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Writer's pictureJanette Champion

Visual Culture - Week 13 Post - Modernism / Art Movement Research 3

Updated: Jun 1, 2023

Introduction

Modernism in Art and Design


Modernism was not considered a style but a collection of ideas. It was a term that encompassed various movements in art, design, literature and architecture that widely rejected the dominant style.

This terminology flourished in Germany and Holland as well as in Moscow, Paris and New York and was super prominent during the interwar period.


Modernism in Art and Design (Pathway- Graphic Design)


Modernism can be defined as contemporary thought, character and practice with the power to create and transform the environment through experimentation. Modernists are usually people who break with traditional design methods. Early Modernists were also called "avant-grande". Although these early modernist ideas were never generally accepted at the time, they has a profound impact on art, design, fashion and architecture. Their ideas rose to profound changes in modern society in the late 19th and 20th centuries. Modernists preferred symmetry. This is evident in Picasso's artwork where figures are abstracted onto geometric planes, he brought about the idea of cubism too. Contemporary ideas in art and design first appeared in adverts and logos. Perhaps the most famous logo of this era is said to be the London Underground, which demonstrates the need for an easily eye-catching symbol.


Characteristics of Modernism in Art and Design

  • Dada- This art movement was to make art an opportunity to show the true insight and criticism of the era we are in.

Fig.1- Art Critic- Raul Hausman (1974)

  • Cubism- This was known as one of the best Art movements in the modernist era. This showed women who were naked which portrayed African importance.

Fig.2- Femme au Chapeau- Pablo Picasso (20th Century)

  • Futurism- This was known as one of the most controversial art movements in the modernist era. it promoted innovation but tried to emit cultural and artistic traditions that were in the past.

Fig.3- Unique Forms of Quantity in Space- Umberto Boccioni (1913)


Why I like this Graphic Designer- Paula Scher

Fig. 4- Paula Scher in front of one of her artworks


When it comes to graphic design, all I think about in relation to inspiration is the famous Paula Scher who is an American Typographer, She has made over 10 thousand design artworks online, which is a lot simply because designing posters is a lot of work, from sketching to picking out colours and executing your idea to get the attention of people, Paula Scher has proven that if you set your mind to do work you can do it, people may think creating posters and logos is a 'simple job" but it's not. Paula Scher has been doing Graphic design for over 30 years which shows her dedication and passion for commercial arts (Graphic design). One of the main reasons Paula Scher is my favourite designer is because she creates posters which I also like to do on a daily basis, she inspires me to explore new ideas and designs daily. She also paved the way for females to dominate the art industry as she was the first female principal of the Pentagram design firm in New York (1991). Her Artworks show her clear understanding of formal elements and the anatomy of typography. She showcases her skills by playing with colours and words. Her quote "It's through mistakes that you can actually grow. You have to get bad in order to get good", shows that even though she's a famous and excellent graphic designer she still has her own flaws which allows me to never give up but get up and fix problems I go through when trying to design my own work. These are some of her famous artworks I admire.

Fig.5-Some people (1994) Fig.6- Album Cover for Gary Graffman



Reference List:


Characteristics of Modernism- Anderson. M (2019) 10 Modernist Art Movements. Encylopedia Britannica [online]: Available at: https://www.britannica.com/list/10-modernist-art-movements.[Assessed 15 May 2023].



Flintriver (2012) Graphic Design History - Modernism. [online] Paraphrased from: https://www.flintriver.co.uk/graphic-design-history-modernism/#:~:text=Modernism%20can%20be%20defined%20as,described%20as%20%E2%80%9Cavant%20garde%E2%80%9D. [Assessed 15 May 2023].


Victoria and Albert Museum (n.d), V&A, What is Modernism [online] Paraphrased from: https://www.vam.ac.uk/articles/what-was-modernism#:~:text=As%20a%20design%20principle%20Modernism,%2C%20factories%2C%20practicality%20and%20usefulness. [Assessed 15 May 2023].


Image List :


Fig.1- Hausman, R. (1974) The Art Critic [Lithograph and printed paper on paper] Retrieved from: https://www.tate.org.uk/art/artworks/hausmann-the-art-critic-t01918 [Assessed 15 May 2023].


Fig.2- Picasso, P. (20th Century) Femme au Chapeau [Print] Retreived from: https://artsandculture.google.com/asset/femme-au-chapeau-pablo-picasso/lwE5kWIS7zEUog [Assessed 15 May 2023].


Fig.3- Boccioni, U.( 1913) Unique Forms of Continuity in Space [Bronze] Retrieved from: https://www.tate.org.uk/art/artworks/boccioni-unique-forms-of-continuity-in-space-t01589 [Assessed 15 May 2023].


Fig.4- Monotype (2017) Type Mixtape [Picture] Retrieved from:https://www.monotype.com/resources/articles/type-mixtape-paula-scher [Assessed 15 May 2023].


Fig.5- Scher, P (1978) Album Cover for Gary Graffman [Lithograph] Retrieved from:https://www.moma.org/collection/works/189244?artist_id=7070&page=1&sov_referrer=artist [Assessed 15 May 2023]


Fig.6- Scher, P. (1994) Some People [Lithogragh] Retrieved from: https://www.moma.org/collection/works/8839?artist_id=7070&page=1&sov_referrer=artist [Assessed 15 May 2023]



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