Lecture Notes - Modernity and Modernism: An Introduction

Harvard Referencing

Choose one of the essay questions and produce a preliminary bibliography (in Harvard) of 5 books, from the Leeds College of Art library, that you think may be useful.

1. Ilyin, N. (1999) 'Chasing the Perfect: Thoughts on Modernist Design in our Time'. New York, Metropolis Books.
2. McGuigan, J. (1999) 'Modernity and Post modern Culture'. Milton Keynes, Open University Press.
3. Witkovsky, M. S. (2007) 'Foto: Modernity in Central Europe, 1918-1945'. London, Thames and Hudson.
4. Wheeler, W. (1999) 'A New Modernity? Changes in Science, Literature and Politics'. London, Lawrence and Wishart.
5. Thompson, K. Held, D. Hall, S and Hubert, D. (1995) 'Modernity: An Introduction to Modern Societies'. London, Virgo.

Text Summary

Avant-garde was a new art movement which could sit alongside the mainstream and artists began expressing the 'self'. Alot of changes were happening through industrialisation and urbanisation and artists could begin to draw upon their life and the impact of these factors. The avant-garde avoided escapism and through the reality it demonstrated, became internationally recognised.

As the style of avant-garde was new, it couldn't be measure against anything else and was very modern as well as the major scientific and technological advances of the same time. Modernity was a form of experience, an awareness of change and adaption to this change.

Some took a pesimistic view of all this change and believed that life was losing depth. Max Webber, a German Sociologist, saw this as the 'iron cage' of modernity. Different people had different reactions to the forces of mondernity. Some felt alinated whilst others exhilarated.

With all these changes, soe began to take an idealistic response to their significance. The Italian poet Marinetti formulated a new age and became a vision of the mondern by breaking he symbolism legacy. Despite the obvious machinery and architectural developments, modernisation was a social fact. New social realations were formed, particularly between classes, as a result of modernisation.

Moderism lead to more art movements such as Expressionism, Futurism and Cubism. Cubism rapidly established itself as the paradigm for subsequenct avant-garde art. However art was still seen as the underdog in raltation to politics resulting in coflict between the two. This tension has lead to art being seperated on the belief of what art should do. On one side, it should play a part in changing the world. On the other hand, it should change itself.

Summary of text from Harrison, C. and Wood, P (1997) 'Art in Theory: 1900-1990', Oxford, Blackwell p 125-129.