Modernism
The beginning of many art movements is unclear, and Modernism is no exception. Most would say the beginning of Modernism falls somewhere in between 1860 and 1920. It is said to have emerged as an escape from historical foundations, with disregard of the representational. The end of WWI helped Modernism to gain acceptance- the rational being it rejected bourgeois values that cause war. The end of Modernism is not quite as ambiguous as the beginning, but still not set in stone. Typically the 1960s are seen as the era where Modernism fell out of popularity and Postmodernism started kicking in.
The principles associated with the Modern Art Movement are centered around the concept of formalism. Formalism was the idea that only the formal elements of art qualify for universality. The color/line are the only things that contribute to the aesthetic experience. Qualifying art was autonomous, meaning it was self contained and functioned aesthetically without any external references.
One of the major proponents of Modernism was Clement Greenberg, who proposed the idea of formalism. Common characteristics of modern art include: flat imagery, abstraction, bright colors, bold lines. Some artists associated with Modernism include: Rothko, Pollock, Mondrian, Manet, Clyfford Still, & Barnett Newman.
Mark Rothko
Clyfford Still
Barnett Newman
Jackson Pollock
Postmodernism
Once again, the post-modern art movement does not have a definitive beginning or ending (is it over?) but the 1960s are often referenced as the fall of Modernism, and the beginning of Postmodernism. It was formed as a direct response to Modernism (hence the name) and the many movements the emerged from it were out of rebellion to the limitations Modernism held to the aesthetic experience. Many felt that the criteria for what was art was really an ideology that empowered one group (white, male, painters) at the expense of another. Two main ideas that conflicted with Modernism were Marxism and Feminism. Marxism held that art emerged from something larger (society, economic climate). Feminists felt that modernism was a tool to accept corruption and inequities in power. It should not be autonomous, but should refer to life and include women.
Postmodernism includes many movements that explore medium thoroughly, such as the collage, video, performance art, and installation, and use pop culture imagery. Artists I associate with the very early and also most recent postmodern art include: Andy Warhol, Judy Chicago, Bruce Nauman, and Jeff Koons.
Art Today
To be perfectly honest I have not kept up with current art movements that I am sure we will be focusing on in this class. I feel disconnected from it, coming from the craft world, and I have a hard time paying too much attention when I know that this type of respect and admiration is not typically mutual. The crafts have a neverending debate over fine arts vs. craft, and many are desperate to claim there should be no seperation as a way to establish equality. I personally do not mind the seperation, as many of our goals and much of our history is disconnected. This being said, I won't claim that the trends in painting and sculpture don't end up influencing my work or that of my peers, through one channel or another. And so I am open to learning about these fields, but particularly in the context of understanding of how they pertain to my own.
Mark Rothko 
Clyfford Still
Barnett Newman 
Jackson Pollock
