Late Modernism – The Concept
The years during which Late Modernism was effective stretched from the period after World War II to the early 21st century. This art form was said to be a reaction against radicalism and an experimentalism of Modern Art. However, opinion remains divided on the ‘individuality’ of late Modernism, which retains the conceptual identity of Modernism and is only one phase in the larger aeon of Modern Art, as some schools of thought believe. Another closely related term is postmodernism, which is arguably based on the premise that art cannot be innovative or progressive in opposition to modernism. However, the boundaries remain blurred.
The details
An easy recognition of late Modernist works is their understandability and relatively unambiguous representations. Minimalism, characterized by the most simplistic forms, is considered a late modernist genre.
Artists and works of art
Richard Tuttle’s (USA, 1941) 1967 work ‘Red Canvas’ is a classic case of simplification in late modernism. This frame features a reddish-brown irregular octagon on a light background. Similarly, Kazimir Malevich’s (Russian – 1879-1935) 1913 oil on canvas work titled ‘Black Square’ is another design in simple geometric form. The fragmented color grid, known as ‘Composition No. 10’ is another minimalist example, by Piet Mondrian (Dutch, 1872-1944). Well-known contributors to late modernism, through minimalism, include Frank Stella (USA, 1936), Agnes Martin (Canadian-American, 1912-2004), Donald Judd (USA, 67), Robert Morris (United States United States, 1965), Tony Smith (United States, 1939), Sol Lewitt (United States, 1928-2007), Robert Smithson (United States, 1938-73), Larry Bell (United States, 1939), Dan Flavin (USA, 1939). USA, 1933-96), Carl Andre (USA, 1935), Robert Mangold (USA, 1937) and Ronald Bladen (Canadian-American, 1918-88).
The Correlations
Minimalism was not limited to the domain of painting and also found expression through sculpture. Frank Stella was one of the leading advocates of minimalism in sculpture. Color field and abstract expressionism are considered the other cornerstones of late modernism. The two genres had some overlap in terms of artists, so several Abstract Expressionists became the pioneers and ardent supporters of Color Field. Abstract expressionism was that sect of painting with which artists such as Jackson Pollock, Wassily Kandinsky, Paul Klee, Jane Frank, Barnett Newman, Arshile Gorky, Hans Hofmann, Franz Kline, Clyfford Still were identified. He does not. 5′ (1948), ‘Mountains and Sea’ (1952) by Helen Frankenthaler and ‘Onement 1’ (1948) by Barnett Newman are some of the mythical frames of abstract expressionism. Color Field is also a branch of abstract art, where the underlying simplicity of the executions becomes expressive through the interplay of vibrant colors. Kenneth Noland’s ‘Beginning’, created in 1958, is one of the most treasured pieces of Color Field painting. Similar is ‘Who’s afraid of red, yellow and blue?’ a 1966 frame by Barnett Newman.
Conclution
Regardless of whether or not a consensus is reached on the classification of Late Modernism, its notable contribution to the Contemporary Art scene cannot be denied.