ModernismModernism

Historical ContextHistorical Context World War I– The Great War: World War I– The Great War:

Technology of destructionTechnology of destruction Communism—Stalin’s industrialization Communism—Stalin’s industrialization

of the Soviet Union: 20 million deadof the Soviet Union: 20 million dead Social realism in the artsSocial realism in the arts Fascism-Nationalism and racism: Fascism-Nationalism and racism:

Hitler’s institutionalization of genocideHitler’s institutionalization of genocideRadio and film used for propagandaRadio and film used for propaganda

Mass Media in the U.S.Mass Media in the U.S. Documentary arts:Documentary arts:

Commercial filmCommercial filmRadio programsRadio programsPostersPostersPhotographyPhotography

ScienceScience Einstein’s Theory of RelativityEinstein’s Theory of Relativity Quantum mechanicsQuantum mechanics

PicassoPicasso Mastered traditional techniquesMastered traditional techniques

“blue period”“blue period”“rose period”“rose period”

Abandoned Renaissance tradition: Abandoned Renaissance tradition: new rulesnew rules

Les Demoiselles D’AvignonLes Demoiselles D’Avignon

Influences on PicassoInfluences on Picasso Cézanne’s Cézanne’s BathersBathers African and Polynesian masksAfrican and Polynesian masks PrimitivismPrimitivism

CubismCubism Revolutionary departure from Revolutionary departure from

representational art. The area representational art. The area around painted objects became part around painted objects became part of the abstract geometric forms.of the abstract geometric forms.

Presented the object from many Presented the object from many angles simultaneously. angles simultaneously.

Georges BraqueGeorges Braque

Stages of CubismStages of Cubism Analytical phase: browns and grays. Analytical phase: browns and grays.

Colors should not distract from lines Colors should not distract from lines and planesand planes

Synthetic phase: collageSynthetic phase: collage

AbstractionAbstraction Pure line, shape and color: non-Pure line, shape and color: non-

objectiveobjective Sculpture: Boccioni’s Sculpture: Boccioni’s Unique Forms Unique Forms

of Continuity in Space of Continuity in Space Brancusi’s Brancusi’s Bird in SpaceBird in Space

Painting: Piet Mondrian’s Painting: Piet Mondrian’s Broadway Boogie WoogieBroadway Boogie Woogie

Anti-ArtAnti-Art Dada: rejection of reason and order Dada: rejection of reason and order

in artin art Marcel Duchamp’s Marcel Duchamp’s ready-madesready-mades: :

L.H.O.O.Q.L.H.O.O.Q.mobile sculpture, urinalmobile sculpture, urinal

Later influenced performance art, Later influenced performance art, pop artpop art

ExpressionismExpressionism Henri Matisse: fauvismHenri Matisse: fauvism The Blue Window, Issy-les-MoulineauxThe Blue Window, Issy-les-Moulineaux German Expressionism: German Expressionism: Die BrückeDie Brücke Emil Nolde’s Emil Nolde’s Dance Around the Dance Around the

Golden CalfGolden Calf Der Blaue ReiterDer Blaue Reiter Wassily Kandinsky’s Wassily Kandinsky’s Improvisation 28 Improvisation 28

(Second Version)(Second Version) Paul Klee’s Paul Klee’s All Around the FishAll Around the Fish

FreudFreud The Interpretation of Dreams The Interpretation of Dreams

influenced the humanities of the influenced the humanities of the Twentieth CenturyTwentieth Century

Psychoanalysis: freeing unconscious Psychoanalysis: freeing unconscious desires repressed by parental and desires repressed by parental and societal taboossocietal taboos

Georgio de Chirico’s Georgio de Chirico’s The Mystery The Mystery and Melancholy of a Streetand Melancholy of a Street

SurrealismSurrealism André Breton: automatismAndré Breton: automatism Surrealist painters sought to release Surrealist painters sought to release

the images of the subconsciousthe images of the subconscious Joan Miró’s Joan Miró’s The Birth of the WorldThe Birth of the World Salvador Dalí’s Salvador Dalí’s The Persistence of The Persistence of

MemoryMemory

Modernism in LiteratureModernism in Literature Poets discarded meter and rhyme: Poets discarded meter and rhyme:

vers librevers libre Prose: Virginia Woolf’s interior Prose: Virginia Woolf’s interior

monologues or stream of monologues or stream of consciousness reveal the characters’ consciousness reveal the characters’ inner thoughts.inner thoughts.

Mrs. Dalloway: Mrs. Dalloway: A single dayA single day James Joyce’s James Joyce’s Ulysses: Ulysses: A single day A single day

Modernist LiteratureModernist Literature T.S. Eliot’s T.S. Eliot’s The Waste Land The Waste Land New hero: ironic, frustrating, New hero: ironic, frustrating,

disappointing, self-doubting, disappointing, self-doubting, anxious.anxious.

