American Modernists UW Art Museum, 2007

Gallery/Study Guide

American Modernists explores the stylistic developments and diverse approaches to the image-making process as American artists undertook to create new art during the 20th Century. Beginning in the late 19th Century, American artists began discarding the conventions and traditions of the past in search of something “new.” Personal expression and individualism were embraced as artists forged new visual vocabularies.

Arguably the seminal event in the development of modernism in America, the Armory Show introduced American artists, critics, and audiences to new art on an international scale. It was held between February 17 and March 15, 1913, at the 69th Regiment Armory in New York and then traveled to Chicago and Boston. The organizing artists, Arthur B. Modernism in visual arts, music, literature, Davis, Walt Kuhn, Walter Pach, and and drama rejected the old Victorian a committee of progressive painters standards of how art should be made, and sculptors, selected 1300 works consumed, and what it should mean. In the in an attempt to trace the story of period of “high modernism,” from around modern art from the mid-nineteenth 1910 to 1930, the term modernism refers century to the present. Although to the radical shift in aesthetic and cultural there had been shows of modern art sensibilities evident in the art and literature in New York before this, nothing of of the post-World War I period. Around this scope or influence had been 1910, just as the automobile and airplane were beginning to accelerate the pace of seen. The Armory Show transformed human life, and Einstein’s ideas were the market for art, and thereby transforming our perception of the marked the birth of modernism in universe, there was an explosion of America. innovation and creative energy that shook every field of artistic endeavor. Artists from The exhibit American Modernists all over the world converged on London, presents those early artists who had Paris, and other great cities of Europe to their own personal voice and created join in the ferment of some of these new something as new as American Jazz ideas . . . it was an era when major artists before the end of World War II. were fundamentally questioning and Some of these artists were first reinventing their art forms: Matisse and Picasso in painting, James Joyce and recognized at the famous Gertrude Stein in literature, Isadora Armory Show in 1913 in New York. Duncan in dance, Igor Stravinsky in music, and Frank Lloyd Wright in architecture. The first step in understanding any - Askart.com, 2007 work of art is to take the time to look closely. Because there are over twenty pieces of modern art to observe and artists to become acquainted with, pick out one to three artists or art work to spend more time on viewing and getting to know. Here are some In 1908, an exhibition in New York would questions for you to consider when change art in America. Frustrated by the looking at the exhibit American lack of recognition for artists who were Modernists. working outside the mainstream of the acceptable traditions that dominated the • Which media do you see National Academy, eight artists banded represented here (e.g. oil, together to present their work to the world. pastel, charcoal, etc.)? Under the leadership of artist and educator Robert Henri; Arthur B. Davies, William • How do the pieces differ from Glackens, Ernest Lawson, George Luks, each other? Maurice Prendergast, Everett Shinn, and • How are they similar? John Sloan organized their only exhibition • Can you name the different together. The Eight was shown in the techniques and/or styles you Macbeth Gallery, drawing 7,000 visitors. The see being tried in some of the experimental work being created in Paris prints and paintings? found its way to the US through these • Do you find any connections inventive and progressive artists.

between artists in this exhibit? The Eight paved the way for what was to (Hint: read the text panels for become the seminal Twentieth Century each artist.) exhibition in the US that introduced and • Are there any apparent promoted modern art—the first International connections between the works Exhibition of Modern Art. Presented by the of art (for example, does one Association of American Painters and artist appear to visually Sculptors in 1913, it was held at the 69th influence another)? Infantry Regiment Armory in New York City • Because the motto of the and hence became known as the Armory modernists was make Show. . . Although criticized by the public and the press, the Armory Show profoundly something new, how does each affected artists in the US and American work you view seem to present Modernism was born. a new technique, style, or idea? Remember: you are comparing American modernism took many forms as this work to work from the19th artists from various locales and backgrounds century and earlier. experimented with their own particular • After looking at this work, how vision. Thus, the traditional subject of still life would you define modernism? painting became newly expressive as Does this term stand for any painters brought their subjective responses one particular style? Does it to bear on fruits and flowers. The urban landscape was also a favorite theme among refer to a time period? What are painters sometimes called the Precisionists, the defining qualities of known for their sharp-edged renditions of modernism in your opinion? agrarian and industrial vistas. In these • How does this work appear to works, the painters invite viewers to look us today? Does it still feel new? anew at something mundane, to seek Why or why not? contradictions and ironies where none had • Look for the quote by Alfred H. been evident before. Maurer next to his painting. - Dayton Art Institute, Dayton, Ohio, How does he describe the 2006 process of changing from the “old school to the new?” • Name the artist or art work in this exhibit that especially appeals to you. What is it about this piece that draws you to it?

Some characteristics of modernism were, of • The box to the left describes course, a reaction to time and place. Here characteristics of the time are some specific characteristics of period during which modernism: modernism began. Do you see any of these traits or 1. Social picture of the period: rise of cities concepts in the prints or and industrialization. paintings that you have 2. A response to WWI and a sense of chosen to view? social breakdown: violence, decadence, • Select a characteristic from and destruction. the list at the left and see if 3. Dehumanization, anonymity of people: loss and despair. you can match it with an 4. Class structure changing: race relations, artwork. How has the artist rich and poor, inequality of women. addressed or incorporated 5. Advancing technology. that concept into the 6. Politics of war, revolution. artwork? 7. Physics, Einstein, uncertainty principle • Do you think the style of 8. Religion, God is dead, everything is artwork, and the medium meaningless: fear of death. used, strengthen or detract 9. Pattern of construction (art) that saw the from the artist’s presentation world in fragments and unrelated pieces. of the idea? Why? 10. A point of view that is remote and detached from its subject. • How do artists reflect what 11. Meaning must be searched for by the is occurring in the world viewer. around them? 12. The subject of the work asks what is the • Do you think artists only purpose of art? The meaning of life? reflect change, or do they 13. What is the use for art in a world falling sometimes initiate change? apart? • Review the list again. Has 14. Anti-Romantic, meaning not in nature but the world changed much in in art itself; meaning is subjective; the art 100 years? work needs not have a meaning. 15. Modernists are searching for new forms. • If you were to address an 16. Modernists break with the past idea or concept important to deliberately. you in today’s world, what 17. Old subjects are the means; art is an end would it be? What medium in itself. would you select to express your idea?