 1970s, and it denotes the styles and philosophy of the art produced during that era. The term Modernist is usually associated with art that is experimenting and is not regarding traditions of the past. Two examples Modernist movements include geometric abstraction and surrealism which are both similar and different in many ways.
‘Modernism’ is derived from ‘modo’, a Latin word which means “just now”( Philosophy Basics. n.d.). Modernism, in its broad explanation includes the different movements related to art in the Europe, initiating from the end of the 19th century till the beginning of 20th century (Design History Mashup, Philip S. , 2008). These latest European movements developed to reject the conventional arts of the previous times. The public, who showed initial controversy to the new ideas, gradually acknowledged them. A major portion of these European movements and the public and political protests were
Modernism was a movement that was developed during the late nineteenth century and early twentieth century. Modernism developed due to the changes happening in societies at the time. Around the late nineteenth century and early twentieth century there was a rise in the industrial society’s where there were advancements in technologies and machines, and a rapid growths in cities. This lead to a change in cultural trends and philosophies, which is known as modernism. Modernism was well known for the rejection on traditional way, such as the arts and beliefs. It rejected the idea of realism and religious beliefs. During these years modernism could be distinguished by two aspects, High and Low Modernism.
Art before the 20th century consisted of new styles and three-dimensional spectrums to create the most realistic painting possible. Portraits and landscapes were presented as sort of photographs with a paint brush. Everything required specific fundamentals and anything different would be rejected and labeled degenerate. During this time, foundations were put to the test and it was completely disordered by revolutionary ideas and styles. This art influenced a vast majority of modern day art. Pablo Picasso’s cubism and Henri Matisse fauvism helped shape this era not only in style of painting, but a revolution against conformity of a social artistic structure.
In the time before the nineteenth century, most artists were commissioned by wealthy people, or large foundations such as the church. In turn, this caused most of the art from the previous time period to depict religious scenes, intended to teach the viewer. In the Modern period, artists began creating things that interested them, using people, places, and ideas that captivated them. Many artists were influenced by the publication of Sigmund Freud’s The Interpretation of Dreams and in turn began investigating their dreams and symbolism as ways to create new works of art. Many modern artists challenged the thought pattern that art was meant to portray the world realistically. They tried out new uses of color and brand new materials. Artists used many new techniques and mediums as a means of producing new art, especially with the invention of photography. Photography made it possible to depict the world in new ways, and to reinterpret it
Modernism is a term to describe the movement of new art, and was most active between the late 19th to the early 20th century. Modernism during this time does not necessarily apply to the world of art, but however, other mediums; such as literature and music. The movement meant that artists
Modernism described as movement in arts would best be described as a movement that was used to unit America after a period of crisis, it did this by it being centered on explorations into the spiritual nature of men and the value of his society and institutions. In a way it was like realism they too focused on the changes on society. The modernistic writers always wrote in a very formal defined form.
The majority of the late 19th century art that I will be discussing tonight falls under the category of Aestheticism, or art that seeks to express what is beautiful. To understand the origins of Aestheticism, one must first hear a brief history of the mainstream art traditions that led to this change in values. Until around 1850, Academies of art ruled the art scene and defined what was beautiful and what could be considered art. Academies included the French Academy and the Royal Academy of Art in Great Britain, which were both government organizations that controlled the education and exhibition of art. Any artist who was not trained and supported by these academies could not have a successful career because they would not be accepted into the salons, or annual exhibitions organized by the Academy, where art was displayed and purchased.
Throughout history, art has been one of the few things prevailing throughout century by century. As the world and art continue to change, it becomes interesting to ask if it is the world changing art, or if it is in fact art that is changing the world. Art is a constant throughout most people’s lives, ad everyone in the world has been touched or influenced by art within their lifetimes. Therefore, it would be quite a stretch to say that art does not have the capability to change the world and influence social change. Social change can be caused by endless different things, including political and economic scenarios. Art can influence all of these factors, therefore it it like a repeating cycle between art and change.
“Modern painting, breaking through old conversation, has released countless suggestions which are still waiting to be used by the practical world.”(Gropius) The birth of modernism and modern art goes back to the Industrial Revolution, a period that lasted from the 18th to the 19th century, in which rapid changes in manufacturing, transportation, and technology profoundly affected the social, economic, and cultural conditions of life in Western Europe, North America, and eventually the world. Before the 19th century, artists created art pieces for wealthy people and institution places like the church where they can create art works about storytelling of religious or mythological scenes . These arts were there to instruct the viewers.However, this changed when during the 19th century many artists began to create works that were about people, places, or ideas that interested them, and of which they had direct experience. With the popularization of the idea of a subconscious mind, many artists began exploring dreams, symbolism, and personal iconography as avenues for the depiction of their subjective experiences.Challenging the notion that art must realistically depict the world, some artists experimented with the expressive use of color, non-traditional materials, and new techniques and mediums.
Modernism in general can broadly be described as the “deviation from the ancient and classic manner”. (Johnson, J., The New Royal and Universal English Dictionary, Millard, 1763). It is the radical movement away from the past in search of new styles of expression. It refers to a reforming movement away from the traditional forms in various fields like architecture, art, music, and literature during the late 19th century and the
Modernism is a period style which has many defining characterisitcs which will be talked about throughout the course of this essay. The birth of Modernism ran between the 18th and 19th century around the time of the industrial revolution. The industrial revolution caused very quick changes in technology, manufacturing and transportation as well as other aspects.