Modernism describes the many forms and movements that derived from the 20th century, specifically the 1960's. Some of these movements include "impressionism, post-impressionism, fauvism, cubism, futurism, constructivism, dada-ism, surrealism, expressionism, abstract expressionism, etc. (Guerilla Girls, 59). Modernism among the female art community acted as a way for women to rebel against the sexism, patriarchy that was pervasive throughout all walks of life. Women artists flourished by catalyzing new forms of art as a result of society's resistance toward female growth and progression. These art forms tackled sexism, revolutionary wars, patriarchy, discrimination, political disputes, and many more unfortunate realities that exist within all parts of the world. The artistic expression of these female artists resulted in the acknowledgment and appreciation of their work, which was a mere reaction to the conditions of society at the time.
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Electric Prisms, Sonia Delaunay 1914 Expresses use of Orphism through harsh shapes and bright colors |
Dadaism was a movement that was based on the clear rejection of the political, social, and cultural ideologies of the time, in particular, World War I. It utilized shapes and graphics that were initially viewed as bland due to the lack of interest of art appearing aesthetically pleasing. Dadaism purposefully created androgynous work to challenge beauty and highlight content, using shapes and colors.
Sonia Delaunay transformed the use of shapes and colors into something complex and beautiful through the use of movement and color. Delaunay surpassed typical paint and canvas work. She experimented with arts and crafts, through the "design of book covers, posters, lampshades, curtains, cushion covers, and other objects for her home" (Chadwick, 261). This use of geometric shapes and bright colors can be seen in her work,
Electric Prisms (1914) shown. This style of art and it's origins are a clear example of the discrimination females, particularly female artists, were facing during this time. The style shown was coined the term
Orphism which was created through the collaboration of Delaunay and her husband, Robert Delaunay, who was also an artist. He received all the credit for such style, although one may argue that she pushed the envelope in the world of abstractionism more than he. Delaunay played a large roll in the abstractionist art of Modernism and although her husband often received the credit, this was not always true for other female artists and their romantic partners.
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Classic Frida (with Magenta Rebozo), New York 1939 Photo taken by Nickolas Muray expresses Kahlo's closeness to Mexican heritage through apparel |
Frida Kahlo is one of the most well-known artists of this movement and is a perfect example of a female artist whose work was not credited to her lover but to her existence itself. Kahlo endured a tumultuous relationship with the Mexican muralist, Diego Rivera. The infidelity yet unconditional love that stemmed from their relationship shaped Kahlo's existence and the pain she felt as a result. Her relationship with Rivera increased the awareness of her body and mind that she had already established prior. Frida had long before defined a relationship betweent the reality of her female body and the faults that society hoped to ignore. At a young age, she was involved in a tragic trolley accident leaving her in a full body cast. Years later after being with Rivera, she experienced a miscarriage which became a major theme of her art. Although Rivera was a large part of her life and contributed to the experiences she depicted, Kahlo was an extraordinary woman of her time for the uniqueness and truth that was shared through her art.
Kahlo's work has been described Surrealism, although she consistently rejected that term. Her art was expressive of her reality and life experiences. In
The Two Fridas (1939) shown below, you may see why many described her art as Surrealism. There is
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The Two Fridas, Frida Kahlo 1939 |
what seems to be a dreamlike element, being that two Fridas exist and their hearts are exposed for all to see. In the eyes and mind of Kahlo, this painting is not a dream or fantasy. It does not depict the metaphysical or subconscious which is often used to define Surrealism. This is what she felt and experienced in her life and for those reasons, she denied her art as a representation
of Surrealism. Modernism was grounded in the notion that there were certain truths that could explain reality and this can be seen in Kahlo's work. Kalho's truth as a woman (miscarriages, heartbreak, pain, etc.) defined her existence. The truth of a woman's role and the erotic violence that is experienced throughout a female's life could explain why such tragedies happened to her, and countless other women. Modernism was generally based on the idea of utopia and the ideal human existence. Frida's work, although of the time, pushed this narrative and paved way for artists redefining art and art made by women. In the expression of understanding the complexity of the human and specifically female experience came Postmodernism.
Postmodernism was a time defined by skepticism and questioning what was believed to be already known. The idea of a utopian system built on the foundations of an idealized world and human condition was out the window. Postmodernism art sought out to be everything Modernism embodied. female figures of this period was a group of women named
The Guerrilla Girls. The Guerrilla Girls formed in 1985, is a group of women that advocate for artistic-gender equality and representation by exposing the sexism, discrimination, and patriarchy within the art world. They achieved this through creating their own art forms, typically done through graphic design. As depicted, the women of this
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Courtesy of Middlebury College Museum of Art The Guerrilla Girls |
the group wore gorilla masks to keep their identity secret. They felt that being a woman, they wanted to avoid criticism of their looks and focus on the content of the work they produced. It was more important during this time to shine a light on the number of female artists that have been overlooked throughout history. One of their many forms of protest is shown below. They used posters as a way to hold art collectors and galleries responsible for their dismissal of female artists. Something that set them apart from other artists during this time was the acknowledgment of not only gender, but race in the equation as well. Guerrilla Girls did not overlook the lack of women and women of color. This issue that existed all throughout society and found a home in the art world was no longer overlooked. In one of their more popular works, "
Do women have to be naked to get into U.S museums?", a statistic of the amount of women artists in the Metropolitan Museum of Art and how many of the art pieces portraying women were nude. It shined a light on the perpetuation of the male gaze and the belief that a woman's importance is placed on
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Dear Art Collector, Guerrilla Girls 1986 Calling out art collectors and galleries for their lack of female representation |
the pleasure she lends to man through her physical appearance. This group of women was saying, "No more!" The discrimination was no longer going to be overlooked and their means of expressing this information was reflective of the time. Postmodernism and modernism as a whole followed the technology of the time. Using posters by the means of graphic design was in line with the evolution of art. This became a new way of doing art. It challenged the ideas of modernism and an idealized world by showing the reality of our world. These women not only were a movement within themselves but they encouraged society to question why there weren't more women artists being represented in the art world. While making themselves heard, they gave the voice back to so many other female artists who were looked past and not forgotten but ignored. The transition from Modernism to Postmodernism is a mere representation of history. As time moves on, more knowledge is gained and as the people know more, innovations are produced as a means to explore new messages and eliminate the injustices within the institutions that shape our reality.
~Amanda Ramppen
Works Cited
Chadwick Whitney. Women, Art, and Society. Fifth Edition. New York: Penguin, 2002. Print.
Guerrilla Girls. The Guerrilla Girls' Bedside Companion to the History of Western Art. New York: Penguin, 1998. Print.
Links
https://www.thoughtco.com/what-is-dada-182380
http://www.theartstory.org/artist-delaunay-sonia.htm
https://www.britannica.com/art/Orphism
https://www.fridakahlo.org/
http://www.guestcurator.com/frida-kahlo-through-the-lens-of-nickolas-muray/
http://www.tate.org.uk/art/art-terms/p/postmodernism
https://www.guerrillagirls.com/
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