Modernism: The Abstract Movements

The end of Modernism?

Modernism was a revolt against the conservative values of realism. Modernists believed that each new generation must build on past styles in new way or break with the past in order to make the next major contribution. Modernism is associated with innovation and progress. Many modernists believed that by rejecting tradition and embracing new technology they could invent new ways of making art.

Despite the fact that early practitioners rejected consumerism, modernism has flourished in consumer/capitalist societies. Modernism even began to fuse with consumer culture during the 1960s. This merging of consumer and the original idea of modernism led to a radical transformation of the meaning of “modernism.” It seems that a movement based on the rejection of tradition has become a tradition of its own.

Information Source: https://visualartsdepartment.wordpress.com/modernism/

The Easy Guide to design movements: Modernism

The Modernist school has had a huge influence on the history of design - and continues to do so today. Aaron Kitney explains why.

With the advances of technology Modernism began to break through at the end of the 19th century into the beginning to the 20th century. Western society began to develop new ways to shape human culture and improve the constructed environment.

Modernism covered many creative disciplines from design and art to influencing architecture, music and literature. The power of machines forced artists to strategically re-think their practice, the results were revolutionary and still influences designers to this very day. This new technology provided the opportunity for mass production, and the machine itself became a theme in modernism.

Influential designers of this period range from Walter Gropius from the Bauhaus to the modern architect Le Corbusier, both men were fascinated with all disciplines of design and it reflected greatly in their work.

'Function should always dictate form'

Modernism particularly inspired fine art, it saw a break in the world of the 'ism' - these art styles include Impressionism, Cubism, Fauvism, Futurism, Brutalism and Surrealism. With the influence making such an impact across multiple creative disciplines Modernism is arguably being the most influential movement of the 20th century.

Graphic Design and Typefaces

Modernism especially changed the thinking process for communications, graphic design and typography, the style of design shifted drastically from the prior 19th century approach. Before the concept of Modernism, graphic design and typography was 'overly decorated' and elaborate, every possible inch of a typical poster would be filled with imagery and type.

Designers of the era of Modernism abided to strict, structured grid system with emphasis on negative space, just as important was the use of clean sans-serif type. The idea was to create strong graphics that were against commercialism, greed and cheapness. Typical typefaces used in the Modernism era include Franklin Gothic, Monotype Grotesque, Futura, and Helvetica Neue.

Dutch artist Theo van Doesburg practiced painting, architecture and poetry - he also influenced graphic design and is considered the 'ambassador' of the movement De Stijl. He described Modernism times as: "Art should not deal with the 'useful' or the 'nice', but with the 'spiritual' and the 'sublime'. The purest art forms do not cause the decorative change of some detail from life, but the inner metamorphosis of life, the revaluation of all values."

Information Source: http://www.creativebloq.com/graphic-design/easy-guide-design-movements-modernism-10134971

Modernism

Modernism in design and architecture emerged in the aftermath of the First World War and the Russian Revolution – a period when the artistic avant-garde dreamed of a new world free of conflict, greed and social inequality. It was not a style but a loose collection of ideas. Many different styles can be characterised as Modernist, but they shared certain underlying principles: a rejection of history and applied ornament; a preference for abstraction; and a belief that design and technology could transform society.

Information Source: http://www.vam.ac.uk/page/m/modernism/

What is Modern Art?

The birth of modernism and modern art can be traced back to the Industrial Revolution, a period that lasted from the 18th to the 19th century, in which rapid changes in manufacturing, transportation, and technology profoundly affected the social, economic, and cultural conditions of life in Western Europe, North America, and eventually the world. New forms of transportation, including the railroad, the steam engine, and the subway changed the way people lived, worked, and traveled, both at home and abroad, expanding their worldview and access to new ideas. As urban centers prospered, workers flocked to cities for industrial jobs, and urban populations boomed.

