As the 20th century was a turbulent one, the movements in the art world that rose and fell were a collective response to the breakdown of traditional society and structure. In the early part of the last century, the most prominent art movement was Modernism, which rejected the realism and scientific thinking of its time in favor of a more subjective and imaginative approach. But the heyday of modernism has passed into the "postmodern" era, although a recent revival has emerged. The result is the Remodernist art wave.

Effectively, Remodernism did not truly start until the year 2000. Before then, the line between modernist and postmodern art had blurred. While the original modernist movement was devoted to free expression and experiments with abstract images and surrealism, postmodern artists moved beyond any attachment to traditional art criticism. Whereas modernists saw their works as avant-garde experiments (putting forward an idea through a new style or medium), postmodern artists broke away from any sense of mere "experimentation" and devoted themselves to pure expression without structure, no matter how paradoxical or surreal.

However, on March 1, 2000, two artists stepped forward with a new manifesto. Billy Childish and Charles Thomson founded an art movement called Stuckism, which upheld the principles of a new philosophy called Remodernism. Seeing the postmodern trend as cynical and hollow, they sought to reinvigorate art with a return to spirituality and genuine feeling. In Point 9 of their manifesto, Thomson and Childish make clear their central theme: "Spirituality is humanity's quest to understand itself and finds its symbology through the clarity and integrity of its artists." At an art show entitled The Resignation of Sir Nicholas Serota, the Stuckists made themselves known to the larger world, raising the profile and appeal of Remodernism for a new generation of artists.

The majority of Remodernism is about reaffirming the basic principles of modernist art. There is a general focus on restoring a sense of optimism about modern life through bright colors and strong lines, as well as putting more serious intent into abstract works. The overall point is about forming a solid identity rather than deconstructing one as a postmodern artist would.

Because of their strong media profile, the Stuckists remain one of the most prevalent Remodernist groups in the art world today. A clear example of Stuckist art is a painting by Ella Guru entitled Candlelit vigil in Trafalgar Square. The scene depicts retired Labour MP Tony Benn and other Londoners holding a vigil in protest over the start of the War in Iraq in 2003. Unlike the postmodern tendency to eschew structure or a clear message, Guru drives home her sympathy to the anti-war protests, fitting into the social realism of the original modernists. Her brushwork itself is well-defined, being sympathetic to the protestors while painting them with colors appropriate to their real-life appearance. The solemnity of the vigil is as clear as if we were looking into a photo taken by a journalist.

Many Remodernist paintings and other works of art can be found through the Stuckist website, on independent art groups like the Remodernists of deviantArt.

Image by La Citta Vita on Flickr