Modernism’s Monsters

Godzilla statue surrounded by city buildings inTokyo

Credit: Godzilla by Ian Myles, licensed under CC BY 2.0

Resource Description

The modern era is full of fears. The more we know about our world, the more frightening it can be, and the 1950s were a time in which the threat of nuclear war, fears of communist takeovers, and new advances in science were all combining to make the modern world a very frightening place. This fear was reflected in art and in popular culture, particularly in inexpensive B-movie science fiction films. This module explores some of that fear, and the artistic and popular works inspired by it. Watch out for the giant ants!

License

CC BY-NC 4.0

Resource
Author(s)

Download Source Files

Download the resource's source files here: .zip (32.76 MB)

Heather McCune Bruhn

An artist and teacher from a family of artists and teachers, Dr. Heather McCune Bruhn started her academic career intending to become a painter. After receiving undergraduate degrees in Art History and Silkscreen Printmaking from Virginia Commonwealth University, she came to Penn State for her MA and PhD (2006) in Art History.

Her specialty is late Medieval goldsmithwork from Germany, a topic that she researched as a Fulbright grantee for one year in Cologne, Germany. This research helped to spark her interest in artistic technique, the meaning and function of works of art, the economics of art, and broader issues of historical and cultural context.

Learn more

Keywords / Topics

Redesigning Modernities