Free Paper: Modernism

Modernism is an international architectural design movement that deliberately departs from traditional designs with the application of technological innovations information and expression in art and literature. It was emerged and accelerated during the industrialization period leading to social change and new perception toward art and architecture. It put more emphasis on rationality, functionality, creativity, and simplicity as a new form of personal expression in the most beautiful way through the use of artwork and architectural designs. The purpose of the papers is to discuss the historical background and transformation of Modernism by use of examples and showing how Modernism can be used today.

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History of Modernism

The most critical question that most scholars and individuals interested in modern art and architecture keep asking is when and what were the origin of Modernism. How did contemporary art and architecture begin? To understand and answer some of these critical questions, it is vital to synthesize historical background information regarding Modernism.

Modernism in architecture become famous and widely discussed between the 1920 century and 1950 century, but its origin dates back during the period of expansion and enlightenment of high technological innovation. The period between 1650 to 1914 was the time early Modernism existed and was greatly influenced by the Enlightenment considered as the age of reason that resulted in an industrial revolution whose inspiration was based on rationalism, the essential term for enlightenment. During this period, Descartes perceived the world as machinery operating by-laws of mechanical. Modernism grabbed rationalism as a fundamental concept in the adaptation designing of architectural houses and industries. The idea and notion were advanced in the late 19th and early 20th centuries with Louis Sullivan's slogan motto, which suggested that "form should follow function."

Examples of Modernism

Modernism exists in various forms covering all aspects of human social life such as art, music, dance, literature, and architecture in art, and Modernism. It replaced classical art that had taken its root within the social system before the establishment and existence of modern art. Examples of modernist art include Dadaism, minimalism abstract art, pop art, and cubism. The movement impacted sculpture significantly regardless of famous sculptors such as Epstein and Rodin trying to make ideas and principle guidelines of modernist and traditional to work(Kaye,2018). Henry Moore considered as most famous and most celebrated modernist based on his contributions. Beside, Mondrian, Picasso, Kandinsky, Braque, and Matisse are the typical modernist painters in art. The roots of visual art modernism were traced back and credited to the works and contributions of Edouard Mane, who started his visual artwork during the 1860s after he broke away from traditional inherited notions regarding subject matter, modeling, and perspectives.

According to Brock, (2019), Frank Lloyd Wright, Mie van der Rohe, Walter Gropius, and Le Corbusier established the main idea and concept of architectural Modernism. Le Corbusier stated that "a building is a vital machine meant for living in" that is developed through critical thinking and conceptualization and visualization of ideas. It was one of the motivational quotes to modernist architects during the 19th century. Frank Lloyd Wright-designed several types of buildings, such as churches, gas stations, art museums, banks, among others during the early 20th century. During the late Le Corbusier and Mies Van der Rohe embodied glass and steel building and construction styles, which manifested itself through mass housing projects, clean-lined structures plain glass skyscrapers building to make new of modern architectural designs.

How Modernism Used Today

In the 21st century, the application of modernist concepts and techniques has taken root in architectural fields and the social life of the human. The severe and most important news in the future has caught up with the current generation. Modern people currently face blunt reality regarding the care of 20th-century architectural structures that already part of history. Globally, farmhouses and offices epitomize a catalog of a masterpiece. In the 21st century, these architectural designs and fabrics are used as a point of reference and source of information for most of postmodernist architects. In most cases, are adopted, and few adjustments, and repairs are made based on functionality. It saves time, energy, and appliances need to establish new buildings.

In conclusion, it is essential to note that Modernism was not only shaped by the advancement of new technology and innovation but also shaped and transformed by several philosophical theoreticians such as F.H. Bradley. He advocated for some of the critical ideas suggesting that the human mind is fundamental feature of the universe responsible for establishing purpose and truth. Thus he promotes the metaphysical, which was essential to the achievement of modernists.

References

Brock, C. (2019). Toward a History of Modernism in Washington: The 1933 Display of Art by African Americans at the Smithsonian Institution's National Gallery of Art. American Art, 33(2), 4-10. https://www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/abs/10.1086/705620

Harrington, S., Dimitrijevic, B., & Salama, A. M. (2017). Modernist architecture, conflict, heritage, and resilience: The case of the Historical Museum of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Archnet-IJAR: International Journal of Architectural Research, 11(3), 178-192. https://strathprints.strath.ac.uk/id/eprint/62630

Kaye, R. A. (2018). The Cambridge History of Modernism. https://www.jstor.org/stable/26865930