From Modernism to Postmodernism in Art Essay

In order to understand in advance(p)ism and postmodernism, it is essential to know where the ideas, values and events during these ikonatic defects. Essentially, the context of modernism and postmodernism, its ideals and deterrent example imperatives, moldiness be seen in the context that precedes it. This paper seeks to describe the displacement from contemporaneity to post-modernity in cunning and literature by understanding the ideals and imperatives that existed during these periods.A premise for understanding these paradigms in fine guile and literature is to understand the paradigm that it overthrew, and present how historical context provides the logic behind the changes that occurred. The paper is divide into 3 major sections, first of which is a description of the romantic, pre-modernist era and wherefore trickificeists collectively shifted to modernity. Secondly, the utopian ideals and deterrent example imperatives of modernist schools of contrivance and th ought argon rediscovered. Lastly, the shift to the postmodernist paradigm is explored through the works during the transitions between modernism and postmodernism. love story to modernity advance(a)ism is arguably a reception to the paradigms that precede it, videlicet Romanticism. Romanticism in art and literature started at the early nineteenth century as a response to the wars and belief systems during the sentence. The moral imperatives during the sentence argon concerned with spectral iconography in relation to the clamor of conveys for independence. The imageries in art and literature inculcate these ideals. Art is concerned with propagating virtues that are marriages of the ideas of state and religion.Nationalism, truth and faith are only few of the features of art and literature. Fundamentally, art and literature is laden with symbolisms of greatness and goodness such that nature, radical notions of freedom and equality, reality and reason. Morality is seen as an artists virtue. The individuals natural experience is at the pedestal of art and literature. The trim is exemplified in Delacroixs (1830) Liberty Leading the People. It is a lucid presentation of war where the symbolism of liberty is a woman carrying a flag.It is realist in its depiction and shows contrasting imageries of death, destruction and oblivion, on adept hand, and of liberty, greatness and collective satisfy of a the great unwashed for a common good, on the other hand. What became the nerve impulse for change in the prevailing romantic trend in art and literature? The stability of industrial rotary motions growth is not perpetual. Moral imperatives concerned with virtues of truth and spirituality, and the utopian ideals of freedom and equality were challenged by an undercurrent. There is a growing collective restlessness brought by ideas that challenged the attitude quo.The well-known of these ideas is in the theory of evolution by Charles Darwin that negated the do minant allele religious thought. Marx overly came as a tour de force when he criticized the industrial revolution as fundamentally flawed. State and religion as tender forces that are reflected in art and literature were overthrown with the anti-spiritual evolutionism and the anti-industrial/capitalist socialism. juvenileism and its Ideals Modernism rose as a challenge to the status quo of romantic art and literature. It is despondent of the prevailing ideals and morals.In reality, modernism is a collective landmark for rises and falls of different genres of art and literature. industrial revolution continued merely its reflections in art and literature are marred and asymmetrical as opposed to the romantic acceptance of reality during the era that came before it. Industrial revolution is characterized by different emerging philosophies, innovations and scientific discoveries. Art during this time showed that new art dashs and stools emerged and sank into oblivion at a moment s pace. Deliberately, art and literature sought to render the moral imperatives of the status quo as sacrilegious. Artelino (n.d. ) wrote The history of modern art started with Impressionism. It all began in Paris as a controvertion to a very realizeal and rigid style of painting done inside studio apartments and set by traditional institutions. At first, the meanings and symbolisms of artworks were critiques to the status quo. However, the evolution of techniques and art genres became a sporadic phenomenon across Europe. short enough, the formal rigid styles were overthrown by non-formal and unconventional styles in art and literature. Modern art is quintessentially a act coming from different vantage points that are experiencing similar historical contexts.In France, the creative process in the studio is scrapped for the environment. This is seen in the impressionist movement started by Claude Monet. Fauvism, using wild colours and taking impressionism to its limits, was ch ampioned by Henri Matisse (1905) in his Woman with a Hat. The industrial revolution is besides characterized by mass production and consumption. The french developed an art genre that became a critique to mass production itself. Art Nouveau, French for new art, featured elegance and eminently decorative styles and a dedication to natural forms. Artelino (n. d. ) describes that (It) was an International art movement.The Germans called it Jugendstil, the Italians Liberty, the Austrians Sezessionsstil and the Spanish Arte joven. Art Nouveau was not restricted to painting or print reservation. It covered all forms of art architecture, furniture, jewelry, candy and illustration. Because of Art Nouveaus high-priced artifacts it is difficult to be mass produced, making it a critique to mass production itself. One example is Hortas (1898) museum which features Art Nouveau architecture. Victorian influences are overtures of the architecture, which is evidence that modernism is a two-fo ld response to its historical milieu.On one hand, a critique of the moral imperatives of a modern industrial