Final answer:
The modernist worldview encompassed a broad range of disciplines, promoting innovation and a break from past traditions. Aesthetic theory studies how art is valued, revealing society's underlying values.
Step-by-step explanation:
The modernist worldview, encapsulated by Ezra Pound's "Make it new!" mantra, challenged the existing culture and fostered innovations across various fields such as literature, music, and art. By embracing methods like the stream-of-consciousness in novels, atonal and twelve-tone music, and abstract art, modernism represented a significant departure from the past. Influences from the 19th century also played a role in shaping this movement.
Delving deeper, aesthetic theory examines how art and beauty are interpreted and valued in society. Aesthetics not only explore subjective perceptions of beauty but also reveal underlying societal values, how they are expressed, and who has the authority to establish them. This is crucial for understanding what the modernist project attempted to achieve, as described in various social science critiques and philosophical standpoints.
Within this framework, the modernist and postmodernist periods ushered in new artistic expressions while reacting against established norms and complacency. The transition from reproducing nature to exploring basic elements like line, color, and dimension represented a shift in artistic focus. This fragmentation and experimentation led to diverse styles that encapsulated the zeitgeist, including expressionism, fantasy, and abstraction, as noted by historian H. W. Janson.