Modernism
A Very Short Introduction
1st Edition
Published on 29. July 2010
Book
Paperback/Softback
144 pages
978-0-19-280441-9 (ISBN)
Description
Is a tower block, your unmade bed, your lavatory basin, or the bicycle chained to the gate next door a work of art? Why should a novel have a beginning, a middle, and an end; or even a story? Whether we recognise it or not, virtually every aspect of our life today has been influenced in part by the aesthetic legacy of Modernism.
In this Very Short Introduction Christopher Butler examines how and why Modernism began, explaining what it is and showing how it has gradually informed all aspects of 20th and 21st century life.
Butler considers several aspects of modernism including some modernist works; movements and notions of the avant garde; and the idea of 'progress' in art. Butler looks at modernist ideas of the self, subjectivity, irrationalism, people and machines, and political definitions of modernism as a whole.
ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.
In this Very Short Introduction Christopher Butler examines how and why Modernism began, explaining what it is and showing how it has gradually informed all aspects of 20th and 21st century life.
Butler considers several aspects of modernism including some modernist works; movements and notions of the avant garde; and the idea of 'progress' in art. Butler looks at modernist ideas of the self, subjectivity, irrationalism, people and machines, and political definitions of modernism as a whole.
ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.
Reviews / Votes
A useful introduction, as lucid and engaging as it is concise. / Peter Blair, University of ChesterMore details
Series
Language
English
Place of publication
Oxford
United Kingdom
Illustrations
15 black and white halftones
Dimensions
Height: 173 mm
Width: 113 mm
Thickness: 14 mm
Weight
117 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-19-280441-9 (9780192804419)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions
E-Book
07/2010
OUP eBook
€5.49
Available for download
Person
Professor Christopher Butler is Professor of English Language and Literature at Christ Church College, University Oxford. His many publications include Early Modernism: Literature, Music, and Painting in Europe, 1900-1916 (OUP, 1994), Interpretation, Deconstruction, and Ideology (OUP, 1984), and Postmodernism: A Very Short Introduction (OUP, 2002).
Content
1. The Modernist work ; 2. Modernist movements and cultural tradition ; 3. The Modernist artist ; 4. Modernism and politics