Section 1: Overview Sebastian Lopez
As the nineteenth century ended and the twentieth century began a feeling and desire to change encompassed and virtually took over the world of Art and Design. This was known as modernism. A complete rejection and transgression from old traditional ideologies and ways of producing work to complete espousal of everything that is new. New meant being concerned with modernity (all things modern), celebrating and believing in new and future technology that would not only inspire new work but be used in it’s creation.
Even with different ideologies and production methods towards how this new modern style should look, the various sub movements were similar in the fact that they where unconventional new forms of art which all came out of this desire for change with the turn of the century's technology boom and the end of World War One."From all The turmoil,ashes,rubble and disorganisation following World War One came a natural desire for reconstruction, for the creation of a new world based on purer principles. Thus was born, in Modernism, a utopian view implicit with the glamour of creating something different and new".1
These sub movements ranged from Picasso's unconventional way of representing a subject within an image (Cubism), Kirchner's very raw way of depicting an image with sharp rectilinear lines (Expressionism), Cassandre and his celebration and extravagant representation of modern technology (Art Deco) to the similarly minded Futurists and Vorticists with their incredibly bold and brute depiction of modernity.
Section 2:Visual Examples Sebastian Lopez
Fig1: This German Expressionist image conforms to Modernism through the dynamism and acute angles adopted in this woodcut to create rectilinear shapes which are strikingly similar and reminiscent to the forms found in the technological advancements in machinery during this period, almost celebrating the fact.
Fig 2: Work by Futurist Depero conforms to Modernist ideology through the appreciation and acceptance of modern technology and architecture of the period, the use of straight lines with harsh angled shapes coming off the cyclist and disjointed angles of buildings suggest movement, giving life and motion to what is usually inanimate.
Fig 3: Wyndham Lewis (Vorticism) uses very similar principles of abstraction through harsh jagged shapes to represent two figures who look strong,almost machine like. To complement this they seem to be surrounded by foreign futuristic shapes not usually seen in traditional art. This technique contradicts the preceding soft,fluid representation of humans, nature and objects completely, thus achieving Modernism.
Fig 4: This commercial poster conforms to modernism as it is a direct representation and advertisement for the advancement of new technology and machinery through transport; it’s a celebration of it. It works very well, the sheer scale of the boat in relation to the birds makes it look impressive, its advertising transport in a way that makes it look sophisticated, strong and yet elegant. The san serif font only adds to the feeling of progression behind this work, it stands out.
Fig 5: Frans Masereel conforms to Modernism in a way that is not so much celebrating the evolution of the industrial world but almost testing man against machine, appreciating its powerful effect on us, differing to previous images shown where modernity is glorified. This could be representing his own feelings on the matter of the advancement of technology, his uncertainty of the new world and what these new advancements might bring, ultimately death.
Section 3: Quotes and Citations Sebastian Lopez
So far i have talked about Modernism in the overview and visual examples as being about the progression and concern with modernity.
Frank Lloyd Wright states that "In the machine lies the only future of art and craft - as I believe, a glorious future; that the machine is, in fact, the metamorphosis of ancient art and craft; that we are at last face to face with the machine- the modern Sphinx- whose riddle the artist must solve if he would that art live".2
This translates perfectly to the visual examples shown in the previous section, the "Metamorphosis of ancient art and craft"3 to come "Face to face with the machine"4 states that he realises the progression from the traditional soft way of how work looked and was produced to Modernism and the introduction and effect of the machine on the same two principles. How this new work should look is definitely evident in the futurist painting by Depero, the painting relates immensely to the progression of the machine through the fast moving machine like shapes that swamp the city creating a feeling of vibrancy and speed which underpins then Futurist’s ideals.
"Eleven points of action summoned young artists to reject the museum-minded approach to the culture of the past and to embrace modern technology, speed, the machine and war"5
Art Deco as well as the Futurists celebrates technological advancements in machinery through commercial modernism. "In this milieu, Art Deco became code for 'contemporary'. Art Deco Graphics signalled progress and suggested future"6
This signification of progress and future can easily be seen within the commercial poster shown earlier by A.M Cassandre, the way in which the boat is presented in a "simplified and stylised way"7 suggests "an aura of streamlined elegance"8 that is ubiquitous throughout Cassandre's work. This poster is a lithograph print which was a new method of printing to replace letter press, this conforms to what Frank Llyod Wright states about the "Metamorphosis of ancient art and craft"9 confirming this piece under both those things. Stating that the art shown is the result and effect of the advancement of machines and how that translates on to paper through commercial art, and how it is made through the advancement in printing "Craft"10 is a celebration of Modernism in itself.
