Modernism was a response to societies move to become more progressive, with peoples hunger to improve on the old for a better future and way of living. The idea to improve quality of lives through questioning the past, creating better living environments, using practical experimentation and new technologies. With these technologies it forced art and design to take on a different approach.
Modernity is an era dating between 1750’s and the 1960’s; the notion of modernity is that change is for the better. In these 200 years there was rapid change, the late nineteenth century saw great technological advances, with the development of mass production and new ways of transportation, rail and road. Communications thrived, with effective communication it allowed the message that change was for the better, to be spread. Progress is a fundamental key to modernity; progress would allow societies to create a better life for themselves. ‘As Marshall Berman has observed: “To be modern is to live a life of paradox and contradiction . . . it is to be both revolutionary and conservative . . . We might even say that to be fully modern is to be anti-modern [since] it has been impossible to grasp and embrace the modern world’s potentialities without loathing and fighting against some of its most palpable realities.”’ (Kaplan, 1995:19)
Part of these rapid changes were a move to industrialisation, which took place in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, starting in Great Britain and then spreading through a few countries in Western Europe and North America, this was called the Industrial Revolution. Industrialisation is part of the modernisation process, as people move to social change due economic development and technological innovations. Linked to this is urbanisation, the movement of people from rural to urban areas, this was encouraged if not forced by certain governments striving towards a better economy. With the growth of urban communities, developments of things such as large-scale energy, metal production and factory work increased, resulting in the countries further growth towards a more modern society. With populations growing in urban areas, cities started to create their own characteristics, for example Paris had the Eiffel Tower, Paris was even remodelled, with grand boulevards, not only for aesthetic reasons but it made people feel safer as it was rid of its previous narrow dingy alleys, therefore easier to police. Societies way of life started to improve, new entertainments such as cinema were introduced and the fascination of seeing moving images only spurred curiosity about further progress.
Modernism was a response to this cultural change in societies way of thinking and expression. It is the name given to the movement that dominated arts and culture during the first half of the twentieth century. Culturally it encouraged reconsideration of the ways things were done, peoples living environments and practises. An icon of modernist design is Ludwig Miles van der Roche’s 1929 design of the ‘Barcelona Chair’, which elevated industrial age materials in to an art form. Its simplistic design, which was considered to be a design worthy of kings, was created first for the German Pavilion, their entry for the International Exposition. Originally the frame was designed to be bolted together, but with technologies advances was later redesigned using stainless steel, which allowed the frame to be formed by a seamless piece of metal. It is a beautifully designed chair that is still being produced today. ‘Architecture is a language; when you are very good you can be a poet’ (Miles van der Rohe, (internet))
Another example of design taking advantage of new technology in metal manufacture is Marcel Breuer’s ‘Model B3 chair’ later to be renamed the ‘Wassily Chair’ named after it was linked to painter Wassily Kandinsky, who had been on the faculty with Breuer at the Bauhaus. This chair was a success due to its design and its capability to be mass-produced, and at the time governments were embracing mass-productivity ‘a vision not only of greater productivity, necessary for the development of capitalism, but also a new model of social organization with universal implications’ (Wollen, internet). The chair was designed to be available in a folding and non-folding format. This chair differed from the ‘Barcelona Chair’, not only in its design, but its revolutionary use of materials used, bent tubular steel and canvas. This chair definitely can be seen today in many forms, its unique design was a pathway to some more modern designs of today’s societies, from folding picnic chairs to beach loungers.
