OUGD401 - Modernism & Modernity Lecture notes

Modernism & Modernity

Modernism comes from modernity. Modernity being the industrialisation and urbanisation of city life. Modernism is very much artists documentation and response to rapidly changing city and consequently lifestyle. It is the psychologic and subjective experience of the new modern world.

Modernism : 1750- Mid 20th Century (arguably)

John Ruskin (1819-1900) first coined the term in his book title 'modern painters' modern in this context meaning contemporary.
Artist William Holman-Hunt's the Highling Shepard. Classed as modern at the time because the term meant 'of the moment'.

What modernism means now: not just latest but best. consumer culture depends on that notion. Modernism nowadays means cutting edge, progressive, to improve the old.

According to Charles Jencks, the demolition of the Priutt building in St Louis on 15th July 1972 at 3:32pm signified the death of Modernism culture. As this 'timeless' building that was supposed to unite people was taken down less than 20 years after being built.

Paris 1900 considered to be most 'modern' city at the time. Peoples lives are dominated by industry/ production. New inventions and a rapid advances in technology, innovation in transport, electricity, telephones, railways, world time being standardized. 'Shrinking the world', uniting it and making it a more manageable place.

A dense, unified society. A fast, new, industrial lifestyle. Arguably unusual/scary so new and so different. "Trattoir Roullant" - electric moving walkway in Paris travelling at 7km was innovative and frightening. Reports of injuries!

The enlightenment project:
Late 18th century when scientific/ philosophical thinking made leaps & bounds;

• secularisation
• the world fair united and showcased the nations 

The building of the Eiffel Tower is a monumental example of fundamental modern design. It signified a domination of the modern in the city of Paris.

The impressionists: the painters and documenters of modern life. The first experiences of what we would consider a contemporary city.

Hausmannisation- The city of Paris from the 1850's onwards quickly transformed from the narrow, twisty, derelict streets overrun with crime and disease into an organised, 'modern' city. Hausmann was employed by Napolean to rebuild his city. Grande boulevards were favoured over the narrow streets - which were in reality, easier to patrol for the police. Although crime rate dropped, the city became and unsure and distant place, alienated from their home they knew before. Even though they were cramped in neat rows of terraces, the city seemed to get bigger. They never became familiar with their neighbours, and saying hi to passers by in the street became a thing of the past.

The psychology born from the idea of modernity was that: " modern life will send people crazy" - how does life effect us?

Hausmannisation saw an emergence in fashion and trends as people started to communicate their wealth and style to each other without words. Making statements in the street to strangers.

A new scientific investigation began into optics.

The Kaiserpanorama, 1883, was a slide-show booth in which around 10-15 people could be seated around. The kind of images shown in the booth were of scenery such as trees and landscapes. Because of the lack of the real trees and open fields in their lives, devices such as these were all the more fascinating. There was an emergence in the fetishisation of technology, or nature through technology - the image of the tree in the little magic box was more interesting than the real tree itself.

Max Nordau, 'Degeneration' 1892 (an anti modernist) wrote about his worries on the modern world. he predicted that,

“the end of the 20thC. . . will probably see a generation to whom it will not be injurious to read a dozen square yards of newspapers daily,
to be constantly called to the telephone, to be thinking simultaneously of the five continents of the world, to live half their time in a railway carriage or in a flying machine and . . . know how to find [their] ease in the midst of a city inhabited by millions’

Modernism (thoughts about modernity) emerges out of the subjective responses of artists/ designers to modernity (modern life).

The threat of photography to painting grew, as paintings were originally for documentation, but photography was much more accurate in capturing the moments.

So, the painting reinvents itself, it becomes more psychological than accurate. We see an emergence in new angles, for example from up above, from modern skyscrapers.

Modernism in design:

• Anti-historicism
• new processes
• truth to materials - appreciating them more
• form follows function
• new technology
• minimalism
• internationalisation through design
• anti decoration
• functionality first

'Ornament is crime' - Adolf Loos (1903)

The idea that trends are bad because they age quickly was adopted by many designers and artists. If you strip a design of it's decor, it becomes timeless.

The Bauhaus building

Features

• big windows for lots of natural light
• easy, functional boxy shape
• shows off raw concrete- relatively new invention
• new typeface - futura (SANS SERIF!!)
• Simplicity

Internationalism

• a language of design that's understood & recognised by all.
• An equal world where technology unites it.

Heber Bayer's typeface doesn't include capitals because he didn't think you needed them.

The Nazi's shut down the Bauhaus because they were anti modernist and believed in nationalism.

Conclusion

• 'Modernity' - (1750-1960) was/ is a social/ cultural experience.
• 'Modernism' - range of ideas and styles that sprang from modernity.
• Vocabulary of styles
• art and design becomes an education
• the idea of form follows function