Freedom
Modernism gave artists more freedom when it came to their art then any other movement that came before. Unlike Enlightenment and Romanticism artists had free reign of what they wanted to create and what style they wanted to use. The exploration of the arts was highly encouraged, in the literature aspect novelists started to collage styles which exceeded expectations.
The painting below is called A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte by Georges-Pierre Seurat. In the painting the artist uses pointillism which is a design where you paint by only using tiny dots. The painting shows many people on a lawn enjoying the day, most if not all of the people look like they belong to a higher class.
Relating this piece of art to modern day cultural movement may be harder than the other topics that we have covered, but covid is a strong relation. The picture represents what the world looked like before covid hit. People out in a park on a weekend used to be normal until this year when a worldwide pandemic hit. Now in order to be out like that everyone must wear a mask and stay six or more feet apart.
Modernism was about the exploration of art. New styles were used along with the freedom of creativity to create art unlike anything else seen before. The era of Modernism has helped shape art to the point where it is at now.
I agree that looking at this kind of painting is strange now... it's difficult to remember what it's like to be in crowded spaces at all, let alone with people wearing masks. I think you might be able to connect some of the characteristics of modernism to our current events even more directly; consider how things like individualism and symbolism might relate!
ReplyDeleteHey how are you, I had never heard of that art style and it sounds hard. Granted I can't draw to save my life so I'm not expert. It is a shame some of our freedom has been taken away without our control. It is kind of strange seeing pictures of before the pandemic, we were all so close together and public places were filled. Now when I drive to campus there is barely anyone on the quad, really small crowds walking, and the campus seems dead in a sense. However, I do get to Wentworth pretty early so I'd be willing to bet most kids are sleeping.
ReplyDeleteHello, your article was a good read. I like how you told us how the painting was created because the dots aren't that noticeable throw a picture. Even the dots on the actual artwork are hard to notice unless you are looking for them. Another connection you've drawn was the dots as people and the spacing between them. I agree it's hard to think of how casual we were back when it was comfortable to go out and sit in a park and relax with friends.
ReplyDeleteThis picture just doesn't feel right because of COVID-19. Seeing all those people in the park so close to each other isn't right. It does make sense though that Modernism gave artists more freedom to draw the way they want to instead of going towards the more traditional style. I'm not a fan of pointillism but there must be some that are. Either way it's an interesting piece now that this pandemic has occurred and it's was cool how someone was able to relate today's society to a picture over 130 years old.
ReplyDeleteHi Nora, I found your piece to be very interesting, especially how you tied it into this era of covid that we're now all trapped it. I found your observation to be very astute and it almost even makes me uncomfortable looking at the picture. Also, it is interesting the think of what that says about our generation and how this pandemic hitting at such a transformative time in our lives will really effect each of us. It feels almost like this painting, which I at least already feel very distant from considering the dress of the time period and the style of painting being so obviously old, is a snap shot of a different world - which is kinda scary.
ReplyDeleteHi Nora, great article! You did a really good job at giving a short summary of modernism then providing a very popular and notable example. Your relation to covid is also very interesting and true. I've definitely seen this piece of art before, but I guess I never new it was a part of the modernism movement in art. However, you are definitely correct in that notion because the way that the artist used points to create the picture was certainly a new and unique way to convey art which was a big part of modernism.
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