Statement of Intent
This essay will attempt to discuss modernism by showing how it abandons the rules and approaches of the past and adopts new forms of expression. This paper is focused on the review and analysis of three works created by three well-known artists of the modern period. The works will be described and discussed not just as products of their time but as artifacts of the modern art. The analysis will approach the artworks taking into consideration their history and artists, the events happening in art and history at the time the masterpieces were made, and the thought and intention of the artists behind their creations. The works chosen for the discussion of this paper are Les Demoiselles d’Avignon by Pablo Picasso, Campbell’s Soup Cans by Andy Warhol, and Cut Piece by Yoko Ono.
The selected masterpieces are extremely different and represent three various movements of modern art. While Picasso’s Les Demoiselles d’Avignon represents that very beginning of the period, Cut Piece and Campbell’s Soup Cans are the works of the later decades of modernism. Analysing these works one can follow the evolution of the movement throughout the century as modernism represents a set of evolving beliefs and ideas among the artists who developed and perfected their authentic approach over time (Modern Art 2014). Besides, the diversity of the selected works is intended to demonstrate the versatility within modernism and how it is different from the previous movements which signifies its newness and modernity. The essay attempts to emphasise the fact that the discussed artworks are the masterpieces of modernism instead of just being the products of their time.
What Modernism Is
Modernism in art is a movement recognised for the new and unusual perspectives on the concept of art and everything it includes. The semantic meaning of this term is very clear. The word “modernism” refers so the movement that occurred in modern times. Historically, the very beginning of the modern period in art and design is assigned to the end of the 1800s and the beginning of the 1900s. The major development of modernism happened throughout the 20th century (1900-1980 namely).
In visual art, modernism is characterised by controversial statements and claims made by means of artistic expressions. Modernism represents a radical shift of goals in art creating a break with the past norms and active search for new forms, symbols, and meanings (Kuiper 2014). Modernism in art carries a rather drastic change when the artistic society decides to turn away from the old and classic canons and develop a variety of new approaches. This radical transformation of art in many cases was accompanied by rejection of the new forms, criticism of the whole movement, and negative popularity. Yet, regardless of all the criticism and negativity, modernism eventually became extremely popular and well-spread. It incorporated a large number of new artists exploring the means of self-expression that were not known before (the art of installation or land art, for example).
The Nature of Modernism
The controversial nature of modernism has contributed to the loss of the by art audience. The observers often faced the problem of not understanding the idea of a particular piece or its meaning. Modernism raised questions concerning the goal of art, what can or cannot be considered as art, and who can or cannot be called an artist. Modernism was the first art movement that tested the very meaning of art as a concept, crossed what used to be treated as its limits, and showed the many faces of art and the world of unexplored opportunities for self-expression. The purpose of art also changed, if earlier it used to be appreciated for its aesthetic properties mainly, whereas modernism introduced art that carried messages of various characters, pointing out social flaws and treating the reality, space, and time in a philosophical manner.
In other words, the works of modern art were to serve as a new form of communication which occurred between the artists and their audiences. This way, modernism is not only art, it is also a language, and it is universal since it allows one artist to communicate with the viewers from all around the world. Modernism is the reflection of the immense leap of progress typical for the 20th century expressed in the adoption of completely new forms of artistic self-expression compared to those employed in the past (Modern Art 2014).
Les Demoiselles d’Avignon by Picasso
Background Information
Pablo Picasso painted Les Demoiselles d’Avignon (The Young Women of Avignon) in 1907, at the very dawn of the development of modernism, and exhibited in 1916 for the first time (Les Demoiselles d’Avignon, 1907 by Pablo Picasso 2009). This painting was one of the first artworks that faced the initial wave of criticism of the modern approach to art; it was labeled as immoral when it was first seen by the public. Partly, such negative judgment of the work occurred due to its initial name – Le Bordel D’Avignon (The Brothel of Avignon); this is why the painting was remained by the exhibitor.
Les Demoiselles d’Avignon represents cubism, a newly emerged style focused on the rejection of the traditional view of forms and the mixture of geometric shapes in a classical composition. Picasso spent nine months working on this painting since it is rather large (Les Demoiselles d’Avignon, 1907 by Pablo Picasso 2009). The painting depicts five nude women, but the details of their bodies are distorted and displaced presenting a revolutionary new approach to the vision of shape.
Why This Artwork Was Chosen
Picasso’s Les Demoiselles d’Avignon was selected for this discussion because it is one of the most frequently mentioned works of the modern period. Besides, it is one of the classic cubist artworks and is a perfect example of it style. Looking at this painting, the viewer may immediately notice that the people depicted in it are women, but the most traditional aspect of women in paintings – their bodies are presented in a very unusual manner. The shapes that are supposed to be round have sharp edges and corners. The faces of women are also distorted (excessively large eyes and noses, pointy angular chins). The lady that is sitting down has the most distorted face; it looks like Picasso intended to show several angles of it simultaneously.
