Post 3 Editing

Karan Patel

Professor Cacoilo

Art and Women

4 April, 2017

Post 3

Modernism

For centuries, women were treated lesser and had to fight vigorously for the equal rights that men had. The 20th century was a transformative change for females across America, due to just finally being able to vote. As such, this inspired a radical break with the past, and a search for new forms of expressions for women.  These new artistic forms of expressions were a part of an ideology called Modernism. This term was full of a variety of specific artistic expressions which comprises Modernism, many of these are listed by the Guerrilla Girls as “impressionism, post-impressionism, fauvism, cubism, futurism, constructivism, dadaism, surrealism, expressionism, abstract expressionism, which altogether makes up this new modern movement” (Guerrilla Girls 59).

Abstractism

Abstractism was a prominent artistic expression more in the 20th century. Abstract art shied away from traditional art with it’s more simplistic nonrepresentational shapes, brushstrokes, colors, etc. Chadwick uses Sonia Delaunay as an example to explain abstractism “Their patterns of abstract forms were arranged both to enhance the natural movement of the body and to establish a shimmering movement of color” (Chadwick 262). She describes Delaunay’s art work as abstract art and does not correlate it with any type of representation that traditional art would normally have. Abstract art was more suited in just expressing how the artist feels in any type of way without being held down by any rules that traditional art usually followed. This demonstrates that abstractism is a different form of artistic expression that does not adhere to the norms in the art world, which further helps its influence on society.

Sonia Delaunay~ Prismes Isotiques 1914

As Chadwick described earlier, Delaunay's work, such as the example "Prismes Isotiques," was painted a method that establishes a "shimmering movement of color" without any type of suggestive representation of a symbolic meaning behind the work.

German Expression

~ Kathe Kollwitz Hospital Visit 1928

The West was not the only place where new artistic expressions were becoming popular. In Germany 1896, Hermann Obrist’s exhibition of thirty-five monumental embroideries introduced a new art style. This art style was called Art Nouveau, Chadwick describes the style as having involved “decorative arts characterized by stylized linear surface motifs derived from natural forms” (Chadwick 253). German Expression brought new and bold ideas to Germany. Unfortunately, after World War I Germany suffered great loss, this affected the artistic community as well. Kathe Kollwitz, a female German painter produced "work focused on the human condition, in particular the plight of the less fortunate; victims of poverty, hunger and ultimately, war" (Stewart 5).

Dadaism

Hannah Hoch~The Kitchen Knife cut through Germany first Weimar beer-belly culture 1919

The art movement known as Dadaism was not so much as an art style as it was a protest movement against many social, cultural, and political values in that time period. Hannah Hoch, one of the most famous women artists of the Dada movement, created artwork to challenge male supremacy in Germany, “Hannah was one of the first artists to make photomontages, using images lifted from the media, the Dadas didn’t want any Mamas and opposed her inclusion in their first international exhibition in 1921” (Guerilla Girls 66). As described by the Guerrilla Girls, Hoch was one of the first women to participate in Dadaism and was looked down upon by men who did not desire women to be protesting any type of social norms. Unfortunately, after the Nazi regime began, they enforced  on decadent modernists like Hannah and she was forced to hide her Dada work until the war was over.

Surrealism

Surrealism was an art movement that showcased unnatural, dreamlike and illusory artwork. This was used by women in the 20th century in order to express imagination without being bound by restrictive societal stereotypes that prohibited them from doing otherwise. Claude Cahun was on these female surreal artists who contributed to the movement. As the Guerilla Girls describes Cahun’s artistic expression, “Claude scandalized everyone, including the male surrealists she hung out with. Instead of presenting herself as a passive object ready to be consumed by a heterosexual male gaze, she defiantly presents herself as both object and subject on her own sexual fascinations” (Guerilla Girls 63). As it is written, Cahun used her artwork to express herself without having to adhere to the male gaze like females have been forced to do for centuries.

Claude Cahun~ Self Portrait 1929

In Claude Cahun’s Self-Portrait 1929, just as many of her other works she dressed as something that defied social norms of the 20th century. Cahun’s surrealist art mainly portrayed her gender-bending stereotypes as well as themes involving homosexuality. While this was effective in expressing how women were forced into being treated lesser, it also made many male gaze favoring surrealists furious which caused them to write Claude out of their histories and make sure her work remained unpopular. Although despite her being oppressed for simply expressing her artwork, she still influenced the art community enough to be one of the women integral to the female art community.

Work Cited

http://www.newstatesman.com/sites/default/files/images/dada_berlin_08.jpg

http://images.tate.org.uk/sites/default/files/images/prismeselectriques1914x51623.jpg

"Modernism." Encyclopædia Britannica. Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., n.d. Web. 04 Apr. 2017.

"Modernism." Modernism. N.p., n.d. Web. 04 Apr. 2017.

Gersh-Nesic, Beth. "What Is Abstract Art?" ThoughtCo. N.p., n.d. Web. 04 Apr. 2017.

"Dadaism." Dadaism - Art and Anti Art. N.p., n.d. Web. 04 Apr. 2017.

"Surrealism Movement, Artists and Major Works." The Art Story. N.p., n.d. Web. 04 Apr. 2017.

http://www.idesigni.co.uk/blog/greatest-female-artists-of-the-20th-century/