Theory I S08

Avant Modern: Class Summaries of Readings

The images above and below show the results of an in-class exercise where teams of students "tagged" each of the articles read for class. Collectively the tags were assembled into clusters to see what themes the 4 readings had in common. Photos thanks to Lucy Cook.

Adolf Loos, 1908, "Ornament and Crime"
Loos argues that the development of culture = removal of ornamental objects in daily use for political, moral, economic, and psychological benefit.

F. T Marinetti, 1913, "Destruction of Syntax- Imagination Without Strings — Words-in-Freedom":
Marinetti proposes guidelines for the expressive and communicative possibilities of language.

Alexander Rodchenko and Varvara Stepanova, 1920, "The Program of the Productivist Group"
Rodchenko and Stepanova outline a program for the communist artist as one whose work furthers the ideological agenda through practical applications.

Theo VanDoesburg, 1922, "The Will to Style"
Van Doesburg describes the style of “our times” as the expression of the machine. He argues that applying artistic guidance, the machine reconciles our spiritual (ability to realize higher truths) and material needs as means to address the larger societal goal of “social liberation.”

Avant Modern

Readings from the early 20th century Avant Guard Modernists in design

In class:
> Presentation on the Avant Moderns’ context and creations
> Discuss readings and review summaries/annotations (posted as comments)
>>> Adolf Loos, 1908, "Ornament and Crime" (reader)
>>> F. T Marinetti, 1913, "Destruction of Syntax- Imagination Without Strings — Words-in-Freedom" (Looking Closer 3)
>>> Alexander Rodchenko and Varvara Stepanova, 1920, "The Program of the Productivist Group" (Looking Closer 3)
>>> Theo VanDoesburg, 1922, "The Will to Style," Form and Function,
edited by Benton and Sharp, Open University Press, 1975. (reader)

Objectives: Understand the theories of the early moderns – what their arguments had in common as well as how the arguments differed from one another.

Assignment for February 25:
Read and annotate each of the following readings. Prior to class add your summaries and annotation as comments to the February 25 posting on the class weblog.
Modern Style
• Douglas McMurtrie, 1929, "The Philosophy of Modernism in Typography" (book)
• Maurice Dufrene, 1931, "A Survey of Modern Tendencies in Decorative Art," Form and Function, edited by Benton and Sharp, Open University Press, 1975. (reader)
• Harold Van Doren, 1940, "Streamlining," Form and Function, edited by Benton and Sharp, Open University Press, 1975 (reader)