Renaissance Blog

 

The Early 20^th Century: The Age of Anxiety

    The early 20^th century has been referred to as “The Age of Anxiety”. There was very little stability throughout the world between the years of 1900-1939. There were so many things going on during this time frame, which included World War 1, the Great Depression, mass migrations, continued industrialization of economies, and the Roaring Twenties. The effects of “The Age of Anxiety” can be seen though the art that was created during that period.

    World War I occurred during the years of 1914 and 1918 and was one of the deadliest wars to take place. Over 16 million people were killed during these years, including both soldiers and civilians. The use of machine guns, grenades, tanks, airplanes, and poisonous gas lead it to be considered one of the first modern wars. Traditional styles of art were rejected during this time frame and art became more abstract and art began to defy social norms.

    One style of art that came from this time frame was Dada. This aspect of art “reflected a cynical attitude toward social values” and more often than not was “irrational, absurd and playful, emotive and intuitive, and often cryptic. (Dada) The sculpture below was created in 1919 by painter and architect Marcel Janco. It is a sculptor that depicts Tristan Tzara, the co-founder of Dada and poet. During World War I many young men would flee to Zurich, Switzerland to avoid being drafted and pursue their studies. Both Janco and Tzara fled to Zurich as well. This is when they met each other. Janco made props and costumes for the performances held at the Cabaret Voltaire. These performances were a combination of poetry, music, visual arts, and dance, which often included the use of masks and puppets. Janco used items such as burlap, paper and rope to create his masks and props. The Portrait of Tristan Tzara is an oversized mask that is made of cardboard, jute canvas, string, ink and gouache. It is a childlike combination of textures represent Janco’s playful approach to his art. He does not worry about misplaced creases or mistakes that might have been made. One example of the string that is frayed and hangs for the cheek.  This was used to call attention to the monocle on the mask. Chance and spontaneity play a big role for Dada artists.

    This sculpture would be interesting to see in real life. I wonder what the actual size of it is. It is located in the Musee” du Quai Branly in Paris.

Portrait of Tristan Tzara, Marcel Janco 1919

    Another form of art that came about during this period was Abstract Art. There were various styles within this type of art, such as expressionism, Lyrical Abstraction, Color Field Painting, and minimalism. Abstract art came about because artists wanted to create pieces of are that were completely independent of and unrestrained by visual references that occurred in real life. Artist wanted to create art which bared no resemblance to anything distinguishable in the natural world. Abstraction was firmly established as a major force within the art world as society began to experience depression, food shortages, and war. Through non-realistic and symbolic artwork, artists were able to depict what was happening during that time.

    Vasily Kandinsky was one of the most iconic Abstract Artists of all time and was said to have painted one of the first and most iconic painting ever. The painting Rain Landscape was created by Kandinsky in 1911. This is a great piece of abstract art. It is bright, uses an unrestrained number of colors, shapes, and forms, and has an unusual aesthetic. All these elements lead to an emotional response which is one of the things abstract art is supposed to do. I like the colors and the overall look of the painting. I think this painting would look great in a classroom setting. I could not find an exact location for where this is, but it appears to be located at The Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Rain Landscape (1911) by Vasily Kandinsky, Wikimedia Commons

Another form or art that took of in the early 1900’s is photography. By the early 1920s technology was responsible for progress and change and provided a since of hope after World War 1. The technology that allows such reproduction so quickly made it the fastest, most modern, and most relevant form of visual representation of the post war era. It was a way to document history but also gave people another avenue to express themselves. Photographs were used document modern types of people, as a means to understand changing notions of class, race, profession, and ethnicity.

Henri Cartier-Bresson’s photograph, Behind the Gare St. Lazare, 1932 is a great example of how a moment can be captured in time. How we can just freeze time and hold on to that moment for as long as we want. The photograph was taken at the Place de I’Europe, outside the Saint-Lazare train station in Paris. There are several prints of this photograph in various locations, including the Henri Cartier-Bresson Foundation in Paris and the Museum of Modern Art in New York. I think this is a great picture. It is fun to look and plays with the imagination. He did a great job of capturing a moment in time.

Henri Cartier-Bresson, Behind the Gare St. Lazare, 1932

References:

Dr. Eduard Andrei, "Dada’s “Approximate Man”: A Portrait of Tristan Tzara by Marcel Janco," in Smarthistory, May 16, 2020, accessed November 3, 2021, https://smarthistory.org/portrait-tristan-tzara-1919-marcel-janco/

Artincontext, author unknown. Famous Abstract Paintings – The 10 Best Abstract Art of all Time, https://artincontext.org/famous-abstract-paintings/, September 19, 2021

An Introduction to Photography in the Early 20^th Century, Khan Academy. https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/art-1010/beginners-guide-20th-c-art/introduction-20c-art/a/an-introduction-to-photography-in-the-early-20th-century