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War and Fascism in Early Modern Art. Mr. Mark Gonzalez Grace Christian Academy. Themes in Early Modern Art. Uncertainty/insecurity. Disillusionment with modern society and the wars. Dream-like. Overly sexual . Violence & savagery. Early Modern Art Forms.
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War and Fascism in Early Modern Art Mr. Mark Gonzalez Grace Christian Academy
Themes in Early Modern Art • Uncertainty/insecurity. • Disillusionment with modern society and the wars. • Dream-like. • Overly sexual. • Violence & savagery.
Edvard Munch: The Scream (1893) 1. Expressionism: • Using bright colors to express a particular emotion. • Abstract-paintings should contain no indications of “real” objects or persons, but should instead represent the artist’s own innermost feelings and emotions
Georges Braque: Violin & Candlestick (1910) 2. CUBISM (1908-1919) • Simplify forms seen in real life into geometric planes, lines, and shapes on the canvas • Inclusion at one time on a single surface as many different perspectives, angles, or views of the object painted as possible • Picasso-rejected the idea that paintings should constitute a window into the real world
Pablo Picasso: Woman with aFlower(1932)
George Grosz Grey Day(1921) 3. DaDa (Dadaism) • began in neutral Zürich, Switzerland, during World War I and peaked from 1916 to 1920. • Made fun of contemporary culture & traditional art forms. • a protest against the middle class-imperialistic interests which many Dadaists believed were the root cause of the war, and against the cultural and intellectual conformity — in art and more broadly in society — that corresponded to the war. • The collapse during WW I of social and moral values. • Nihilistic.
So what is Nihilism? • Nihilism (from the Latin nihil, nothing) is a philosophical position which argues that our existence is without meaning, purpose, or intrinsic value. Nihilists generally say some or all of the following: 1. There is no reasonable proof or argument for the existence of God or gods. 2. Absolute Morality does not exist; do what you believe is right. (Moral relativism) • Existence of anything has no higher meaning. • Nietzche (philosopher) is considered the Father of Nihilism
Friedrich Nietzche (1844-1900) • “God is dead. God remains dead. And we have killed him. How shall we comfort ourselves, the murderers of all murderers? What was holiest and mightiest of all that the world has yet owned has bled to death under our knives: who will wipe this blood off us? What water is there for us to clean ourselves? What festivals of atonement, what sacred games shall we have to invent? Is not the greatness of this deed too great for us? Must we ourselves not become gods simply to appear worthy of it?” • – Nietzsche, The Gay Science, Section 125
George Grosz: Daum Marries Her Pedantic AutomatonGeorge in May, 1920, John Heartfield is Very Glad of II(1919-1920)
Otto Dix • Grosstadt(1927-28) • Criticized and celebrated the decadence of life in Berlin in the Weimar Era
Salvador Dali: Soft Construction with Boiled Beans (Premonition of Civil War), 1936 4. Surrealism • Late 1920s-1940s.(great depression and WW 2 Art) • Came from the nihilistic genre of DaDa. • Dream-like • Confusing & startling images like those in unconscious thoughts and dreams.
Salvador Dali: The Apparition of the Face and Fruit Dish on a Beach (1938)
The Philadelphia Museum of Art used a surreal entrance display including its steps, for the 2005 Salvador Dalí exhibition
Salvador Dali: Geopoliticus Child Watching the Birth of a New Man (1943)
Thomas Hart Benton’s The Sowers, from Year of Peril, (1941–42)