Modernism and Modernity

Modernism and Modernity

• 1700s - 1960s Modernist development period
• Post Modern. The world as it is now, after the modern
• The word modern is associated with positive connotations
• Tate Modern- New Gallery

Paris 1900's

• Paris in 1900 most advanced city in the world - Urbanisation 'City of the modern'
• Eiffel tower built with steel - built for purpose – Industrial Prowess
• Aesthetic
• City becomes a product of culture 'A place to go'

Urbanisation

• Factory Work takes over rural/farming
• Communication
• Defined cultural 'shift' from country living to town lifestyle
• Roads built
• Telephone and telegraph invented
• Railway
• World time standardised- People previously had no concern over time living by their own clock
• Steam ships
• Cinema, music and photography

(Class Division came about from modernity)

Secularisation-refers to the transformation of a society from close identification with religious values and institutions toward non-religious (or "irreligious") values and secular institutions. Secularisation thesis refers to the belief that as societies progress, particularly through modernization and rationalization, religion loses its authority in all aspects of social life and governance. Pippa Norris and Ronald Inglehart, Sacred and Secular. Religion and Politics Worldwide, Cambridge University Press, 2004. Chapter 1.[Accessed

Impressionist of the ist group depicted modernism

Haussmanisation

• Paris 1850s- New Paris
• Large Boulevards in favour of narrow streets- Streets easier to police (Local Control)
• Criminals were moved out of the city
• Centre becomes expensive and upperclass

Fashion becomes communicator and signifier of who you are

Discovery of white light (colour made up of RGB) Seurat paintings

Degas L'absinthe- Looks more and more like photos

Kaiser Panorama (1383) Images of modern times

Alfred Stealitz (1903) Flatiron Building

Paul Citreon (1923) Metropolis

Eadward Muybridge (1885) Descending Stairs

Giacomo Balla (1913) Speed of a motorcar

Modernism emerges out of subjective responses of artists/designers to: Modernity

Media important figure in society as it was used to:

• Sell
• Inform
• Advertise
• Persuade

Modernism in design

• Anti-historicism
• Truth to materials – Artists and designers let materials speak for themselves
• Simple geometric forms
• Materials appropriate
• Form follows function
• Technology
• Internationalism

Bauhaus

• The most progressive design movement of the 20^th century
• Re-wrote rules of teaching art and design
• Interdisciplinary
• Futura was created for the Bauhaus (typeface)- Was a Sans serif font, modern, no need for licks form over function
• Bauhaus Building – Lots of glass, large windows, modern design

New materials and Technology

• Concrete
• Plastics
• Aluminium
• Reinforced glass
• Building vertically was seen to be the best way as you are able to fit more people in a smaller space
• Religion and real-life experiences replaced

(Materials all associated with industrialisation and mass production)

Internationalism

• A language of design that could be recognised and understood on an international basis

Harry Beck- London Underground

• The design of the map is a good example of how form follows the function. To some it is not particularly aesthetically pleasing to look at but it is easily globally recognised.

Herbert Bayer-

• Sans serif typeface
• He wanted to standardise type so that there was only 1 case
• He was an important figure in helping develop Bauhaus

Stanley Morrison-

• He invented Times New Roman (1932)
• Challenged modernity going back to the archaic style of typography

Nazi's-

• Nazis shut down the Bauhaus as they were thought to have been to progressive
• Fraktur- Nazi Font

Conclusion

• The word modern suggests novelty and improvement
• The mid 1700's- 1960 has seen a social, cultural and political change
• Modernism is the range of ideas and styles that the concept of Modernity acts as a catalyst for.
• Modernism was important for the development of vocabulary and styles, in that the idea form follows function was the key