Classicism, Modernism, Postmodernism, and Importance of Communication

Taylor Stevenson Art History II Prof Jason Bernagozzi Midterm Exam March 09, 2016

Art and societies have long since been integrated, with both realms reflecting each other through understandings, values, and ideas. When either realm changes its ideologies, the other realm tends to reflect those changes in a similar form. This is prevalent in the understanding of art movements over the course of history, especially with three periods of art: Classicism, Modernism, and Post Modernism. Through these art movement periods, we can see how ideologies of the artist have evolved from working for other professions that use art as a means to an end, to using art as a way to communicate their own ideas, to creating art for the viewer to decide on the meaning.

Many artworks that were taken from (or inspired by) Greek and Roman cultural art are considered to be classical. This may be because at this point in time, the societies behind these works of art have established an aesthetic standard that serves as a fundamental basis for other art movements. The Editors of Encyclopædia Britannica note “’classic’ is also sometimes used to refer to a stage of development that some historians have identified as a regular feature of what they have seen as the cyclical development of all styles.” When applied to art (especially art in the western/European world), these “classic” greek and roman roots placed emphasis on a realistic form, and line over color in two dimensional pieces1. Sculptures of these times, while considered important, did not necessarily translate into the aesthetic view of the next generation. Between this and the time that modernism began to rise (roughly the 19th century), classicism was carried through the world of western art, creating a firm set of standards of what was considered to be aesthetically pleasing.

Prior to the 13th century, religious bodies often commissioned art, and thus, art was used more as a means of a medium to communicate a specific idea to the viewer, acting as a visual guide. Often times, these commissioned art pieces have the classical traits of realism, line, and form. While the availability of art became more widespread after the 13th century, artists still had a specific clientele to appease to, with the new commissioners being of the high class, and the aesthetic standard still relating back to realism.

The end time of classicisms control over the art world began with the idea of artists exploring different styles and processes. This leads to the idea of the Avant-Garde artist, or those who experiment with unusual ideas, but are not always appreciated in their time. One early example of which is George Seurat, whose impressionistic style experiments with a stippled brush stroke, using this technique to paint full image. One of his most famous works that exemplifies this technique is A Sunday Afternoon On The Island Of La Grande Jatte, a piece that also showcases the use of more vibrant colors than what was originally established in “classic” paintings. The Avant-Garde is a defining element in modern art, and is often claimed as a driving force for the many movements that have developed under its name. Through the use of embracing experimental ideologies, artists who embrace modernism can be described as “

1 1 Classicism and Neoclassicism. Encyclopædia Britannica < http://www.britannica.com/art/Classicism> (accessed March 09, 2016)

a notational community of self consciously aesthetically radical artists” 2. When modernism was developing, some artists were pushing the limits on what being an artist necessarily meant by challenging past authority outside of the artist, whether the authority came from religion or the past “standards” of classic art. The latter of which was also assisted by the historically changing introduction to photography, in which modern artists utilized to explore a new medium that can create new images from reality. Many artists who focused on photography are considered modernists, and due to their experimentations with the medium, they developed techniques that further enhanced the “art” of photography. One example of a” modern” artists contributions to this medium is Henry Peach Robinson, whose dark room magic combined with several pictures paved the way for what is now considered to be modern “masking” of an image. In addition, with the introduction to photography and the greater understanding of how images can be produced with it, the idea of painted portraits fell out of society’s favored aesthetic, allowing a rise of modernism to enter the art world through a different form.

Modern art is often defined with the intention of changing or challenging the established “authorities” of the world. Coinciding with the events of World War I, artists were fueled with this ideology, giving rise to movements such as Suprematism and Dadaism. While these two movements were centered on the theme of “shocking” the public into awareness, both movements handled in different manners, with Suprematism using abstract shapes to communicate ideas, while Dadaism experimented with photo collages to create bizarre imagery. However, both movements, despite their visual differences, played with a tone of absurdness that was risky, not having been done to that scale in those specific visuals before. However since they were considered to be effective, both movements are examples of how the modern artists having a sense of control over their messages.

