Modernism and Postmodernism

Modernism is the new art. It  began during the early 20th century. During this time art represents this "new" world, a more modern world.Modernism gave the answers to the world's most broad questions. The modern art was a visual language that was original that represented the modern time. Chadwick identifies the linkage of modernity with the new art in the following quote, "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" (253). Chadwick's quote brings up this idea of abstraction. Abstraction become important in the art world because it was the collection of images that allowed art to speak for itself. Modernity was a linkage to this new art, but it was also a linkage to what the art work had to say. The Omega Workshop was the meeting place for all like-minded artist of the modern era.

Sonia Delaunay Simultaneous Contrast 1912

Modernism lead to allowing the artist to use colors freely. It allowed art to have this new kind of language. Simultaneous Contrast 1912, set the path to what became Sonia's main concern in her art work, which was the dynamics of surface design. Another one of her work that showed this form of abstract art was Prismes Isotiques 1914. Delaunay's simultaneous art lead her to creating simultaneous dresses. Fashion became the translation to the principles of abstraction and defined modernity to the public. This new type of fashion was spread all over the world. The Russians had a new vision, a vision of utopia. According to Chadwick, "Their search for a new aesthetic language compatible with the modern reality...led them to anti-illusionistic, two-dimensional composition in which the surface plane and/ or painterly texture became the focus" (268).

 Sonia Delaunay Prismes Isotiques 1914

Abstract art had bright and vivid colors used in many paintings and sculpture. According to Chadwick, "...culturally tied to the development of a new visual language for the twentieth century-abstraction" (253).  Abstract art became this new form of language in the artistic world. One of the first artist Sonia Delaunay's was the wife of a cubanist painter Robert Delaunay. During the early parts of her artistic career she would always put her husband first until the 1950's when she really started her career.  Her work with textiles and embroidery allowed her to break down the forms of art and emphasize more on the structure of the surface.
Liubov Popova was one of the artist who interpret Cubism and Futurism, which help them develop this art of abstract idiom.Emphasizing color and texture. Which is demonstrated in most of her paintings. She was the daughter of a wealthy family, she first started painting in Moscow, and spent her winter in Paris.

Hannah Hoch DADA-Dance 1919-21

During 1921 in Paris the Dada milieu was growing. This society "lived their art in every aspect of their lives" (Chadwick 270). Hannah Hoch was one of the painters that rose during this time period. Her artwork named DADA-Dance 1919, was a painting that juxtapose machine parts with a female dancer and a model who is elegantly dressed in black. This painting was used to demonstrate the violent distortion of scale and a rejection of conventionalized femininity which undermined the commodification of the idealized female body (Chadwick 271). Another era that came with modernism was this idea of the new woman. This ideal fashion and glamor which was stressed in the new woman's youth, sexuality, and reality of their lives was far more complex. The new woman was presented them with their new identity as industrial workers and consumers. This was the moment when they realized that liberated woman were better consumers. Romaine Brooks is a great representation of the new woman. In her Self-Portrait 1923 where in her portrait it seems like she has a face-mask, her eye shadow combined with a big hat and she is also wearing gloves. She has much like a male outfit on, by doing this she is basically challenging the female gaze.

Romaine Brooks Self-Portrait 1923

Frida Kahlo is also another female painter that raised from modernism, but switched the movement a little towards a more surrealist perspective of modernism. Surrealism was a movement that allowed artist to unlock the power of imagination. The surrealist believed that the mind repressed the power of the imagination and the unconscious mind. In her dying condition Frida Kahlo said one important thing about her art work was based on "retablos: Mexican devotional paintings, that depicted misfortune and asked for miracles (Guerrilla Girls 79).  She was a Marxist and lived in a time period of patriarchy and was a life long member of the communist part. Frida Kahlo used her art work to explore questions about identity, gender, and class in a Mexican community.

Betye Saar Liberation of Aunt Jemima 1972

Modernism was a moment in time where most of the broader questions of the world were being answered. Which meant that there was answers to most questions. In contrast, Post-Modernism was the opposite. Postmodernism was the idea that reality is not mirrored in human understanding, but rather in their own finding what reality was. It takes a small approach in looking at how an individual identifies itself. Postmodernism artist believed that reality are subject to change and their apparent reality are actually social construct. This was the moment when the new ideologies became apparent and the female art work had more validity. Betye Saar was an artist that worked with these ideologies. In her painting The Liberation of Aunt Jemima 1972 she dealt with "white culture's stereotypical images of black" (Chadwick 342). In the painting Aunt Jemima is holding a small revolver in one hand and a rifle on the other hand. Saar motive for doing this was to fight against racism and sexism. Also with this came the Women's Liberation Movement and also the Black Lives Matter became significant during this time period. As stated before, postmoderism had more questions then answers.

-Arleni Liriano

Work Cited

Chadwick, Whitney. Women, Art, and Society. 4th ed. New York, N.Y.: Thames and Hudson, 1990. Print.

The Guerrilla Girls' Bedside Companion to the History of Western Art. New York: Penguin, 1998. Print.