Week 7: Emergence of Modernism

 

Technology and the Art Nouveau propelled the foundation of the modernism movement. As different aspects of technology such as skyscrapers, cars, trains, and photography were introduced, the possibilities of art evolved. The past design was generally rejected and people focused more on the industrial design. This movement took place after World War 1 and architects had the chance to redesign the world with the help of more technological advancements. There were a few architects associated with this movement such as Frank Lloyd Wright, Walter Gropius, Le Corbusier, etc.

One of the most prominent styles that took place in the 1920's and 30's was the international style. The term originated from a book and the authors wanted to captalize on three design principles which were the expression of volume rather than mass, the emphasis on balance opposed to symmetry, and the absence of applied ornament. The authors desired to define a style that would improve the modern architecture. This style especially grew in western Europe during the 1920's. 

One of the movements that took place in Europe was the Dutch de-Stijl. This movement relied on Le Corbusier and other architects to industrialize craft traditions which resulted in the formation of large housing projects in Frankfurt and Stuttgart. Many schools and associations concerned themselves with this growing tradition. This style had many characteristics such as rejection of ornamentation, transparency of buildings, and the adoption of glass, steel, and concrete as preferred materials. 

One Step Further: Wassily Kandinsky

Wassily was a teacher and an artist at the Bauhaus. For Kandinsky, painting was very important and spiritual for him. He wanted to convey spirituality in the depth of human emotion through the language of abstract forms and colors that could transcend cultural and physical boundaries. He viewed abstract art as one of the best visual modes to express. The inner necessity of the artist and to convey different human emotions and ideas. His mission was to share this idea with the world to better society. Along with art, kandinsky viewed music as transcendental. Missions could easily evoke images in the listeners minds just with sounds. This inspired him to produce rich paintings that would allude to sounds and emotions through sensations.

Kandinsky also wanted people to know the noise of color. Kandinsky had synesthesia and this condition means that when an action is meant to stimulate one sense, it instead triggers multiple senses. When he heard sounds he saw color, and when he saw color, he heard music. He was a firm believer in abstraction and that abstract art led to art that was more direct and appealing. One of his artworks that grounds itself in his synsethesia is composition 8. The art is very geometric with a variety of shapes and colors. The colors and sizes of the circles represent the sound of different notes while the lines in his painting represent musical notes in a more visual manner such as the rest symbol and the bass clef note.

Sources:

What's the Sound of Colour? Kandinsky and Music (youtube.com)

Wassily Kandinsky Paintings, Bio, Ideas | TheArtStory