The artwork was made during the beginning of Picasso’s career and served as a statement of the new orientation of the artist. Les Demoiselles d’Avignon has been named as a representative of “protocubism” and the starting point for the whole new stream (Abstraction and the Ready-made 2015). Working on it Picasso has created hundreds of sketches and schemes working out the new approach (Les Demoiselles d’Avignon, 1907 by Pablo Picasso 2009). At the time when the artwork was created there had been a serious rivalry between Picasso and his peer artists of Europe. Many outstanding masters were searching for fresh views upon painted art along with Picasso, who decided to incorporate a number of influences in his first cubist work (among them – African primitive art and the masterpieces of El Greco, Cezanne, and Gauguin).
The purpose of the work was to introduce the audience to a new vision of human bodies (namely, female), and offer an alternative perspective on the form that broke the rules of the classical and academic painting. Today, this painting represents a symbol of thinking outside the box, of crossing the boundaries and doing something no one has done before. The fresh idea can be rejected at first, but in the long run it may turn out a notable breakthrough.
Campbell’s Soup Cans by Andy Warhol
Background Information
The name of Andy Warhol is nowadays widely associated with the style of pop art. This style has gained an immense popularity over the last several years due to the return of the fashion of 1960s-1970s. The artwork called Campbell’s Soup Cans is one of the most famous creations of Warhol. It is composed of thirty two parts each of which is a separate work. All of the pieces depict close ups of Campbell’s soup cans, the well-known mass produced food item. The artwork was created in 1962 and first exhibited in Los Angeles; during the first exhibition the thirty two separate pieces were arranged in a line and put on the shelves as if they were actual soup cans sold in a supermarket (Campbell’s Soup Cans n. d.). These days, the artwork is located in New York as the Museum of Modern Art. The pieces are no longer set in a row but arranged chronologically based on the release times of the types of canned soup depicted in each painting.
Why This Artwork Was Chosen
The principle for the selection of this work is the same as the one that refers to the previously discussed piece by Picasso. Campbell’s Soup Cans were chosen for this discussion due to their immense popularity and the fact that they are one of the most well-known symbols of their style – pop art. Looking at this artwork one will see thirty two separate paintings, each of which presents a particular kind of Campbell’s soup flavour. The number of paintings in the artwork shows that by the moment when it was created there were thirty two flavours of soup released by Campbell Company. Working on this series of works, Warhol employed silk screening technique to achieve the perfect resemblance between the pieces and clarity of lines which are necessary in pop art depicting mass produced objects (Andy Warhol. Campbell’s Soup Cans 2014).
Besides, the devices and technique used to create the artwork reflect its modernity as this only became possible due to the technological progress of the 20th century. When the artwork was created (1960s), the American culture started to be orientated at the material goods which quickly replaced immaterial some of the values. As a result, artists such as Warhol began to incorporate the message about the new values of the mass produced items showing consumerism in an artistic form.
Warhol created this piece to reflect what was going on in the society of his time and offering his contemporaries to take an alternative look at art and at the objects of art turning mundane grocery store items into artistic masterpieces (Why is this art? Andy Warhol, Campbell’s Soup Cans 2014). Nowadays, pop art is one of the most famous styles; it has become an object of consumption itself (often pop art masterpieces are depicted on clothes or accessories). It seems like the society of the world has finally embraced its materialistic nature and accepted Warhol’s message.
Cut Piece by Yoko Ono
Background Information
Cut Piece by Yoko Ono represents performance art which was one of the most recognisable streams of modernism. Ono is among the pioneers of this style. Her artwork called Cut Piece was first performed in 1964, in Japan, and a year later it was repeated in New York (Yoko Ono Cut Piece n. d.). The act included just one performer (Yoko Ono herself) who sat at the stage wearing her best clothing and had a pair of scissors next to her. The audience was invited to come on the stage one by one and cut off a piece of the performer’s clothes to take with them. The act continued until the performer decided to stop it. Initially, the performance of Cut Piece was referred to as Strip Tease show by the critics (Concannon 2014).
The feminist commenters recognised Ono’s act as a deliberate transformation of herself into a sexual object, since the performer was not moving or participating in the artwork in any way (Yoko Ono Cut Piece n. d.; Yoko Ono: “Cut Piece” Analysis 2012). At the same time, in her interview about the act, Ono mentioned that the performer of Cut Piece “does not have to be a woman”, and that the show does not target sexual aspect but the destruction of clothes and transformation of the performer’s appearance (Concannon 2014).
Why This Artwork Was Chosen
Ono’s Cut Piece represents the art of performance, which is an extremely meaningful part of modernism as it characterises the uniqueness of the approach towards art that occurred in the 20th century. Cut Piece is a perfect example of modernity because it reflects the most significant traits of it – revolutionary approach, new forms of art, a message from the artist, alternative experience, and broken boundaries. Watching the performance of Cut Piece one will notice that the audience participating in the act is reluctant at first, but gains more courage and starts cutting Ono’s clothing more actively after a while. At the end of the performance, Ono has to support her bra since her clothing is falling apart, the fact that the performer keeps her remaining garments together shows that nudity and sexual aspects were not the priorities of the show.
