Thirteenth International Conference on The Arts in Society

Abstract

Modern design is readily identifiable as a result of the “Machine Age.” We identify products as “Modern” when the process and the product are inextricably unified. This correlation is less obvious, but nonetheless valid, in the Impressionist Movement. Impressionism signifies the emergence of “Modernity.” Impressionism is truly “Modern” in that it emphasizes technique (process) to a greater extent than subject (product). This transition away from pictorial narrative or subject, toward the “essential” typifies Impressionism. As such, Impressionism is the precursor to Modern Abstraction and Non-objectivity. In effect, the subject of the painting is technique. A painting is just a painting rather than a reference to some other experience. This “Modern” revolution in art is both enabled and compelled by technologies such as photography, synthetic pigments and rail transportation. Photography challenges the role of the artist. Photography excels as a mnemonic device, forcing the artist to provide more than an accurate image, but rather to capture the sensation of the moment. The artist is able to take his easel anywhere a photographer might take his tripod by virtue of rail travel. The Impressionist Movement documents the societal transformation known as the Modernity, and deserves a closer look.