Modernism and Modernity are two separate things.
Let’s talk about what they mean, and why
it’s important to know the difference.
Hey guys, it’s Karin.
Welcome back to little art talks.
Modernity is the term we’re all familiar
with - out of the two, it’s the more general
term.
According to Webster’s dictionary, modernity
is something new, “involving recent techniques,
methods, or ideas.”
When we talk about the late nineteenth, early
twentieth century Europe, you can say that
modernity was characterized by innovations
that include technologies such as the railroad,
automobile, and coal engines, as well as ideologies
such as democracy, socialism, and liberalism.
Modernism, on the other hand is a more specific
type of thought.
With the suffix -ism, denoting a system of
ideas, principle, or ideological movement.
It’s a belief, world view, set of systems,
ways of thinking about life.
Modernism was a philosophical movement in
the late 19th and early 20th centuries, which
arose with the development of modern industrial
societies and the rapid growth of cities.
In the arts, it was a radical break with the
past, and a concurrent search for new forms
of expression.
The Modernists felt that the traditional forms
of art had become outdated in the new economic,
social, and political environment of an emerging
fully industrialized world.
We talked about the avant-garde in a previous
video, so go ahead and check out that video
for more information.
To summarize, modernism and modernity are
two very different terms, not be confused.
So when you’re writing your paper for art
history class, make sure you write the right
term.
The former refers to a very specific type
of thought and the latter is the broad characteristics
of a contemporary time period.
I hope this video helped you better understand
the difference between modernism and modernity.
And if you like this video, please give it
a thumbs up and subscribe to Little Art Talks
for more videos on art history.
Thanks so much for watching, and I’ll see
you guys next time.
