Modernism

Chadwick said, "Modernity is both linked to the desire for the new that fashion expresses so well, and culturally tied to the development of a new visual language for the twentieth century- abstraction" (Chadwick 252). Modernism is the period in literary history that started in the early 1900s and continued to the 1940s. In art terms, modernism refers to the movement in Western arts and literature that is characterized by the rejection of the styles of the past, emphasizing materials and techniques in order to create artworks that reflect modern society. Modern art has two main characteristics, abstract art and expressionism. Other art characteristics are minimal art, pop art, surrealism and cubism. 

Remedios Varo, Woman Leaving
the Psychoanalyst,  1960

Remedios Varo, Celestial
Pablum, 1958 

According to artsy.net, "Despite the Surrealist movement that took place in 20th-century Europe being male- dominated, women have contributed to this genre throughout that century- and all the way up to the contemporary period." Remedios Varo is a Spanish painter and her second husband, French Surrealist poet Benjamin Peret and left Paris and settled in Mexico. Varo developed the style of Surrealism, influenced by literature, nature, religion and her friendship with Surrealist painter Leonora Carrington and photographer Kati Horna. Varo's paintings are the wildest of dreams and she translated her intellectual and spiritual wonders into spectacular works of art. Examples of some of her pieces include Woman Leaving the Psychoanalyst (1960), where a woman with exotic silver hair and almond-shapes eyes is preparing herself to be free from a male spirit and Celestial Pablum (1958) where she painted a slender female figure in space where she was grinding the stars and feeding a caged moon. She typically portrays herself engaged in magical work, embarked on a journey to unlock true meaning, or dissolving into the environment that surrounds her. She hoped to inspire learning and promote a better balance in an interconnected universe. Varo as well as her work became a legacy in Mexico. After her death, art critics of Novedades called her one of the most extraordinary painters of Mexican art. Her work had an influence on generations of artists, in particular female practitioners. 

Paula Modersohn- Becker, Self-
Portrait with an Amber Necklace,
1906

Paula Modersohn- Becker was a German painter and is considered one of the most important representatives of early expressionism. She was the first female artist to paint a full length nude self portrait and her art pieces consisted of simple forms and complex textures created by scratching into sculpted paint of a canvas. She was influenced by artist Paul Cezanne and Paul Gaugin, as well as classical paintings. Her nude self portrait celebrated the female body in a straightforward, literal manner. Her style of art is unique, her style coming from both French formalism and German aesthetic. One of her famous paintings was Self-Portrait with an Amber Necklace, where she is shown semi nude with a necklace around her neck and pink flowers in both her hands as well as in her hair. This painting shows how comfortable she is the express herself that she paints herself nude. The pink flowers and the necklace show how feminism is an important issue in her life. 

Yoko Ono, Cut Piece, 1964

Yoko Ono is a famous female artist that was inspired by Zen Buddhism and Dada. She was considered too radical by many people, but she later gained recognition after working with Anthony Cox. Ono's art was often made so that her audience had to participate and forced them to get involved. One of her most famous works was the "cut piece" where members of the audience came up one by one and cut pieces of her clothing until she was naked.

Postmodernism is described as a movement developed in the mid to late twentieth century that marked the departure of modernism. Postmodern art is the movement that contradicted modernism and some aspects that developed in its aftermath. Intermedia, installation art, conceptual art and multi media are all examples of postmodern art. Modern art is often concealed with a deep hidden meaning but postmodernism is when the surface is all there. Modern art ranged from 1450 to 1960 meanwhile Postmodern art starts around the 1960's to current years. Modern artists were typically males and their mindset was to go with ideas in every way with influences of political and social pressure. Postmodern artists were a mix of both men and women who questioned the changes and wanted to move towards new ones and were influenced by the free of pressures. 

Works Cited:

https://www.artsy.net/artist/remedios-varo

Chadwick, Whiney. Women, Art, and Society. Thames & Hudson 2007

https://www.difference.wiki/modern-art-vs-postmodern-art