Modernism in Scandinavia and Italy in the 1920-1970th - Essay Example

? Modernism in Scandinavia and Italy between 1920 -1970 Table of Contents Introduction 2 Modernism in Scandinavia 5 Modernism in Italy 13 Scandinaviaand Italy – Diverse nations, parallel architecture 18 Conclusion 19 Bibliography 20 Photo Appendix 21 Scandinavian Architecture 22 Italian Architecture 29 31 31 31 Introduction Modernism was not just a new style of thinking; it represented a new way of thinking, new ideas and a new ideology which was a shift from the contemporary ways of art, literature and architecture. Modernism, when defined roughly, refers to the contemporary ideas, notions, spirit and way of life. A more accurate definition would describe it as the change in the cultural values which originated in the form of cultural movements, and left their impact on the Western society in the late 19th and early 20th century. Some of the major political and societal changes which brought about the modernism were the post world wars situation. The huge developments and transformations in industry and technology coupled with the cultural exchanges, transportation and communication developments and influences from the West. The period of modernism in Scandinavia and Italy was both progressive and optimistic. It stems from the renaissance for the historians and was a cultural movement which impacted the Scandinavian and Italian art, architecture, music and literature. The breaking away from the conventional styles to newer representations in the period, where there was a shift from the traditional values. The period also marked growth and innovations in science, ethics, philosophy and psychology besides the previously mentioned art, architecture, music and literature. Different countries have had their share of influencing modernism. This period saw a change in the style and ideology of art during this era. The philosophy of art was transformed during this period in terms of the themes and subject matter, and also the use of colours, shapes and lines. The intellectual underpinnings of modernism emerge during the Renaissance period when, through the study of the art, poetry, philosophy, and science of ancient Greece and Rome, humanists revived the notion that man, rather than God, is the measure of all things, and promoted through education ideas of citizenship and civic consciousness. The period also gave rise to ‘utopian’ visions of a more perfect society.1 Below is a modernism timeline which shows the significant events between 1920- 1970. Modernism in Scandinavia Scandinavia had a mixed dynamics of cultures, language and politics. This gave birth to a versatile and multi dimensional philosophy of art and design which became more assertive. The movement from Europe enveloped Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Iceland and Finland within its fold. The Scandinavian countries had their own unique, yet impactful role in the move towards modernism. The response to the stimuli from the modern world was distinctive. The countries were experiencing the same changes in the modern life- social equality, industrialization and urbanization. Nonetheless, the outcomes and impact showed the unique natures of art and skills that evolved, which gave individuality and characteristic art and design to each of the countries. Yet the distinctiveness was combined with features which were common to all the Scandinavian countries which include a unifying touch in terms of humanism, tradition, moderation, handcrafted perfectionism, modesty, quietude and purposefulness, 2 which came to know as the style of the Scandinavian modern art. Among the European countries, the Scandinavian were able to portray the modern artistic touch in their traditional and conventional craft most expressively. Countries such as Denmark, Sweden and Finland which had internal dynamics and resources which led to an increased inclination towards the craft industries were most explicit in communicating the modern aesthetic in their art and craft. With the breakdown of the craft guild system in the mid- nineteenth century, they established a number of institutions to protect them from an influx of inferior, foreign mass-produced goods.3The Swedish Society of Craft and Industrial Design was formed to cultivate and maintain high standards in crafts. In the pre-1900 times, the Scandinavian countries derived their inspiration from the national traditions and folklore. The early works, which imparted and impacted the most to the modernism, included the Viking-revival imagery of Norway, arts and crafts movement of Nordic and the Swedish porcelain works which depicted the flora and fauna to their utmost beauty on vessels. Harmony in visual arts such as architecture, decorative arts, graphics and craft came through the Art Nouveau movement which gave a unifying touch to the art. The driving motivation behind the flourishing of modern art during the Art Nouveau was the dissatisfaction with historicism, and the mutual feeling that a newer and fresher design should be adopted in the new century. Gregor Paulsson’s book Vackrare Vardagsvara was the starting point towards the unifying of Swedish design. The Swedish design was directed towards achieving ideals of humanism and democracy, depicted through beauty and simplicity. National romanticism found initial grounds in Sweden and Finland; however there was a failure to translate