“Modernist” Is Now An Ethnicity
Modernism presented itself as post-ethnicity. It was meant to be a movement to replace the ad hoc conventions our ancestors had blindly arrived at with a true conception of all things. However, Postmodernism systematically revealed the futility of this project. Modernism in fact had its own history and context and was not universal in the ways it had aspired to be. So what is the way forward for the children of modernity? Perhaps there is a two step process that needs to occur as we advance into what some are calling a MetaModern future.
Step 1. Modernism is now just another ethnicity. Modernism needs to be reimagined using the language and types of characterizations we apply to other ethnicities.
Step 2. Modernism needs to find true acceptance in multi-ethnic society. Modernism may have fallen short of its aspirations of universality but it’s done some great good, such as ending slavery and advancing medicine and communications, and probably has done no more evil than other ethnicities when scaled by size of membership. Perhaps many people in the world today could be characterized as multi-ethnic with Modernism as one of their ethnic components.
MetaModern cultural artifacts may be indicating this shift towards Modernism being treated as another ethnicity. There is affection and acceptance of some of the conventions of Modernism (see Wes Anderson) while remaining clear that Modernism is just one story among many and not to be mistaken as the apogee of truth and human culture.
