Modernism redefined: Challenging the complex elitist image

In this podcast episode, Steve Dowden discusses his book Modernism and Mimesis, which offers a new perspective on modernism in literature, art, and as a whole. The book challenges the prevailing notion that modernism is a complex, elitist movement, arguing instead that it is characterized by simplicity and a focus on the direct experience. Dowden questions why modernism is often associated with complexity when artists like Matisse created works that are visually uncomplicated. He also explores how the definition of modernism has been influenced by the limited focus on writers like Joyce and Pound, ignoring the broader European literature, music, architecture, and more. By examining the different understandings of language and its relationship to the world in works by Joyce and Kafka, Dowden argues that modernism is a rejection of Cartesian subjectivity and a move towards a more somatic, sensory experience of art. Ultimately, this episode challenges the conventional understanding of modernism and offers a fresh perspective on its aims and characteristics.