this style into architecture as a unifying feature. Works of architects like Gustaf Ferinand is of particular importance. The Scandinavian countries followed a same trajectory, like the Copenhagen town hall in Denmark failed to integrate Richardson’s example. Romanticism is Finland had become prominent in the late 1800’s. The inspiration behind the Finnish modern art was their folk epic kalevala. Sonck was a prominent figure who built a granite church and used materials such as steel and concrete for Engel’s university library. Other major buildings include Tampere Cathedral and telephone building with characteristic masonry syntax. Finland had been an imperial colony of Sweden and Russia, and therefore Denmark was where the revival of Romantic Classicism originated. Tinges of classism were seen in Sweden quite some time later in works such as Carl Westman’s Stockholm Courts. The architecture saw a shift from national romantic and classical to neo classical. In Sweden the Romantic classical revival could not witness its pure form and was diluted by inflection of plan and iconography. Alvar Aalto’s had Asplund as the driving force. Both Aalto’s and Asplund’s work had several directions to them, and depict different levels of cultural development. The work saw varying contrasts of classical and vernacular architecture. Major works of Aalto, such as the apartment’s, clubs, churches and renovations were inspired by Asplund, and had a Doricist touch to them with an amalgamation of vernacular, Hoffmann’s austerity of line and Italian. Aalto’s Paimio sanatorium instilled the Functional style in the 1927-34 periods. Aalto’s later works were inspired by Erik Bryggman, who was a Finnish architect, in which classicism was combined with the Soviet-Agit-Prop lead in architecture expression. The designs of Aalto derived inspirations from both Dutch and Russian Constructivism, and included the use of concrete, geometrical schemes and serial landscapes. Aalto was influenced by different peoples and philosophies in his works. His later career saw a shift from rational and technical ideas to human imagination, and the use of materials shifted from concrete to wood. The designs incorporated the physical and psychological needs of the people. Efforts were made to ensure the control of environment, meet the people’s needs of privacy, suitable exposure to light and heat, design of ceilings and non noisy wash basins. The designs and features of the buildings were tailor made for each, so that the varying needs such as those of a library and hospitals could be met effectively. Aalto describes his anti mechanistic and more humanistic approach to architecture in the words, to make architecture more human means better architecture and it means functionalism much larger than the merely technical ones. This goal can be accomplished only by architectural methods- by the creation and combination of different technical things in such a way that they will provide for the human being the most harmonious life4. Neo empirical times in Scandinavia (1930s) saw the anti urban streak in them with an inclination towards the humanistic and traditional inspired styles. Some remarkable architecture in this period include the powerhouse designed by Osvald Almqvist, Sven Markelius’s Swedish pavilion, the house of Gunnar Asplund and other similar styles of buildings. The basic features of architecture in both Scandinavia and Italy can be described in the words, the entire inventive effort of these architects consist essentially of devising flexible urban modules whose geometrical character permits articulations that fit well into natural site, leaving the colour, simplicity, and traditionalism of the details to provide the more immediate directions5. The Scandinavian styles, which emerged after the post world war period, were the works of many talented Scandinavian architects and designers. The works of the architects was highly successful and impacted o only the Scandinavian countries but also the rest of the world as described in the following words; as success came, self confidence began to grow. The American Lunning Award which was only for Scandinavian designers was successful in bringing out young talented individuals. Design in Scandinavia’ took on a tour that was three and a half years long, of the US and Canada, in 1954. Beautifully crafted objects were not the only things that promoted; but the Scandinavian lifestyle was promoted as well. Swedish crystal and textiles, Norwegian enamel, Danish teak furniture, Finnish furniture and glass amalgamated into a concept which is generally thought of as Scandinavian: blond, cool, refined and distinct. The craftsmanship that is done with care, harmony, natural feeling and perfection were viewed as a pleasant dream of a world that was better - in Europe a continent which had come alive after the destruction of World War II. Remarkably, there are few countries today – if any – which continue to produce as many vintage designs as the Scandinavian countries, testimony to their timelessness, practicality and to the well-deserved argument they transcend the vagaries of fashion6. Modernism in Italy Modernism in Italy is closely linked to the social forces and is portrayed through the artistic strategies. Artists as individuals, or in groups, sought to demonstrate the change of the century and the change in the social environment (with culture and politics