The Modernist Movement Obstructed by the Nazis - Thesis Example

How was Propaganda used to spread Modern Architecture? Table of Contents Introduction 3 Thesis 4 Arguments 4 Conclusion 8 References 9 Introduction During the years of interwar, in many countries of Europe, the state looked over into the matters related to art. It was not only prevalent in totalitarian regions, but also the democratic government assumed to be protective and kept a watch on the artist. This resulted in weakness of style and renewing the themes that is extensively accepted and effortlessly understood. The totalitarian region of Soviet Russia and Nazi Germany, having difference in ideologies, supported the similar reunion in art. They shared their particular political message which is their main aim and convey their message to the audience. Certainly, art became common and booming exercise in uplifting the political system. Socialist Realism was developed in USSR, expelling the overview and cleaning the remnants of constructivism. In Germany, cultural domination was developing rapidly along with the authoritian system. The Bauhaus was folded up in the year of 1933, after Hitler came to rule and the curators of the museum were convicted of adding unrealistic and expressionist works in their collected works. Such type of work was known as “degenerated art” for the pompous and cultured person.1 The Bauhaus was established with a utopian agenda for the architecture in a ruined country where slight structure was done. Later the situation was stable, the demand for specialized workers was picking up significantly. Both the Bauhaus and the German society were on a disagreement before the post-war period, which was not determined, but was covered with huge heap of money from United States. In the year 1929, the U.S. economic disagreement exploded openly. The U.S. wanted back the loans. Crisis visited back in Germany with revenge. Unemployment was rapidly increasing. A methodical resentful and confused German electorate move towards Hitler’s National Socialists. According to John Willett, with the rise of the Nazis, “the entire modern movement in Germany was not merely doomed but damned”. The cooperation among the liberal thinkers advanced the philosophy and the large industry on which Dessau Bauhaus was based separately. 2 After 1933, many Bauhaus teachers and the students left their country and extending the Bauhaus drawing ethics all over the world, mainly in the United States. 3 Thesis The paper aims to prove that the modernist movement in Germany was efficiently throttled by the Nazis which also include the shutdown of the Bauhaus in the year 1933 as the beliefs of the Bauhaus school continued to be communicated through the posters designed by the Nazis. Arguments The rational output of the inter-war period was huge. It appeared that the confusion of defeat, rebellion, and inflation had released the old cultural behavior that shook the interest of a new “mass society”. The modernist movement abruptly found new audiences. The Bauhaus architecture school designed the mesmerizing expressionist architecture. The radical posters, graphics and the inventive artistic research of the Soviet Union looked capable to several western artists as the sign posts of fresh and more democratic world. 4 Only those paintings reflect the Germanic tradition were acceptable, as well as some of the Classical and Romantic restoration were the only artistic type that were considered by the authorities, to be appropriate for the endorsement of nationalistic ideologies to be combined. Democratic counties allowed artist Ben Shahn during this period, Italy was nonetheless liberated of the severe sectarianism that considered the cultural schedule of its fascist ally Germany. Despite Mussolini’s promise in early 1926 “to create a new art, an art of our times, a Fascist art”, his dream was endorsed with none of the radicalism, aggression, or oppression exhibited in Germany. In 1930, Italian Art remained quite assorted and the Futurists’ new successors, the young nonfigurative artists connected with the Milione gallery in Milan and the Corrente expressionist painters were abided. In conditions of propaganda and political force, the administration chooses to utilize the extreme propaganda to attain its needed accord, enlisting the support of artists by organising a series of exhibitions, competitions, prizes and public commission. Proof of the climate in which two dissimilar politico-artistic styles co-existed was provided by the contemporary preface of two competitions before World War II. When Nazis came to rule in the year of 1933, the majority of the supporters of Weimar Modernism were enforced to leave the country. Hitler stated the group of modern art as “degenerate” and “un-German”.  The sole research of Weimar Culture, on which a lot of the highly developed arts and sciences had flourished, came to an unexpected and sad end. The Nazis offered their “national revolution” as a “national awakening”. Germany’s new plans were popularized through competent propaganda campaigns that depicted the Third Reich as a pleased, strong, sturdy, and severely nationalistic state loyal to Hitler. Well arrangement of political meetings, sports proceedings, military processions, youth assembly, book burnings, anti-Semitic campaigns, open air carnival and Germanic rituals transported the message that Nazi culture infuses all portions of German life. In order to make sure the full collision of Nazi art and politics across society, Hitler appointed Joseph Goebbels as “Minister of Propaganda and Public Information”. Goebbels controlled and oppressed every feature of the fresh mass media, which includes the radio and film to assemble popular support. In the year 1937, Joseph Goebbels, the Propaganda Minister of Nazi party, handed over the duty of arranging a fair in Munich to Adolf Ziegler. The fair was to focus on works from 1910 onwards that were destined as “German art of the decadent period”. The official presentation of "Degenerate Art" was lead in 1933 by numerous “exhibitions of shame” on topics such as “Cultural Bolshevism” in Mannheim, “Art as the Cause of Moral Decay" in Stuttgart, and “Reflections of Artistic Decadence” in Dresden. The exhibition was ordered by Furher and those symbolized “chamber of artistic horrors” from each museum. Amongst the paintings branded as “degenerate” were by artists of the Die Brucke, Der Blaue Reiter, and Bauhaus groups, and Kokoschka. The exhibits were separated into group, each included range of supposed perversions and physical and mental abnormality, etc. Conclusion After the modernist movement obstructed by Nazis and also after the shutdown of the Bauhaus in the year of 1933, the principles of the Nazis were promoted through posters designed by them. In the interwar period, many countries of Europe took control of art. Not only, it was prevalent in Totalitarian region but democratic countries use to keep a watch on the artist. The totalitarian regime of Soviet Russia and Nazi Germany, had differences in philosophy and should have hold the same reunion in art. They share a particular political message as their main aim and express their message to the audience. Art has become common and booming in elevating the political system. Socialist Realism of USSR expelled the general idea and cleaning the remaining of constructivism. In Germany, cultural power was rapidly developing along with the authoritian system. The Bauhaus were shutdown in the year 1933, after Hitler came to rule and the museum’s curators were found guilty of adding unrealistic and expressionist works in their collections. Such type of work was known as “degenerated art” for the pompous and cultured person. In the situation of propaganda and political strength, the administration chose to operate additional propaganda to accomplish its agreement, enlisting the artists by organising a series of exhibitions, competition, prize and public task. Evidence of the climate in which two different politico-artistic styles co-existed was offered by the modern preface of two competitions before World War II. Many of the Bauhaus teachers and the students left their country and expand the Bauhaus architecture all over the world, particularly in the United States. References All Art. “Art & Politics”. Art of the 20th Century. http://www.all-art.org/history616.html (accessed May 31, 2010) Davis Ben. “The Bauhaus in History”. Artnet http://www.artnet.com/magazineus/reviews/davis/bauhaus1-28-10.asp (accessed May 31, 2010) UNCG. “Inter-War Culture”. Totalitarian Ideologies and the Nazi Holocaust http://www.uncg.edu/gar/courses/lixl/406Ex/406CourseHeader_files/LessonTotalitarianism.htm (accessed May 31, 2010) Zeaman John. “Bauhaus 1919–1933: Workshops for Modernity”. MoMA exhibit explores the roots of modern design http://www.northjersey.com/arts_entertainment/art/69829822.html (accessed May 31, 2010) Read More