Professor Cacoilo
Art and Women
The Modernist Period occurred after the beginning of the twentieth century, the year of 1965. Marked by unexpected breaks with traditionalist ways of viewing and interacting with the world. Experimentation and individualism was idealed and modernism described movements that appeared one after the other such as the following; impressionism, post impressionism, fauvism, cubism, futurism, expressionism and etc. Swift growth of major cities and industrialization helped the movement take fruition and also the instance of the First World War also helped to shape the movement of modernism. Modernism is a noun which signifies a character or a quality of though, technique or expression. It can be also thought as a modification of traditional beliefs based on modern ideas. Modernism was a movement that can be thought of breaking norms of Western society and it also paved the way for people to not convey standard beliefs. Modernism is a period of time where women can step out and create their own art and not follow stereotypical roles. According to Chadwick, "
How did women artists in Europe influence the techniques and development of modernism and the movements of abstraction, german expressionism, dada and surrealism?
Women artists that were were crucial in the development and techniques of abstract expressionism because the came to value the art during a time of leftist politics and also where grounded in personal experience. Their art emphasized being emphatically american and in romantic in mood, also expressed individual freedom. In Europe, many women created new ways for forming art. They acknowledged males superiority in the art industry, and also, one of the first to influence modern art was Georgia O'Keeffe. Georgia O'Keeffe used techniques from other artists, such as Paul Strand who was known cropping and painting American Objects that were abstract and entailed. The Society for Applied Art in Munich, contained artists such as Margearetha von Brauchitsch, she gained attention at the World Exposition in Paris in 1900. She used nature and abstract designs in her work (Chadwick 253). Art was primarily seen as a skill that men only had and women were often though as being uncreative, so artist Dorothy Dehner left her husband in order to become a professional sculpter. In Art and Women, the following was stated "Women were encouraged by their teachers to divorce the idea of art from female experience in order to be successful professionally (Chadwick 324).
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| Sonia Delaunay, Prismes électriques, 1913-1914 |
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| Sonia Delaunay Couverture-de-Berceu 1911 |
Abstractionism-
This is a movement in art where techniques you don’t observe
images that represent our everyday world. This is found in painting and
sculpture, where many works are partly abstract or partly representational.
Abstractionism is a 20-th century invention. Abstractionism is a technique in
art that involves shapes, blurs, distorted figures and other vivid colors.
Since this form of art is abstract, then artists would use colors to mimic
emotions within their work and also be able to convey their message and
expression to others. Before World War 2, Kandinsky, was a clear abstract expressionist. His art "resulted in tightly structured compositions which replaced anecdotal content with absolute aesthetic values" (Chadwick,258).He was interested in art and philosophy. His most creative aspect of the form
is expressed by a descending series of circles, triangles and squares. One of
his known works is called the Fugue, onto which he published during 1914. Delaunay demonstrates the bold designs that went against the cultural norms in her works of the following: "Sonia Delaunay, Prismes électriques, 1913-1914" and "Sonia Delaunay Couverture-de-Berceu 1911". The majority her work is based in the theory of simultanisme, a proclaiming of the constructive and dynamic power of color.
German Expressionism-
This began before World War 1 and it was started in Germany.
Movement reached its peak in Berlin during the 1920s. Expressionist artist
rejected the stale traditions of the State sponsored art academies and turned
to simplified or distorted forms and exaggerated colors. Many of the German expressionist
artists served in the military during World War 1. There are two well-known
German expressionist artists who go by the name of August Macke and Franz Marc,
who were both killed and those who survived returned from the experience
disillusioned. Expressionist recognized the dehumanizing and alienating effects
of the urban life style, but yet they celebrated the excitement of fast pace
and attraction.
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| Hannah Hoch, Marlene, 1930 |
Dada was an artistic movement which began in Switzerland.
Mainly as a reaction towards world war 1, and its output was diverse, ranging
from poetry, photography, sculpture and painting. Marked by mockery of materialistic
attitudes and proved to be a strong influence on cities such as Berlin, Hanover,
Paris, New York and Cologne. Dada was the first conceptual art movement and its
main focus was on artist making works the often upended bourgeois
sensibilities, and it also generated difficult questions about society, role of
the artist and the purpose of art.
Artist example is by Marcel Duchamp, he was one who use a
ready made and choice of a urinal was though of a challenge and offended his fellow
artists.
Marcel Duchamp-Toilet
Surrealism-
Surrealism-
This is a cultural movement that began in the early 1920’s.
Known mostly for its visual artworks and writings. Works featured elements of
surprise or juxtapositions. Many Surrealists regarded their work as an
expression of a philosophical movement. Surrealism developed out of the Dada
activities and from the 1920s and onward the movement spread around the glove.
It ended up influencing visual arts, literature, film and music in many countries. Female Surrealist artists used this art to be able to break free from the stereotypes that usually depict what women can and cannot do. One of the paintings shown is the following; "Frida Kahlo, Henry Ford Hospital,1932". In this painting, Frida depicts herself in Henry Ford Hospital, lying on bed naked with blood and hemorrhage. The other painting is known as "Frida Kahlo, The Broken Column, 1944", this shows that Frida expressed her anguish ans suffering in a most straightforward and horrifying way. The nails are stuck into her face and whole body. A split in her torso which looks like an earthquake fissure. In the background is the earth with dark ravines.
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| Frida Kahlo, Henry Ford Hospital,1932 |
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| Frida Kahlo, The Broken Column, 1944 |
What important circumstances aided these and how were women
integral in applying these techniques to artistic movements?
Women artists were gaining their freedom in the art industry
during the period after the 1920s. Women were finally able to gain the right to
vote, after approximately 100 years of fighting for suffrage. Also there was a
much higher enrollment rate at public institutions for women. This was really
the beginning to end the tide of women of women naturally being a housewife as
a career. Now women can become breadwinners and contribute in others ways
towards the family dynamic in the United States. Women were integral in
applying these techniques due feelings of self-awareness and realization also,
the exploration of internal feelings and emotion help make the concept of
modernism successful during the 20th century.
Citations-
http://www.online-literature.com/periods/modernism.php
Chadwick, Whitney. Women, Art and Society. London: Thames & Hudson, 2007. Print.
The Guerrilla Girls' Bedside Companion to the History of Western Art. London: Penguin, 1998. Print.
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