The Modernist Revolution in the Arts

3 units

What is/was Modernism? How did this worldwide phenomenon impact the arts in every genre and medium from the turn of the Twentieth Century to the present? Do we still live in the age of Modernism, or should we consider ours a new, Post-Modern age? This course will examine these and other questions as they relate to the theatre, prose, poetry, and the visual arts. Our investigation will focus on most of the major literary and artistic movements, including Naturalism, Impressionism, Symbolism, Surrealism, and Expressionism. We will examine literary manifestoes which help to illuminate the periods under discussion, as well as look at individual works themselves. Central to our approach in the course will be an interdisciplinary perspective. Among the luminaries whose work will be considered are Ibsen, Strindberg, Chekhov, Hemingway, Dali, Picasso, Stravinsky, Artaud, Kafka, and Beckett.