A Modern Art:

Prior to the 19th century, artists were most often commissioned to make artwork by wealthy patrons, or institutions like the church. Much of this art depicted religious or mythological scenes that told stories and were intended to instruct the viewer. During the 19th century, many artists started to make art about people, places, or ideas that interested them, and of which they had direct experience. With the publication of psychologist Sigmund Freud’s The Interpretation of Dreams (1899) and the popularization of the idea of a subconscious mind, many artists began exploring dreams, symbolism, and personal iconography as avenues for the depiction of their subjective experiences.

Challenging the notion that art must realistically depict the world, some artists experimented with the expressive use of color, non-traditional materials, and new techniques and mediums. One of these was photography, whose invention in the 1830s introduced a new method for depicting and reinterpreting the world. The Museum of Modern Art collects work made after 1880, when the atmosphere was ripe for avant-garde artists to take their work in new, unexpected, and “modern” directions.

Information Source: https://www.moma.org/learn/moma_learning/themes/what-is-modern-art

Modernism

Key Dates: 1890-1940

Modernism was characterised by the deliberate departure from tradition and the use of innovative forms of expression that distinguish many styles in the arts and literature of the late nineteenth and the twentieth century. Modernism refers to this period’s interest in new types of paints and other materials, in expressing feelings and ideas, in creating abstractions and fantasies, rather than representing what is real. This kind of art requires its audience to observe carefully in order to get some facts about the artist, his intentions, and his environment, before forming judgments about the work. Paul Cézanne is often called the ‘Father of Modernism’.

Information Source: http://www.artmovements.co.uk/modernism.htm

Surrealism

Surrealism was a movement which began in the 1920s of writers and artists (including Salvador Dalí and René Magritte), who experimented with ways of unleashing the subconscious imagination.

Information Source: http://www.tate.org.uk/learn/online-resources/glossary/s/surrealism

Video Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uPD6okhfGzs

Psychedelia

Roots:
The word "psychedelic" was coined by British psychologist Humphry Osmond in the 50's. A forming of the Latin words psyche and delos, it means "mind manifesting" or "soul manifesting" and by this definition, all artistic efforts that depict the inner world of the psyche may be considered "psychedelic". But is it more than this? Psychedelia hit its peak in the 60's during the counterculture revolution and defined a culture breaking the boundaries socially, politically as well as artistically and musically. It's this rule breaking and freedom of expression that most feel define Psychedelia and it's main contributors.

Music and Visuals:
Graphic designers and illustrators were working closely with musicians and venues to create visually stunning gig posters that mirrored the Psychedelic rock and roll of the time. One of the most widely recognised contributors was Wes Wilson who created some of the most era defining posters of the day. His work with the legendary music venue The Filmore (made famous by promoter Bill Graham) set a standard for Psychedelic gig posters and redefined typography and graphic design for generations to come. In particular, Wilson is known for inventing and popularising a "psychedelic" font around 1966 that made the letters look like they were moving or melting. Breaking long-established conventions of graphic design with his twisting, melting, and distorted forms, his psychedelic art mimicked that of an acid trip.

Zap Comix:

"Zap Comix" was among the original underground comics, and featured the illustration work of Robert Crumb, S. Clay Wilson, Victor Moscoso, Rick Griffin, and Robert Williams among others. Zap #1 was published in San Francisco in late 1968. Zap became an outlet for illustration and had strong connections with psychedelic styles and content. It featured such characters as Angelfood McSpade, Captain Piss-Gums and his Perverted Pirates, Dirty Dog and others. A cult favourite it still influences illustrators and inspires small Zine publications today.

Psychedelia's Influence:

Originally inspired by the likes of the surrealists and the Dada movement Psychedelia helped inspire a new generation of artists and designers. The rules were broken and the boundaries between art, music, performance and graphic design had been merged. Although the free love, boundary pushing days of the 60's and 70's is long gone the visual style and ideas still remain. The bold use of contrasting colours and free flowing, living text is still a graphic design favourite and used extensively within commercial projects. Artists are still inspired by images of altered consciousness or highly distorted and surreal visuals. This is Testament to the importance of Psychedelia and the culturally and socially important visual movement it helped define.

Information Source: http://www.thelondonillustrationfair.co.uk/psychedelia/