Disenchantment and Modernity

The early twentieth century represented a turbulent and changing time, socially and in respect

to art, for the majority of the western world. Specifically, during and Post World War I the art culture

was radically morphing into a completely polar form. As artists utilized new methods and represented

emerging movements such Expressionism, Cubism, Futurism, “suprematism”, The Readymade, Dada,

and Surrealism they all relied in the same belief of rebellion. This rebellion varied depending upon the

artist and their interpretation but in all cases it served the same purpose – to enlighten and redefine

what art “should be” and what can be called art. This disenchantment away from the stereotypical

classic definitions of art and what is defined either as beautiful or skillful is part of the evolution from

and into Modern Art and Modernity.

Four artists and their work are specifically adept at representing some of the aforementioned

movements and identifying the underlying beliefs of the changes of the times. In the late nineteenth

century, the Norwegian born Edvard Munch was responsible for creating one of the most recognizable

works of modern art. The Scream (1893) is a striking oil and tempura on board creation of a lone figure

on a bridge during is taken to be sunset. The figure is alone in the foreground, with two figures behind in

the distance one female and one male. The figure has no obvious gender clues. The figure is posed in a

terrified stance and conveys a look of fear while screaming. The colors used are exceptionally vibrant

with strong use of deep blues and violet, as well as contrasting orange and yellow for the sunset. The

piece conveys a feeling of being alone and fear while the distance of the two figure...

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...s the subconscious

of the mind as imagined by Dali through his readings of Freud. From this work, the imagination is

allowed to roam wild and further develop any image conceived.

The artwork of Duchamp, Dali, Malevich, and Munch is all part of the progression of modern art and

how it has evolved away from the stereotypical definition of what is “art” and how it is judged. This

disenchantment can be seen throughout the various movements of the early twentieth century and into

the Post World War I era. The artists mentioned all have a clear and definitive contribution to this

progression of how art is interpreted and what can be considered modern art. From geometric shapes,

to readymade pieces, and fantasy images representative of the subconscious, the art of the modern era

has progressed as a result of innovative and visionary movements such as those discussed