Modernism and Post-Modernism

When describing Modernism, the Guerrilla girls describe it as an accumulation of, “Impressionism, post-impressionism, fauvism, cubism, futurism, constructivism, dada-ism, surrealism, expressionism” (1998, p. 59). Modernism began at the end of the nineteenth century. It consisted of the use of colors, shapes, and different techniques. Modernism’s purpose was to help individuals have artistic freedom.

Gabriele Münter's art piece, Portrait of Marianna Von
Werefkin, 1909

Gabriele Münter influenced the movement of abstraction with her artwork. One of her paintings, Portrait of Marianne von Werefkin, included the use of “blocks of color, the pyramidal form, and the replacement of modeling by a heavy black outline” (p. 256). In this piece, one can see her use of bold colors, which was not common. Another art movement during modernism was dada, which was “an art movement that challenged every convention (except male supremacy)” (Guerrilla Girls, 2007, p. 66). The dada movement was a time in which artists criticized the times that they lived in. Artist Hannah Hoch was a strong influence in this art movement. Her artwork which included photomontages helped her become one of the most known artists of the Dada movement.

During modernism, towards the end of the nineteenth century, fashion played a huge role. The clothing of women came into question. As Chadwick states, “The bustles, whalebone stays, and tight lacings so fashionable in the 1880s came under attack in progressive circles as criminal in their manipulation and obstruction of female movement and breathing” (p. 254).  Before modernism, women were forced into clothing that would shape their bodies into a form that was “ideal” for every man. Modernism was fighting against the norms for women.

Suzanne Valadon's painting Grandmother and Young
Girl Stepping into the Bath, 1908

Another moment in modernism that was in relation to the women’s body is depicted in Suzanne Valadon’s painting Grandmother and Young Girl Stepping into the Bath. Unlike past paintings, women are depicted doing every day regular activities. Valadon’s work is described when Chadwick states, “Instead of presenting the female body as a lush surface isolated and controlled by the male gaze, she emphasizes the awkward gestures of figures appear in control of their own movements” (p. 285). Valadon’s work moves the audience away from what they would believe is an attractive portrait of a woman to a piece of work that demonstrates woman doing things that are more believable like getting ready to take a bath. 

Suzanne Valadon, The Blue Room, 1923

In addition, another piece of work of Valadon that breaks the norm is her painting The Blue Room. One of the most impactful things about this painting is that the woman’s body is not the same as past women who have been used as models. Unlike others, she is curvier. Even though she is laying down and one would assume that she would be wearing less clothing, she is fully clothed which is another difference from past works depicting women. Also, she is seen holding a cigarette, which was not something that people were used to seeing. It was not common to see a woman being painted smoking a cigarette because that was something that only men did. My favorite part was that she seems so careless in the painting. This is personally my favorite painting because even today, thinner women are seen in magazines and billboards. It is not common to see thicker women be models even in today's world. Therefore, I loved seeing a painting that went against what society viewed as an ideal image, body, or behavior.

Claude Cahun, Self-Portrait, 1929

Claude Cahun impacted art with surrealism. She was an artist that pushed boundaries and did not care about what she said or what she did. She lived very carefree and one could tell that she did because she did whatever she wanted to and created artwork regardless of the feedback she might receive. Her artwork went against the idea that it is created to appeal the eyes of men. In contrary, the work she performed was work that was appealing to her. One of the best things I read about her was how she “took pictures of herself in a range of gender-bending stereotypes that would make Dennis Rodman jealous: male dandies, ultra-feminine maidens, and ambiguous androgynes” (Guerrilla Girls, p. 63). She explored sexuality and gender in a different way.

Barbara Kruger, Untitled (Your Gaze Hits the Side of my Face),
1981

Post-Modernism has been used to “characterize the breaking down of the unified traditions of Modernism” (Chadwick, p. 380). In comparison to modernism, post-modernism included artists of all backgrounds to participate. Post-Modernism challenged issues such as racism, feminism, etc. Female artist, Barbara Kruger, depicted the fight against male gaze in her art piece Untitled (Your Gaze Hits the Side of My Face). In this piece, she has the words “Your Gaze Hits the Side of My Face” written on top of the image of a woman’s face. She uses this type of work to emphasize that women are not an object. Having the woman as a statue demonstrates how women are imprisoned for simply being women. They are imprisoned by the objectification of men seeing them as only sexual objects.

By: Ashley Vasquez

Works Cited:

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

Guerrilla Girls, The Guerrilla Girls’ Bedside Companion to the History of Western Art. New York, NY:                              Penguin Group, 1998.