being the main drivers) through painting, design, music, literature and architecture. Two architects, Giuseppe Sommaruga and Ernesto Basile, were the major contributors to the Art Nouveau in Italy. Art Noveau also known as the ‘new art’ was a movement of changing styles of art, applied art and architecture in terms of style. Italy was affected, better, influenced by Modernism such that the era brought forward architectural masterpieces that were at times either influenced by the works of foreign modernist architects or by older architectural designs. The 1925 renovation of Rome brought about changes in the Roman map as streets were re-built to connect ancient monuments with the monuments that were to be built by the Mussolini with the help of Marcello Piacentini. While declaring the plan for the reconstruction of Rome, Mussolini declared that in five years' time, Rome must astonish the peoples of the world. It must appear vast, orderly and powerful as it was in the days of Augustus. Affinity of tradition was so strong during the modernist era that it was almost impossible to construct and design buildings that did not draw influence from ancient Roman architecture. The act of taking inspiration from the past was best settled by the argument that the traditions are not erased from the memories of citizens but only evolve into variations of themselves. However, the avant-garde architecture and modernism was viewed fearfully by those who had witnessed the devastations of the world war and regarded modernism in the technological spheres and other advances as the root cause of the war. The new slogan raised was therefore that of humanism, which incorporated that which was left in the pre war period. Special emphasis was laid on the psychological and physical aspects of the architecture of the people, the expressive use of materials, integration with the environment and incorporation of the traditions and societal factors. The art and architecture sought to remove the anti-technology and neo-humanistic approach and produce work which the people could identify with by having a relationship with them and incorporating traditions. This is referred to as the neo-empirical movement in Scandinavia and the organic movement in Italy. The themes of nature and pseudo-psychologism flourished in the Scandinavian architecture in the 1930s. The Italian architects drew their inspiration from the Scandinavian architecture and therefore the architecture in Italy showed the visible signs of being inspired from the Scandinavians. The ‘social-democratic’ styles were particularly attractive for the Italian architects. However, Italian modernism was richer than the following of Scandinavian styles only. The style in which Italian furniture is designed shows uniqueness that suited the growing economy better than the sparse aesthetics and good-natured folksiness of Scandinavian design, which began to seem plain and constant. Almost a decade before, Nordic coolness and order was needed for the recovery of the spiritual wounds in a Europe that was still going through hardships. However, Nordic designers cannot follow the old tradition as Scandinavian designs are out of fashion now7. However, the Italian architecture had more depth to it in the Neo-Realism, rather than just being inspired by Scandinavian styles. The central concern was on the insistence on defining a common language that would be directly communicative for the poorer classes who were viewed as the protagonists of the post-war reconstruction8. Informal ground plans were laid out to pay reverence to impulsive forms of architecture and materials such as wrought iron and Roman style bricks were used with an emphasis on local dialect. Certainly the rediscovery of rural purity was simply one aspect of the cultural populism that was so in vogue in the post war Italian culture. It was a regressive utopia with nostalgic accents. But, as far as the architecture was concerned, it created a true proper ideology that was adequate to the particular role that the building industry was called to full fill in the period of reconstruction9. The Italian architecture should also be viewed from the perspective of the polemics for and against the Organic architecture. In the Renaissance, architecture was seen as the supreme art. It also represented the highest artistic achievement a human being could attain. The Italian renaissance architecture had significant impact on the world at that time, displaced only by the advent of modernist architecture in the twentieth century.10 But even the modern architect Richard Meier notes that the quality of light, expression of structure, as expressed in an interior like Sant' Ivo Sapienza, remains influential in the way buildings are designed today. The idea of buildings that reach into the heavens or the principle that an interior should welcome the light into the interior rooms can be traced to this period.10 Much of domestic architecture throughout Europe and America still resists modernism, and that people can still drive down the street in Palo Alto and see columned exteriors on the houses of the wealthy mimicking public buildings and communicating civic power. The developments in Roman architecture with their innovative designs and use of styles such as arches and vaults are the source of inspiration for many architectural masterpieces even today. The modernism period brought changes that