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The Shock of the New!
The Background of Modernist Movement
The early propagandists of modern architecture were convinced that a century-old problem had been solved in their own times, that a genuine modern style rather than a revival of past forms had at last been achieved. The revolution in sensibility, which affected all the arts around the turn of the century, constituted a profound reorientation in ways of thinking and seeing forms. Since the forces of modernization in the early 20th century tended to obscure local, regional and ethnic differences, it was a truly “international” style.
In their celebrated show, The International Style: Architecture since 1922, held at the Museum of Modern Art in 1932, architectural historian Henry-Russell Hitchcock and architect Philip Johnson, articulated the International Style’s three principals: volume as opposed to mass; regularity as opposed to symmetry; and arbitrarily applied decoration was outlawed.
The modern movement was a revolution in social purpose as well as architectural forms. It tried to reconcile industrialism, society and nature, projecting prototypes for mass housing and ideal plans for new homes and even cities. Modernism held the architect responsible for overseeing everything from the smallest to the largest articles of design.
After World War II and now bereft of faith in the possibility of transforming the world, the earlier utopian dreams of the Modern Movement were supplanted by affirmation of the power of capitalism. The arrival of Modernism in the Northwest was the earliest in the nation. The building permit for Pietro Belluschi’s Equitable Savings and Loan Association Building in Portland was the first issued after World War II. Northwest architects, patrons and clients began to embrace Modernism wholeheartedly. So much so, that some older buildings were abusively altered to make them appear “modern”.
By the 1960s however, Modernism had often evolved into minimal and unimaginative replicas of modern architecture’s seminal works; city planning by planning bureaucracies rather than thoughtful architects; and functional discipline of Modernism was co-opted by profit-driven real estate developers. 1965 marks the advent of Late Modernism, exemplified by experimentation by the young Turks who were educated after World War II, and by the mature practitioners pushing the limits of Modernism.
Now that Modernism has achieved historic status, its forms, styles, and materials need to be identified, recorded and evaluated for integrity. This symposium will enable cultural resources professionals, members of the architectural and interior design community and the general public to better understand and appreciate the Modernism movement, both regionally and nationally.