The shock value did not stop with Dadaism and Suprematism, with the Surrealism movement of the mid 1920’s focusing on the idea of having art change the world through rather unsettling images. One prominent example of the surrealist movement is the work of Luis Buñuel and Salvador Dali, whose video production “Un Chien Andalou" in 1929 shocked viewers with its disturbing imagery while conveying its message.

After World War II, ideas being the drive of art began to change, shifting from the focus on the artist to the reception of the work and engaging thought in the viewers. The introduction to postmodernism in history is hard to pin down to an exact date, but it is assumed that the early rise of the new art began in the mid 1950s. Where Modernism was focused on the input the artist provided to their work though the use of exploring new ideas and abstractions, Post Modernism relied more on personal experience, and appealed to those who relate to those experiences. This gave more power to the hands of the viewers of the art, rather than the artist defining one way of interpretation.

2 Cottington, David. Modern art : a very short introduction / David Cottington. n.p.: Oxford [England] ; New York : Oxford University Press, c2005., 2005. Hinkle Library Catalog, EBSCOhost (accessed March 9, 2016).

With Post Modernism came the idea of appealing more to Kitch rather than striving for the Avant-Garde. Through Clement Greenburg’s Article, “Avant Garde and Kitch”, he describes those who use Avant Garde as trying to “imitate God” by means of creation, which means for the slow process of validity by everyday society. Kitch however, is more of a product by the industrial revolution that essentially appeals to the pop culture of society in order to communicate ideas to the public in an efficient manner3. By that logic, it is better to use Kitch to express an idea using examples or elements of culture that people already understand rather than creating a new concept entirely, in which you lose the credibility of its “proof” being applied in society. This principle idea of applying kitch is also supported by those of the Smithsonian journal, saying that the postmodern movement destroys the notion of the importance of the artist4. Also, while the communication principle of kitch is not specifically mentioned, Robert Barthes’ article “Death of the Author” supports the notion of “power” over the art piece in question being in the hands of the audiences interpretation5.

While postmodernism does away with the notion of importance of the artist, it also supports the ability to create art through means of personal experience. This gave more of an importance to the practice of performance art for the post modern age, some examples of such being Joseph Beuys “I Love America and America Loves Me”, where Beuys stayed in a room with a coyote while wrapped in felt, and only armed with a cane to defend himself; and Yoko Ono’s “Cut Piece”, a performance in which she allowed strangers to interact with the piece by allowing them to cut her clothes off. The nature of these pieces, especially Yoko Ono’s “Cut Piece”, lead as a way to integrate art as a form of social experimentation, with the audience/viewers being able to experience and take away lessons in a different manner than what Modernists tried to communicate.

The communication of ideas through art is something that is still being experimented and applied to modern day exhibitions. The evolution of Classicism to Postmodernism shows how much development art has gone through the course of history, and how messages are translated through different mediums. This still holds relevance to the art of today, since the means of communicating messages through art is constantly evolving, even if it is in miniscule amounts of change. Whether it is through different forms, new ideas, or appealing to the understanding of culture the audience are a part of, artists will always have something that they will attempt to communicate through their work

3 Greenburg, Clement. “Avant Garde and Kitch” p.35-49. Np. Essay(1939)

4 Ask an Expert: What is the Difference Between Modern and Postmodern Art? Smithsonian.com < http://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/ask-an-expert-what-is- the-difference-between-modern-and-postmodern-art-87883230/?no-ist=&page=1> (accessed March 09, 2016) 5 Barthes, Roland. “Death of the Author” np. Essay(1967). Ubuweb. Accessed Feb 10 2016.

Bibliography

1 Classicism and Neoclassicism. Encyclopædia Britannica < http://www.britannica.com/art/Classicism> (accessed March 09, 2016)

(3)Greenburg, Clement. “Avant Garde and Kitch” p.35-49. Np. Essay(1939)

(4)Ask an Expert: What is the Difference Between Modern and Postmodern Art? Smithsonian.com < http://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/ask-an-expert-what-is- the-difference-between-modern-and-postmodern-art-87883230/?no-ist=&page=1> (accessed March 09, 2016)

(5)Barthes, Roland. “Death of the Author” np. Essay(1967). Ubuweb. Accessed Feb 10 2016.