Ways of thinking; like truth in design, meaning that designs should not create a false sense of impression. This started to radically change the way things were done with design. Associated with the term ‘form follows function’, which was the basis that modernist designs dictated that the functionality was the prime importance. Mainly associated with architecture, as the link with design; might be good sense, it is not always the complete design solution. Louis Sullivan first wrote about this phrase in his 1896 article ‘The Tall Office Building Artistically Considered’, in this paper he talks in depth about the functionality of a tall office building. ‘It is the pervading law of all things organic and inorganic, of all things physical and metaphysical, of all things human and all things superhuman, of all true manifestations of the head, of the heart, of the soul, that the life is recognizable in its expression, that form ever follows function. This is the law.’ (Sullivan, 1896:internet) He describes the buildings architecture, like many other things, to be thought of designed in three stages. Like in literature things should have a beginning, a middle, and an ending; the tall office building should be designed in three ways. Firstly, below ground level should house the buildings power, heating and lighting sources. Secondly the ground floors should be devoted to banks, stores and other establishments requiring space and light. Then finally stacked like tiers above should be the office spaces all similar in layout, as it would obnoxious to try and show off architectural knowledge by creating distinctly different levels until the top is reached.
The Fuller building or better known as ‘The Flatiron Building’, due its triangular shape that resembled a well-known household product, is a good example of ‘form follows function’. It was designed to fit on an irregular triangle shaped plot of land, located at 175 5th Avenue and Broadway, in New York. Because of the plot of land, that this now iconic building stands, the architectural design was primarily based. Many of the people of the day had their speculations about the durability of this radically designed building, many thinking that it would fall down at the first gust of strong winds. Considered to be one of the first sky scrapers ever built with its completion in 1902. Designed by Chicago based architect Daniel Burnham, although he maintained overall control of the design process, credit should also be shared with Frederick P. Dinkelberg, an architect of Burnham’s office, who was directly responsible for the details of the structural build. This is a triumph in collaboration with what Louise Sullivan wrote, the building was designed to fit in a small irregular shaped plot, using new metal skeleton structure techniques, made this far-reaching design to be accomplished. Allowing the purpose of the building to overcome the shape and space available.
Modernists, allowing for mass production of products to be available, embraced new technologies. These forms of thinking were the factors that brought societies in to this new modern era. The modernism movement started to shape the social environment of the time, art and design started to change, aesthetics were no longer the main focus any more. With invention like the camera and photography, paintings need to be more than just a picture; they needed to have a feel to it. Emphases on the processes of production and materials used, even self-consciousness, the desire to create something new emerged. New experimental styles came about, Dadaism, Cubism and Surrealism. ‘Modernism was that earthquake in the arts which bought down much of the structure of pre-twentieth-century practise in music, painting, literature, and architecture. One of the major epicentres of this earthquake seems to have been Vienna, during the period of 1890-1910, but the effects were felt in France, Germany, Italy and eventually even in Britain, in art movements like Cubism, Dadaism, Surrealism, and Futurism.’(Barry, 2002:81)
In conclusion it was societies shift in their cultural thinking and technological advances that started to shape the world that we live in today. Art & design responded to these cultural shifts, I feel that technology was a fundamental factor in this. With all the new developments and inventions it had to respond with new styles and functionality. ‘The built environment that we live in today was largely shaped by modernism. The buildings we inhabit, the chairs we sit on, the graphic design that’s surrounds us have all been created by the aesthetics and ideology of modernist design. We live in an era that still identifies itself in the terms of Modernism. It simply is not possible to work in ignorance of the most powerful force in the creation of twentieth-century visual culture.’(Wilk, 2006:12)
Bibliography
Quotes used from:
Wollen, P ‘Tate Modern: The Handbook’, London, Info Britain
Barry, P (2002) ‘Beginning theory, an introduction to literary and cultural theory’ Manchester, Manchester University Press
Wilk, C (2006) ‘Modernism, Designing a new world’ Italy, V&A Publications
Miles van der Rohe, L (1974) ‘Barcelona Chair and Stool’ Pennsylvania, Knoll
Kaplan, W (1995) ‘Designing Modernity’ Singapore, C.S. Graphics
Other sources:
Hatherley, O (2008) ‘Militant Modernism’ Ropley, John Hunt Publishing Ltd
Hall, S and Held, D (1995) ‘Modernity: An Introduction to Modern Societies’ Cambridge, Polity Press
Hvattum, M and Hermansen, C (2004) ‘Tracing Modernity: Manifestations of the Modern in Architecture and the City’ London, Routeledge Publishing
