Alisha Robinson Post 3

Alisha Robinson
Post 3 Modernism/Post Modernism




Sonia Delaunay, Le Bal Bullier, 1912-13

       Modernism by definition is, “Modernism refers to the broad movement in Western arts and literature that gathered pace from around 1850, and is characterised by a deliberate rejection of the styles of the past; emphasising instead innovation and experimentation in forms, materials, and techniques in order to create artworks that better reflected modern society.” (Tate) During the 18th and 19th centuries, there were a lot of changes socially, politically and also a lot of technological advances that were the foreground for many of the current technologies we use today. Many of these changes took place in Europe, North America and other places around the world. One advancement that was key during this time period was art. More specifically, Women artists started to become more prominent and leave legacies that still are admired and studied till this very day. This time period is well known for the birth of modernism and forms of modern art.  

Sonia Delaunay and two friends at Robert Delaunay's studio
       There were many women artists of that time that helped influence the development and techniques of modernism, movements of abstraction, German expressionism, dada, and surrealism. One artist that contributed a lot to those specific movements is Sonia Delaunay. “Delaunay (1885-1979), a Russian artist...synthesized Post-Impressionism, early Matisse and Russian folk art. (Chadwick 260) Sonia Delaunay was married to Cubist painter Robert Delaunay; both co-founded the art movement, “Orphism”, which is known for its use of strong colors and geometric shapes. Additionally, her work also included textile designs and clothing which also was apart of the modernist art movement.

       Another point of the modernist movement was for women to freely express themselves, without any male gaze involved. A quote that perfectly depicts women during this era is from Bell Hooks, “In our culture, women of all races and classes who step out on the edge, courageously resisting conventional norms for female behavior, are almost always portrayed as crazy, out of control, mad.” And that was the case for many women artists at the time, they were looked as crazy or mad for doing things out of the norm. Revolution was on everyone’s mind and many women artists fought for change and equality in the art world. “There was still lots of discrimination, still lots of critics nagging that women’s work was not as good as men’s. But there was also more opportunity than ever before for a woman to live her life and make art on her own terms.” (Guerilla Girls)

Claude Cahun, Unknown

       Another important artist of the modernist movement was Claude Cahun. She was one of the first 20th century women to dress up and take pictures of herself for art. Claude’s sexual identity was an argumentable topic and some nooks list her as a man. Claude’s step-sister, and life partner often worked together to create different artwork pieces. Claude took pictures of herself that often ignited discussion of gender-bending stereotypes, but she did so in very creative, delicate, and impressive ways. “Claude’s pictures were a relief from this sometimes monotonous aspect of art history. Instead of presenting herself as a passive object ready to be consumed by a heterosexual male gaze, she defiantly presents herself as both object and subject of her own sexual fascinations.” (Guerilla Girls)
Postmodernism is another art movement that took place after modernism, and it is looked as the art of today. Postmodern art began in the late 1950s and it was basically a reaction to modern art. Overall, technological advancements such as intermedia, installation art, conceptual art and other forms of multimedia are described as postmodern. “Modernism was based on idealism and reason, postmodernism was born of skepticism and a suspicion of reason. It challenged the notion that there are universal certainties or truths.” (Tate)
       There are many faces of postmodernism include Frida Kahlo, Georgia O’Keeffe, Eleanor Bond, any many others. According to theartstory, “The arrival of Neo-Dada and Pop art in postwar America marked the beginning of a reaction against [modernism].” Additionally, “Postmodernism overturned the idea that there was one inherent meaning to a work of art or that this meaning was determined by the artist at the time of creation. Instead, the viewer became an important determiner of meaning, even allowed by some artists to participate in the work as in the case of some performance pieces. Other artists went further by creating works that required viewer intervention to create and/or complete the work.” Women artists of the postmodern era challenge the viewers in a way unimaginable with the different, but very creative pieces of the time. Most of the artwork express women in a way that is not sexualized but more so endearing.

http://www.tate.org.uk/art/art-terms/m/modernism - Tate
https://www.moma.org/learn/moma_learning/themes/what-is-modern-art - MoMA



Georgia O'Keeffe, Grey Line With Black, Blue, and Yellow, 1923
Frida Kahlo, Self Portrait