have changed the world of architecture forever. These impacts of modernism can be seen not only in the Roman Empire but have also spread far and wide during the travels and conquests of the Romans. Scandinavia and Italy – Diverse nations, parallel architecture Post world war scenario saw a shift in the architectural styles for both Scandinavia and Italy. In Scandinavia, the National romanticism, renaissance and Gothic styles were fading away while Italy saw the waning of the Roman architecture to be replaced by a new era of architecture, called the modern architecture. Modern architecture was just not a mere style, rather a representation of the philosophies of the people in the post world war times. The society pinned their hopes to the architecture, believing that new building styles would bring about a social revival. The period also saw developments in terms of technology, resources and engineering techniques as well, and thereby the architects began to incorporate new materials such as glass, steel and iron which brought about a completely new genre of the architecture. The architects in both regions began to attach more significance to humanistic values and aesthetics which included features like light, aeration and thin walls as opposed to the previously used contemporary and rich and heavy designs. As the emphasis continued on the use of modern materials, the architects in both regions experimented and brought in their individual touch to the architecture. However, the Italian architecture was inspired by that of Scandinavia, and had a similar touch to it. The features common to the architectural styles include: The use of modern building materials such as glass and steel The use of technology and machine aesthetics The use of lines, both vertical and horizontal The rejection to the previous ornamental designs More emphasis to structure and forms Conclusion The Scandinavian and Italian art and architecture, and the economic, technological, demographic and cultural changes evolved in tandem. The architectural designs depict the periods and their relative influence with different architects and artists gaining influence in different periods, and their works marked by their characteristic styles, yet having a unifying national touch to them. The styles which were adopted were the neo classism, Romanticism, historicism and vernacular architecture. These trends in architecture coincide with the societal and political changes in these countries during 1920-1970’s. The use of wood and concrete and architectural styles like the arches, piers and others are the characteristic features of the times, and a reflection of political and societal evolution. The architecture in Scandinavia and Italy is intermittent with a variety of prevailing conditions, such as those of the society, but also reflect the architect’s innovation and style. During the modernism, people found justification and representation in the surrounding objects around them and therefore their ideologies were reflected in their art and architecture. Bibliography Colquhoun, Alan, Modern Architecture, (London: Oxford University Press, 2002). Frampton, Kenneth, Modern Architecture-A Critical History, 3rd edition (London: Thames and Hudson Inc., 1992) Manfredo Talfuri and Francesco Dalco, Modern Architecture, 1st edition (New York: H. N. Abrams, 1979) Meir,Richard, ‘The Influences of Italian Architecture on Our World Today’, directessays, [Accessed on: 21 February 2011] Moffet, Marjan, Michael W. Fazio, and Lawrence Wodehouse, A world history of architecture, (London: Laurence King Publishing, 2003) Ryan, David. ‘Scandinavian Moderne’, Publications and Reproductions, < http://www.artsmia.org/modernism/e_sm.html>[Accessed on: 21 February 2011] Wickman, Kerstin, ‘Scandinavian Design’, Nordic way, < http://www.nordicway.com/sweden_design.htm> [Accessed on: 21 February 2011] Witcombe, Christopher L. C. E., ‘The roots of modernism’, what is Art? What is an Artist? (1997) < http://witcombe.sbc.edu/modernism/roots.html> [Accessed on: 21 February 2011] Photo Appendix Scandinavian Architecture Viipuri Library (1927-35) by Alvar Aalto Although library is made of concrete yet the functionalism aspects were enhanced to meet the psychological needs with proper orientation for heat and light. (Frampton, 1992, p.198; Moffet et al, 2003) Tuberculosis sanatorium, Paimio (1929-33) Work by Alvar Aalto An example resilient modernist architecture with “slender, loosely articulated wings” projected to merge with the surroundings (Colquhoun, 2002, p.201) Town Hall, Saynatsalo (1949-52), by Alvar Aalto A rustic structure, using bricks at the exterior facade, built around a court yard with openings at the two extremes. This architectural legacy brought back the picturesque high volume compositions depicting slight rejuvenation of the national romanticism passion (Colquhoun, 2002, p.204; Moffer et.al, 2003). Vuoksenniska Church, Imarta (1957-9) by Alvar Aalto This structural form depicts the transitional phase in Aalto’s work from organic to rationalistic style. Brickwork was altered by the use of marble facade, with more geometrical details. (Colquhoun, 2002, p. 205) Italian Architecture “Tiburtino Housing Estate”, Rome (1944-54) by Ludovico Quaroni and Mario Ridolfi The vernacular stature posed in this project of neorealism is inspired by the work of Swedish architects Reinius and Backstrom (Colquhoun, 2002). Read More