The use of the lithograph in Art Deco allowed art to become more accessible to everyone, more utilitarian in a way, it gave art a commercial value as it could be purchased by more people. This conforms with the modernist ideology of utilitarian practice (as we see in the modernist architecture of Le Corbuiser for example who attempted to accommodate all of society in his "Form follows function"11 buildings.)
Section 4: Critical Analysis Sebastian Lopez
Now I am going to challenge some of the assertions that I have made about German Expressionism (Fig 1) and how it does not conform to Modernism in certain ways. Even though it may seem that Apotheosis by Otto Dix is conforming to modernism with all the rectilinear shapes there is an element of primitivism in the mark making used to create the woodcut. The lines are very rough and lack the certain smoothness and considered placement that is evident in the Futurists work, the shapes of a woman can just be seen blending into the backdrop of maybe the modern world suggesting a constant rejection and unease of all things modern. Also, there is an element of primitivism suggested in the inspiration taken from African masks in the faces we see. "As Steven Bronner (1983:299) has pointed out, "Nolde emphasises the irrational while seeking out the primitive and childlike whose bond with nature remains uncorrupted". Only in this manner can the expressionist artist grasp the essence of his vision of an enchanted, mysterious world"12.
The battle between German Expressionsim and acceptance of modernity is put forward in Illustration, A Visual History. "Expressionism was a movement of rebellious painters and graphic artists who repudiated the academic tenets and conventional methods of making formal art. Two groups, Die Brucke in 1905 and Der Blaue Reiter in 1912 held sway"13.
Die Brucke translates as the bridge, some would suggest it means the bridge between past and modernity. They could be seen to achieve this through the medieval use of woodcut and mix of harsh angles and lines. However in Emil Nolde (a member of Die Brucke) states in his own words that his work "represented a search for "foreign, primal and racial origins" (quoted in Lloyd 1991:185)"14. Indicating that German Expressionism was about the appreciation of primitive art, about celebrating the past and not modernity, in fact it "reflects many of the concerns that expressionist artists, Nolde among them, pursued in their protest against modern society"15 reverting back to Primitivism.
The fact that the process used to make this piece of art was and is a very traditional method of production only reiterates their refusal of modernity thus making the work and German Expressionism as a whole a step away from Modernism.
End Notes Sebastian Lopez
1: Remington, Roger, Lisa Bodenstedt. American Modernism: Graphic Design 1920-1960 Yale University Press
2: The design history reader, edited by grace lees-maffei and rebecca house, published by berg in oxford, the art and craft of the machine, frank llyod wright (1901) p81
3: The design history reader, edited by grace lees-maffei and rebecca house, published by berg in oxford, the art and craft of the machine, frank llyod wright (1901) p81
4: The design history reader, edited by grace lees-maffei and rebecca house, published by berg in oxford, the art and craft of the machine, frank llyod wright (1901) p81
5: Aynsley,Jeremy.Pioneers of Modern Graphic Design p42 Published in GB 2001 by Mitchell Beazly,Octopus Pubishing
6 : Heller, Steven & Chawast, Seymour. Illustration
7 : Heller, Steven & Chawast, Seymour. Illustration
8 : Heller, Steven & Chawast, Seymour. Illustration
9 : The design history reader, edited by grace lees-maffei and rebecca house, published by berg in oxford, the art and craft of the machine, frank llyod wright (1901) p81
10: The design history reader, edited by grace lees-maffei and rebecca house, published by berg in oxford, the art and craft of the machine, frank llyod wright (1901) p81
11: Remington, Roger, Lisa Bodenstedt. American Modernism: Graphic Design 1920-1960 Yale University Press
12: p478 Locke Setman,Emil Nolde And The Search For Expression In N.Scott Momaday's The Ancient Child By Matthias Schubnell University of Nebraska Press American Indian Quarterly, Vol. 18, No. 4 (Autumn, 1994) Quotation within text:Bronner, Eric Stephen. 1983 "Emil Nolde and the Politics of Rage." Passion and Rebellion. The Expressionist Heritage. Eds. Stephen Eric Bronner and Douglas Kellner. New York: Universe Books. 293-311
13: Heller,Steven & Chwast, Seymour. Illustration, A Visual History
14: Locke Setman,Emil Nolde And The Search For Expression In N.Scott Momaday's The Ancient Child By Matthias Schubnell University of Nebraska Press American Indian Quarterly, Vol. 18, No. 4 (Autumn, 1994) p469 Lloyd, Jill 1991 German Expressionsim: Primitivism and modernity. New Haven: Yale University Press
15: Locke Setman,Emil Nolde And The Search For Expression In N.Scott Momaday's The Ancient Child By Matthias Schubnell University of Nebraska Press American Indian Quarterly, Vol. 18, No. 4 (Autumn, 1994) p469
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