Franz Kafka’s Franz Kafka’s The Metamorphosis The Metamorphosis Character becomes a giant insectCharacter becomes a giant insect

Music/StravinskyMusic/Stravinsky Le Sacré du Printemps Le Sacré du Printemps shocked the shocked the

music worldmusic world Russian folk traditionRussian folk tradition Diaghilev: artistic directorDiaghilev: artistic director Nijinsky: dancer-choreographerNijinsky: dancer-choreographer Stravinsky’s music introduced multiple Stravinsky’s music introduced multiple

meters, or polyrhythm, and multiple meters, or polyrhythm, and multiple simultaneous keys or polytonalitysimultaneous keys or polytonality

Creates disturbing dissonanceCreates disturbing dissonance

Music/SchoenbergMusic/Schoenberg Rejected the classical tradition of Rejected the classical tradition of

orchestral musicorchestral music Atonal music: not composed in a key: Atonal music: not composed in a key:

expressionisticexpressionistic Pierrot LunairePierrot Lunaire Twelve-tone method: not popular Twelve-tone method: not popular

with audienceswith audiences

Modernist ArchitectureModernist Architecture Bauhaus School (German) Walter Bauhaus School (German) Walter

Gropius: Clean, functional designGropius: Clean, functional design Le Corbusier (French) functional Le Corbusier (French) functional

glass and metal designsglass and metal designs Art deco: sleek, simple shapes with Art deco: sleek, simple shapes with

decorative forms, like the decorative forms, like the “gargoyles” of the Chrysler Building“gargoyles” of the Chrysler Building

Bertolt BrechtBertolt Brecht Epic theater Epic theater The Threepenny OperaThe Threepenny Opera The disparity between the ruling The disparity between the ruling

class in Germany and the working class in Germany and the working classesclasses

Political PaintingsPolitical Paintings Orozco, Siqueiros and Rivera: murals Orozco, Siqueiros and Rivera: murals

on public buildings in Mexicoon public buildings in Mexico Rivera’sRivera’s The Enslavement of the The Enslavement of the

Indians: Indians: criticism of Spain’s criticism of Spain’s oppression of the indigenous peopleoppression of the indigenous people

Kahlo’s Kahlo’s The Broken Column Picasso’s Picasso’s Guernica: Guernica: decimation of the decimation of the

town of Guernica by German bombs town of Guernica by German bombs during Spanish Civil Warduring Spanish Civil War

CinemaCinema D.W. Griffith’s D.W. Griffith’s The Birth of a Nation The Birth of a Nation Silent film: Charlie ChaplinSilent film: Charlie Chaplin Soviet film: Eisenstein’s Soviet film: Eisenstein’s Battleship Battleship

PotemkinPotemkin Montage technique: “Odessa Steps”Montage technique: “Odessa Steps” Leni Riefenstahl’s Leni Riefenstahl’s The Triumph of The Triumph of

the Will, the Will, Nazi propagandaNazi propaganda

The U.S.A./ N.Y.The U.S.A./ N.Y. Photography: Alfred StieglitzPhotography: Alfred Stieglitz Painter: Georgia O’KeeffePainter: Georgia O’Keeffe The Harlem Renaissance:The Harlem Renaissance:

Countee CullenCountee CullenLangston HughesLangston HughesZora Neale HurstonZora Neale Hurston

U.S.A/Other ArtistsU.S.A/Other Artists Edward Hopper Edward Hopper NighthawksNighthawks Willa CatherWilla Cather William Faulkner: William Faulkner: Absalom, Absalom,

Absalom!Absalom!

American DanceAmerican Dance Modern Dance: freedom from Modern Dance: freedom from

classical ballet Isadora Duncanclassical ballet Isadora Duncan Modern Ballet: classical Modern Ballet: classical

training/freer expressiontraining/freer expressionGeorge BallanchineGeorge BallanchineMartha GrahamMartha Graham

American MusicAmerican Music Aaron Copland’s Aaron Copland’s Appalachian Spring Appalachian Spring

Charles Ives’ Charles Ives’ Three Pieces in New Three Pieces in New

England England

ArchitectureArchitecture Frank Lloyd Wright: incorporate Frank Lloyd Wright: incorporate

naturenature ““Fallingwater”Fallingwater”

Jazz!Jazz! Improvised melodies, “swing” rhythmImprovised melodies, “swing” rhythm African-American originsAfrican-American origins George Gershwin’s George Gershwin’s Porgy and Bess, Porgy and Bess,

Rhapsody in Blue: Rhapsody in Blue: concert musicconcert music Large dance bandsLarge dance bands Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington, Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington,

Charlie “Bird” Parker, John Coltrane, Charlie “Bird” Parker, John Coltrane, Miles DavisMiles Davis