17: Art Between the Wars (WWI and WWII)

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Introduction

World War I devastated Europe, and artists responded to the war by creating art that summed up the utter nonsensical nature of this brutality with the art movement called Dada. Dada and other visual art at this time often uses collage to visually communicate ideas. Modern art used for propaganda can be seen in the Russian Constructivist movement and similar art from the Dutch with the De Stijl movement. Exploration of the human psyche in the writings of Andre Breton is part of Surrealism and several artists are invited into this group, including Salvador Dali and René Magritte. Picasso continues his influence on art by combining aspects of Cubism with recognizable imagery. North American art in the United States and in Mexico are also recognized for originality. Female artists and photographers find success in male dominated fields and are also noted for their significant artistic contributions. Photography is now being recognized as both an art form and for its ability to document the world through popular publications like Life Magazine. Style comes into the American Industrial Age with the architectural style of Art Deco which had originated in Pris in the 1910s. In Germany, the Bauhaus, or house for building, becomes the most influential modern art school in Europe furthering the concepts of modern art, design, and manufacturing.

DADA: Anti Art (New York and Europe)

The Entombment of the Birds and Butterflies, Jean Arp 1916-17

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3wm0589mLbM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dkqJmMECZCs

Fountain, 1917 Marcel Duchamp Mechanical Head, 1920 Raoul Hausmann

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ef5_PLKpEiE

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ABNwtDyx7T4

Dada Art Cut with the Kitchen Knife Dada Through the Last Weimar Beer Belly Cultural Epoch of Germany, 1919 Hannah Höch

Germany, A Winter's Tale, 1918 George Grosz

I Copper Plate I Zinc Plate I Rubber Cloth 2 Calipers I Drainpipe Telescope I Piping Man, 1920 Max Ernst Untitled, Man Ray 1922

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sWAzhHQKX5c

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=26dRG-iAkWg

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2umyxWJslJY

Three Musicians, 1921 Pablo Picasso Three Dancers, 1925 Pablo Picasso

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D_D4pwe7NSI

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kHcg9U25yV0

Head of a Woman, 1929-30 Pablo Picasso Head, 1935 Julio González

Surrealism:

Andre Breton Manifesto

Breton wrote the manifesto of 1924 that defines the purposes of the group. He included citations of the influences on Surrealism, examples of Surrealist works and discussion of Surrealist automatism.

Dictionary: Surrealism, n. Pure psychic automatism, by which one proposes to express, either verbally, in writing, or by any other manner, the real functioning of thought. Dictation of thought in the absence of all control exercised by reason, outside of all aesthetic and moral preoccupation.

Encyclopedia: Surrealism. Philosophy. Surrealism is based on the belief in the superior reality of certain forms of previously neglected associations, in the omnipotence of dream, in the disinterested play of thought. It tends to ruin once and for all other psychic mechanisms and to substitute itself for them in solving all the principal problems of life.

The mind unbounded. Complete freedom of expression without societal, religious moral constraints.
Technique still important to communicate visual ideas.
Painting, film, photography and sculpture media are used. There is certainly exaggeration of forms in this art movement! The following slides show several examples.