Planet of the Arts Volume 7 Issue 6 page 6 MHS and Modernism Pt Pm SHORT HAIR OR WEAR A SMALL CAP _ SWEATER + / NECKTIE. TUCKED / INTO SHIRT BETWEEN A-\ UST & 2ND BUTTONS SLEEVES ROLLED UP OR CUT OFF ABOVE THE ELBOWS —NO TORN POCKETS CLEAN APRON THAT FITS CLOSELY AROUND BODY >-NO WRIST WATCH OR RING OR GLOVES -APRON HANGS. DOWN Te THE KNEES Fig. 1, Dressed Safely for Work -The art history essay as literature But certainly for the present age, which prefers the sign to the thing signified, the copy to the original, fancy to reality, the appearance to the essence, . . . illusion only is sacred, truth profane. Nay, sacredness is held to be enhanced in proportion as truth decreases and illusion increases, so that the highest degree of illusion comes to be the highest degree of sacredness. —Feuerbach, Preface to the second edition of The Essence of Christianity In contemporary history the term Modernism has had a great impact on human life. Spreading like a religion, in less than a century it has entered all human territories and has influenced almost eve- rything from religion and philosophy to art and science. Because of Modernism’s complexity, it is difficult to study its impact on one field without investigating its effect in other fields. On the other hand Modernism’s characteristics make it very easy to generalize some of the fundamental concepts behind its, no matter what part of human experience they are applied to. eee Philosophically associated with Time, Modern- ism acts in a linear fashion through time and space, moving faster than the analyzing abilities ofhumans with an accelerated velocity that makes it difficult for the viewer to digest and more important, to picture Modernism as a complete entity. Modernism has an ever metamorphosizing appearance that rejects a tedious aesthetic surface in favour of a surface that tends to get rapidly complicated and detailed, bringing the need for more classifications and categorizations that lead to more isolation and alienation of the viewr. eae , a et a he a Classified categorization of human experiences as a result of advancements in science and psychol- ogy in the mid 19th century soon included the arts, an entity that had stayed away from this trend since the Renaissance by basing its pillars on mythical religions, natural beauty and passionate love. More conscious individual members of soci- ety forced the confused artist to answer numerous questions based on the advancement of human knowledge. An accumulation of questions re- mained mostly unanswered as essentially art was considered the answer. xx * Modernism was an art of answers: in politics, Modernism was capable of directly supporting an ideology; in composition and shape it tried to reach the perfect; in imagery and expression Modernism was believed to have reached the level of poetry. The amazement following the victory of Modernism and its acceptance in society as the art of the time made it almost impossible for the artist toremember that all through the history ofart the most appreciated of arts were the ones that had asked questions and then reduced their role to only participation,with the audience in doing the answering. Modern art, with its instant solutions, minimized the efforts of other artists to answer old questions. The initial unanswered questions then lived on as suppressed ideas and were later trans- formed into potential problems. Part of Modernism’s inability to deal with new issues originated from its weak fundamental es- sence and its unclear social function in relation to the Modern industrialized world. It was in order to address some of these issues that, besides the officially sponsored exhibitions, independent gal- leries were organized and images brought out of mansions and churches. Glamorous colours and sophisticated forms replaced a simply designed monochromatic format and were published in- stead of hung so as to reach a wider audience. by Mohammad H. Salemy Pred Fe Fa It was not for creating a new pictorial language that humans felt a need for a new faster device much more precise than the eye instead of hands to register the world around them. It was. the cancer-like growth of the Modern world’s features that urged the Impressionist revolution in picto- tial language and the invention of single and moving image camera. These new devices ena- bled humans to catch an instant picture of a moment orenabled them to follow it with numer- ous fragmentations. It was not that art deliber- ately decided to change its form, content , tools and techniques to modernize itself, it was an inevitable one way path that the industrial revo- lution and its irreversibility forced on the arts. But Modernist artists didn’t want to accept that the old media had lost their potential. To stay on the front lines of the evolution of human experi- ence the artist had to transform the old media in a radical way and had to include the new picture making media in Arts. However, Modernism’s response to the new medium of photography in the late 1950’s was slow in comparison to the rapid changes in the art of 1910. It was much later than 1910 when Modernism had to pay a high price for its ignorance and inability to deal with the new image making media during the first stages of their development. The rejec- tion of photography asa fine art medium until the 60’s and the resistance and opposition of painters towards photography resulted not just ina disad- vantage for art, it was the retreat and disarmament of humanity’s thoughts to the powers and the limitations of the machine. In other words, during the years that Modernism was occupied with the transformation and development of the old me- dium and its language, another school of thinking, ready to compromise itself for the needs of the Modern Times — free from rigidity of any form of historical obligations or critical analysis — com- pletely took over the new media of image making and transformed it from the chemical experiments of a few purely scientific