Modernism & Postmodernism

Modernism is the rejection of previous art techniques and ideas. “Modernism refers to the broad movement in Western arts and literature that gathered pace from around 1850, and is characterized by a deliberate rejection of the styles of the past; emphasizing instead innovation and experimentation in forms, materials and techniques in order to create artworks that better reflected modern society.” (http://www.tate.org.uk/art/art-terms/m/modernism) Fundamentally, modernism is a accumulation of all the “isms” that came about between the 19th century and the 20th century. It includes impressionism, postimpressionism, fauvism, cubism, futurism, constructivism, dadaism, surrealism, expressionism, abstract expressionism, etc. Women artists in Europe influenced the techniques and development of multiple movements in modernism. They did this by improvisations. They also did this by being inspired by male artists and by following in their footsteps brought them to create something original of their own. This was one of the reasons how the the Reform Dress Movement was born. For example, In the book, “Women, Art, and Society” by Whitney Chadwick stated that,“Paintings by Kandinsky from the Munich period were influenced by Russian folk art, Tunisia abstract geometric motifs, and, though his Companion Gabrielle Munter’s intervention, Bavarian glass painting (page 254).” Although it may appear degrading it was not the case. It’s not that they were following men but they were inspired and using some of the ideas of men to create a voice for themselves thus producing their own work. After new things were introduced it just created a shift until it then dominates. For example, in “ Women, Art, and Science” Whitney stated,“Her boating (1910) replicates the informality of Impressionist paintings on the theme with a tightly structured and hierarchical ordering in which Kandinsky dominates the group compressed into the shallow space of the boat(page 255).” This shows that there wasn’t much discrimination due to these new reforms. Female artists used the naked female body as a tool to end the stigma behind the female form. Many female Artists with no artistic training emerged from this time period. 

Composition by Wassily Kandinsky

“The Last Supper” 1940 by Frida Kahlo

Postmodernism rejected all the ideas of modernism. It changed the idea that there was one specific meaning to a work of art or that this meaning was determined by the artist at the time creation. Instead, the viewer became an important determiner of meaning. Some artist like Yoko Ono even allowed audience members to participate in their work and some of their performance pieces.. Other artists went further by creating pieces of art that required the audience’s interaction to create and/or complete their work. In the art world, there is this assumption that the male is the universe and the woman is just a spec. Something not of importance; something that does not have a voice and can only be done at the comfort of her own space. Postmodernism does not have a dominated gender. That was one of the reasons why women artist moved away from modernism to find home towards postmodernism. The problem was feminine art was not understood. Feminine art exceeded all the boundaries and all the forbidden corners. As a result of it not being understood it had drawn the attention of critics. Feminist art was almost like a narrative point of view. It told a different story that people was used to. Although it was criticized it was still looked at as something new. Something that has not been seen before. As a result of women going outside the boundaries of what it was thought that art could be, it had changed the definition of art. It allowed people to see art in a different light and it led people to see the different things you can do with art and the extent that you can take it. (http://www.theartstory.org/definition-postmodernism.htm)

James Rawson

Stephen Taylor Woodrow: “The Living Paintings”, artist and friends at the New Museum of Contemporary Art, NYC, 1988.
 

Some people thought that postmodernism was a direct response to modernism. However, some people viewed both time periods as completely different entities. There are some major differences between postmodernism and modernism. Modernism is a collection of cultural and regional reforming art movements. Post modernism literally means “after modernism” so therefore the the ideas of this period were a little different even though it was a reaction to modernism. Postmodernism was also influenced by the negateve feelings toward World War II. Postmodernism rejected logical thinking while modernism was based on logical thinking.

Christo and Jeanne-Claude Wrapped Trees, Fondation Beyeler and Berower Park, Riehen, Switzerland, 1997-98


Works Cited
Chadwick, Whitney. Women, Art, and Society . Thames & Hudson, 2007. (http://www.tate.org.uk/art/art-terms/m/modernism)