Humanities Arts Cultural Stu 0222 - Modernity and the Avant-Gardes

This course is an examination of the emergence, development, and dissolution of European modernist art, architecture and design. The course begins with the innovations and collisions of early twentieth century art, in response to the growth of modern urbanism, industrialist production, colonialist politics, and psychological experimentation, and ends with the cooptation of modernist radicalism in the wake of World War II. Distinctions between the terms modernist, modernity, threshold modernism, and the avant-garde will be explored as we unpack the complex equations between art, politics and social change in the first half of the twentieth century. Covering selected movements and groups (such as Expressionism, Cubism, Futurism, Dadaism, Surrealism, Bauhaus, De Stijl, Constructivism, and New Objectivity) this course will consider themes such as mechanical reproduction, nihilism, nationalism, consumerism, and primitivism as they are disclosed in the making and reception of modern art. Students will be responsible for presentations, essays, a research paper and museum visits.

Culture, Humanities, and Languages Writing and Research Field Trip In this course, students are expected to spend a minimum of between six-eight hours a week of preparation and work outside of class time. This time includes reading, writing, and research, as well as image study, including field trips to Five College museums.