minds into the most spectacular of spectacles able to deal with needs of an industrially oriented society consisting of yes- terday’s working class who had been upgraded to the new lower middle class. Planet of the Arts Volune 7 Issue 6 page 6 MHS and Modernism Pw Ps SHORT HAR OR WEAR A Sue cP M0 wena / / sehr Tue (TD SRT ETHER 1ST 2h eUTTONS ig L Drs Sfely foc Wa -The art history essay as literature Buceraink forthe presenc age, which refersthe sign ‘othe hing Signi, he coy tothe original, fancy 10 realy, theoppearoncerothe essence. illusion only issocrad, rth rofane. Noy, sacredness isheldobe ‘enhanced in proportion as truth decreases and ilusion increases, so that he highest degree ofiluson comes to be the highs: degree of sacrednes, —Feuerbach, Preface tothe second edition of. ‘The Essence of Christianity Ff In contemporary history the term Modernism has hada great impact on human life. Spreading like areligion, in less than acencury it has entered all human terttores and has influenced almost eve- rything from region and philosophy to art and science. Because of Madernism!s complexity, itis difcul to study its impact on one field without ‘investigating its effect in other fields. On the ‘other hand Modenism’s characteristics make it very easy to generalize some ofthe fundamental concepts behindits,nomatterwhar partofhuman experience they are applied to Philosophical associated with Time, Modern- ism aets in a linear fashion through time and space, moving faster than the analyzing abilities ‘ofhumans with an accelerated velocity charmakes, ic diffcule for the viewer to digest and more important, 0 picture Modernism as a complete entity. Modemism has an ever metamorphsizing appearance that rejects a tedious aesthetic surface in favour of a surface that tends to get rapidly complicated and detailed, bringing the need for more lasfications and categorizations that lead to more isolation and alienation of the viewr. Ped Fad Fd Classified categorization of human experiences as a result ofadvancemens in science and psychol- ogy in the mid 19th century soon included the ars, an entity thathadstayedaway rom histrend since the Renaisance by basing is pillars on mythical religions, naurl beauy and passionate love. More conscious individual members of oc cexy forced the confused artist to answer numerous ‘questions based on the advancement of human knowledge. An accumulation of questions re- ‘mained mostly unanswered as essentially art was considered the answer. Modernism was an art of answers: in politics, Modernism was capable of directly supporting an ideology; in composition and shape ie tried to reach the perfect; in imagery and expression Modernism wasbelievedto havereached thelevel cofpoety. Theamazement ollowingthe victoryof Modernism and isacceprancein society astheart ofthe rime made ialmose impossible for the artist torememberthatall through the history ofart the ‘most appreciated of arts were the ones that had asked questions and then reduced their role to only participation, with the audience in doing the answering. Modern art, with ts instant solutions, ‘minimized che efforts of other artists toanswer old questions. The initial unanswered questions then, lived on as suppressed ideas and were later trans formed into potential problems. Parc of Modernism’ inability co deal with new issues originated from its weak fundamental es senceand its unclear socal function in relation to the Modern industrialized world. [ewasin order to address some of these issues thar, besides the. officially sponsoredexhibitions, independent gal- levies were organized and images brought out of mansions and churches. Glamorous colours and sophisticared forms replaced a simply designed, ‘monochromatic format and were published in: stead of hung soas to reach a wider adience by Mohammad H. Salesy a a eed Twas not for creating. a new pictorial language that humans felt a need for a new faster device much more precise than the eye instead of hands to register the world around chem. It was the ‘eancer-like growth ofthe Modern word’ features that urged the Impressionist revolution in picto- fil language and the invention of single and moving image camera. These new devices ena bled humans. catch an instant picture of a ‘moment orenabled them tofollow twith numer ‘us fragmentations. Itwas not that art deliber- ately decided to change its form, content , tools and techniques to modernize itself, it was an inevitable one way path that che industrial revo- lution and its irreversibility forced on the ars. But Moderisc artists didn’ wane to accept that the old media had losctheir potential. Tostay on the frontlines ofthe evolution of human experi ‘ence the artist had to transform the old media in ‘radical way and had to include the new picture making media in Ars. However, Modernism’ response to the new medium of photography in the late 1950's was slow in comparison to the rapid changes in the ac of 1910 lewasmuch later than 1910 when Modernismhad ‘opay a high price for its ignorance and inability todeal with the new image making media during the firs stages oftheir development. The rejec- tion ofphorography aa ine arc medium untlthe 60’sand the resistance and opposition of painters owards photography resulted noc just ina disad ‘vantage for ary twas the rerrearand disarmament ‘of humanity’s thoughts to the powers and the limitarionsof the machine: nother words during the years thar Modernism was occupied withthe transformation and development ofthe old me- diumandits language, anocherschool ofthinking, ready co compromise itself for the‘needs ofthe Moder Times — fre from rigidity ofany form of historical obligations or eritical analysis — com- pletely rook over the new media of image making and ransformeditfrom the chemical experiments of a few purely scientific minds into the most spectacular ofspectaces able to deal with needs of an industrially oriented society consisting of yes terday’s working clas who had been upgraded 0 the new lower middle clas