The act was performed during the sexual revolution, and demonstrates that clothes are the line between decency and obscenity. A simple modification of clothing leads to the breach of boundaries and completely new meanings. Ono’s message added into the work is the destruction as art, an object that changes its appearance, the instability, and fragility. Nowadays, this show is viewed from the perspective of the changeability of art and the clash between creation and destruction. Besides, it demonstrates that art does not have to be made, but can be experienced which provides another new vision of art as a concept. The modernity of this piece is not only the fact that it is an absolutely new form of expression, but that it also offers a new perspective on the role of the artist and the audience in an artwork.
Conclusion
Comparison and Contrast of the Chosen Artworks
The three selected masterpieces were created during different decades of the period of modernism and represent three absolutely different styles such as cubism (Picasso’s Les Demoiselles d’Avignon), pop art (Warhol’s Campbell’s Soup Cans), and performance art (Ono’s Cut Piece). The differences between the three artworks are obvious – form, contents, subjects, messages, tools used for expression, to name a few. In addition, all of the three works are known all over the world and recognised as the legendary representatives of their styles of modern art. At the same time, there are a number of similarities between these works. For instance, Cut Piece and Les Demoiselles d’Avignon both have women as the focus of the piece, but while Ono employs herself and her body as the object of the performance, Picasso paints young women.
The distortion also could be viewed as a common element of the two artworks – Ono’s clothes become intentionally damaged while her performance goes on, and Picasso deliberately distorts the bodies and faces of the ladies in his painting. Ono’s and Warhol’s artworks are united by the decade when they were presented (1960s). This is why, their artistic expressions carry a much more advanced form technologically – Warhol uses silk screening to produce his Campbell’s Soup Cans, and Ono’s performance is filmed and delivered to the world’s audience with the help of a black and white camera.
All of the discussed artworks clearly belong to the movement of modernism because they fulfill its main goal – the search for alternative ways of self-expression through the new perspectives on time, space, and art as a concept. The three masterpieces were initially criticised by the public and it took the society a while to re-evaluate the contribution these works and their authors made to the development of the modern art. Picasso, Warhol, and Ono are the pioneers of their genres who presented the revolutionary pieces and faced the dissatisfaction of the public used to viewing more traditional art.
The modernity of the three artworks discussed in this essay lies in their new approach to art and the breach of the boundaries that used to be perceived as fixed in the previous centuries.
Picasso’s Les Demoiselles d’Avignon breaks the rules portraying the female bodies in a way they have never been presented before. Picasso removes the traditional approach to women in paintings ignoring such features as seductiveness and feminine shape, but presents them as abstract entities viewed from different angles simultaneously. This way, Picasso refuses to work within the frame created throughout the period of Renaissance and the norms of academic painting. Instead, he adds complexity and depth to the image breaking it down into pieces, making it unusual and unknown demonstrating the modern revolutionary way of thinking.
Warhol’s Campbell’s Soup Cans is modern in a way it treats art as a concept testing its limits, asking a silent question “where does the art start, and where does it end?” Warhol shows modernity not only using new tools and techniques for his pieces, he also adds a new series of objects breaking the old rules of art where the contents of the paintings were limited to the subjects that “deserve it”. Warhol’s artwork is impossible to classify using the traditional terms of classic painting. Campbell’s Soup Cans are not a portrait (there are no people), not a landscape (there is no nature), not a still life (there is food, but it is not arranged on a table in a composition).
Ono’s Cut Piece does not fit into the traditional forms of art (painting, sculpture, theatre, music) at all. It incorporates the elements of several different forms, but the performance that is not theatre did not exist before the 20th as a separate kind of art. This is the modernity of Cut Piece. Besides, just like in the case of Warhol’s Campbell’s Soup Cans, Ono’s artwork is impossible to define using the points of view of the classic art. Ono is not just the creator of the piece, she is also the object of her own artwork, and she is the one who actively experiences her performance.
To sum up, the discussed artworks are not the products of their time, but the representatives of the modern art based on the revolutionary approach to the meaning, purpose, form, and object of art. Just like in a number of other spheres, the 20th century in art is known for a huge leap that creates a gap between the modernity and the traditional perspective, and all of the three discussed works clearly illustrate this phenomenon.
References
Abstraction and the Ready-made 2015. Web.
Andy Warhol. Campbell’s Soup Cans 2014. Web.
Concannon, K 2014, Yoko Ono’s CUT PIECE : From Text to Performance and Back Again. Web.
Kuiper, K 2014, Modernism. Web.
Les Demoiselles d’Avignon, 1907 by Pablo Picasso. Web.
Modern Art 2014. Web.
Why is this art? Andy Warhol, Campbell’s Soup Cans 2014. Web.
Yoko Ono Cut Piece n. d. Web.
Yoko Ono: “Cut Piece” Analysis 2012. Web.