Modernism Quotes

Modernism was a cultural movement that emerged in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, characterized by a rejection of traditional values and a focus on innovation and experimentation. It had a profound impact on literature, art, architecture, and music, and continues to influence culture today. Here are some insightful quotes about modernism and its impact.

First, we have a quote from author Virginia Woolf, who wrote, "In or about December, 1910, human nature changed. All human relations shifted... and when human relations change there is at the same time a change in religion, conduct, politics, and literature." This quote highlights the transformative nature of modernism, which challenged traditional values and ushered in a new era of creativity and innovation.

Next, we have a quote from architect Le Corbusier, who said, "A house is a machine for living in." This quote speaks to the functionalist aspect of modernism, which emphasized the importance of form following function. Modernist architects sought to create buildings that were efficient, practical, and aesthetically pleasing.

But modernism was not just about innovation and experimentation - it was also a response to the social and political changes of the time. As author and philosopher Jean-Paul Sartre wrote, "It is not in the world of ideas that life is lived. Life is lived for better or worse in the world of things." This quote speaks to the materialism and consumerism of modern society, which modernist artists sought to critique and challenge through their work.

Finally, we have a quote from artist Pablo Picasso, who said, "Art is a lie that makes us realize truth." This quote speaks to the surreal and abstract nature of modernist art, which sought to challenge traditional notions of representation and beauty. Modernist artists sought to create works that were expressive and thought-provoking, pushing the boundaries of what art could be.

In conclusion, modernism was a transformative cultural movement that had a profound impact on the arts and society as a whole. By challenging traditional values and embracing innovation and experimentation, modernists sought to create a new vision for the future. These insightful quotes remind us of the importance of creative expression and the power of art to challenge and inspire.

Builders eventually took advantage of the look of modernism to build cheaply and carelessly. Arthur Erickson

Build Carelessly Took Cheaply Advantage Look Builders Modernism Eventually

You could never hide yourself in these places - in Mies's Farnsworth house, for example. That was a mistake of Modernism. People need places to hide from each other, too. You need everything. Ben van Berkel

You Mistake Yourself People Hide Example Too Other Everything Could Never For Example House Places Modernism Each Need

In Modernism, reality used to validate media. In Postmodernism, the media validate reality. If you don't believe this, just think how many times you've described some real event as being 'just like a movie.' Brad Holland

French design hardly exists, except as artificial modernism. Christian Lacroix

Design Except French Exists Artificial Modernism Hardly

To say that such-and-such a circumstance is 'Kafkaesque' is to admit to the denigration of an imagination that has burned a hole in what we take to be modernism - even in what we take to be the ordinary fabric and intent of language. Nothing is like 'The Hunger Artist.' Nothing is like 'The Metamorphosis.' Cynthia Ozick

Language Nothing Imagination Say Circumstance Hunger Fabric Admit Take Like Artist Intent Burned Ordinary Hole Modernism Even

When you get to be 103, modernism is a very wide concept. Daniel Barenboim

You Concept Very Get Modernism Wide

A 'modern' man has nothing to add to modernism, if only because he has nothing to oppose it with. The well-adapted drop off the dead limb of time like lice. Elias Canetti

Time Man Drop Oppose Nothing Add Lice Only He Like Dead Limb Because Off Modern Modern Man Modernism

Modernism in Vienna brought together science and culture in a new way to create an Age of Insight that emphasized a more complex view of the human mind than had ever existed before. Eric Kandel

Together Science Age Culture Mind Before Way Complex Insight Brought More Had Emphasized New Existed Than New Way Human Modernism Create Vienna View Human Mind Ever

Modernism, rebelling against the ornament of the 19th century, limited the vocabulary of the designer. Modernism emphasized straight lines, eliminating the expressive S curve. This made it harder to communicate emotions through design. Eva Zeisel

Emotions Communicate Made Design Vocabulary Through Emphasized Limited Lines Curve Against Modernism Straight Century Rebelling Expressive Harder Ornament Designer

Modernism in other arts brought extreme difficulty. In poetry, the characteristic difficulty imported under the name of modernism was obscurity. But obscurity could just as easily be a quality of metrical as of free verse. James Fenton

Quality Free Difficulty Other Extreme Characteristic Easily Brought Poetry Could Obscurity Free Verse Name Imported Verse Just Arts Modernism

The voice is raised, and that is where poetry begins. And even today, in the prolonged aftermath of modernism, in places where 'open form' or free verse is the orthodoxy, you will find a memory of that raising of the voice in the term 'heightened speech.' James Fenton

Today You Memory Will Free Prolonged Find Voice Poetry Open Free Verse Term Verse Begins Where Form Aftermath Places Modernism Even Orthodoxy Raised Raising Speech

The arts generally have had to recognize Modernism - how should poetry escape? John Crowe Ransom

Recognize Poetry Generally Had How Escape Arts Modernism Should

Post-Modernism was a reaction against Modernism. It came quite early to music and literature, and a little later to architecture. And I think it's still coming to computer science. Larry Wall

Music Science Architecture Computer Science Think Later Computer Reaction Still Coming Came Quite Literature Against Modernism Little Early

I haven't changed my mind about modernism from the first day I ever did it... It means integrity; it means honesty; it means the absence of sentimentality and the absence of nostalgia; it means simplicity; it means clarity. That's what modernism means to me. Paul Rand

Day Me Integrity Honesty Simplicity Mind First Changed Clarity About Absence Did Nostalgia Modernism Sentimentality Means Ever

What interests me, and has always interested me, has been modernism. Peter Gay

Me Has-Been Always Been Interested Modernism Interests

Pope Benedict is an amazingly visionary person. What he has done is establish an evolutionary process that will help undo the Reformation. The Anglican Church has been hijacked by modernism, with synods trying to amend the faith and this process will allow traditional Anglicans to be themselves. Peter Slipper

Faith Church Will Visionary Evolutionary Has-Been Anglican Allow He Hijacked Traditional Been Amazingly Undo Amend Person Reformation Trying Done Establish Process Modernism Themselves Help Pope

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