economic-political system, and also an attempt to look back to much traditional art forms of the previous era. Modernisms ideals posit a challenge to conventionality and rigidity, form and function of art during the genres that precede it and interestingly, genres in spite of appearance modernism clash and overthrow each other as the dominant art style. One example is art nouveau and art decos moral imperatives. While mass production is criticized in art nouveau by sack back to fundamentals and looking forward to extravagance, art deco deemed that art must be mass produced.Art deco is simplified and easily mass produced form of art nouveau. Cubism as a modernist genre also criticizes the predominant trend in social institutions and modes of production by drawing influences from African art. This movement is spearheaded by Pablo Picasso (1921) as seen in Three Musicians. Wh ile drawing influences on African art, the painting also portrays hints of impressionism, and this is the reason why cubism is also considered as a post-impressionist art genre. This art form also paved the agency for minimalism because of its principle of reducing complexities into simpler geometrical representations.Developments in psychology also paved way for surrealism, which is focused on interpreting the subconscious. Surrealist artwork is characterized by a dream-like ambience. Another critique towards modern art is its elite nature. Modern art is characterized by high art, art that is appealing to the elites in the society. inside modernism in art are evaluations to itself. Abstract art is a high art that does not appeal to a majority of people but is critically acclaimed by the high society. During this time, a new movement in modernism took art and mainstreamed it to the masses.This emerging response to gazump art and other forms of high art during modernism is start u pular art. originate art challenges the principles of conventional art since it is something that the masses can relate to. victimization common icons and symbols are prominent in the works of Andy Warhol (1962) such as Campbells Soup series. Pop art embraced advertising and marketing art as fine art, which makes it generally acceptable to everyone. The ethical consideration of pop art is that it is something that must not be monopolized by the high society.It is for everyone and it is visual perception art in things that are common. From criticizing industrialization and the issues concerning the modern man, modernist art is also an anti-thesis unto itself. When different genres collide within modernism, new art forms and techniques emerge. Such is the makings of modern art that it spawned groundbreaking genres. Sensibilities of people also reflect the changes that occurred in societies at the time of modern art. Response to Modernism The Rise of postmodernism? Postmodernist art is considered a response to modernism.While modernism is about negating tradition and discovering radically new ways to make art (Wikipedia 2007), postmodernism describes movements which both arise from, and react against or reject, trends in modernism (Krauss, 1986). Postmodernism is making use of pastiche and discontinuity sort of of taking reference of spontaneity and direct expression (Harrison and Wood, 1992). Postmodernist art divorces itself from moral imperatives and ideals per se. It is intrinsically questioning both variables in art itself. Postmodernism destroys boundaries of high art and subaltern art while at the same time challenging the notion of what art is.Wikipedia (2007) describes postmodernist art as one that rejects modernisms grand narratives of artistic direction, eradicating the boundaries between high and low forms of art, and disrupting genres conventions with collision, collage, and fragmentation. Postmodern art holds that all stances are shaky and insi ncere, and therefore irony, parody, and humor are the only positions that cannot be overturned by critique or revision. Surprisingly, the boundary between late modernism and postmodernism is a grey area where post modern art are sometimes considered late modern, and vice versa.Post modern art believes that there is zip fastener new or avant garde, and it debunks artistic genius and beauty itself. It confuses, because the objective is subjective and subjectivity is confusing itself. It promotes ideologies while debunking it altogether. Conclusion The shift from modernity to postmodernism is reflective of the changes that occurred in post-conflict, post-industrial, post-ideological world we live in. It represents globalization in its redefinition of identities and its ideals are far from utopian. Moral imperatives are thrown altogether in so far as art and its traditions are concerned.Moreover, it does not conform to downcast and white, good and evil or beautiful and ugly distincti ons that were features of art itself. still post modern art is not devoid of moral imperatives and ideals. The ideals and religion within postmodernism is a realization of the non-existence of such notions of utopia and grandeur.References Artelino (n. d. ) Modern Art Movements. Retrieved march 14, 2008 from http//www. artelino. com/articles/modern_art_periods. asp Delacroix, E (1830) Liberty Leading the People. 102. 4 ? 128. 0 in Louvre, Paris. inunct painting. Harrison and Wood (1992). Art in Theory. 1900-2000 An Anthology of Changing Ideas.Blackwell Publishing. Krauss, R. E. (1986) The originality of the avant garde and other modernist myths. MIT Press. Reprinted July 1986, Part 1 , Modernist Myths. Matisse, Henri. (1905) Woman with a Hat. San Francisco Museum of Modern Art. flick. Picasso, P. (1921)Three Musicians. New York Museum of Modern Art. Oil Painting on Canvas. Warhol, A. (1962) Campbells Soup Cans. 20 ? 16 inches. Museum of Modern Art. (32 synthetic substance pol ymer paint on canvas series displayed by year of introduction) Wikipedia (2007). Postmodern art. Wikipedia. Org. retrieved March 14, 2008 from http//en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Postmodern_art_ref-Harrison1014_0