artists and politics

8/13/2019 Artists and Politics

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2/13

Context

Aftermath of WWI

Systemic political change (1917-19 onwards)

Systemic economic change (debt, economic

disruption, 1929, collapse of the goldstandard)

Role of intellectuals?

IDEOLOGIES Systemic change now?

Intellectuals? Ideologies?


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Artists and politics

Functions of art?

Role of an artist?


4/13

Henri Matisse, 1937, B lue Dress Reflected in a Mirro r


5/13

Pablo Picasso , 1937, Guern ica


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Artists and ideology

Use of art for political purposes

Who pays

Who benefits

Unintended consequences?


7/13

Modern Architecture, power and

symbolism Power and architecture inseparable?

Symbolic architecture and power in the XX

century, examples Mussolini and the new imperial Rome

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Esposizione_Universale_Roma

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/L%27eclisse

Albert Speer and Nazism

Niemeyer: Brasilia

Ceaucescu

Financial power from early-XX-cent.chic New York to

Horror (King Kong to twin towers)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Esposizione_Universale_Romahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/L'eclissehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/L'eclissehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Esposizione_Universale_Roma


8/13

Fascist architecture

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Esposizione_Universale_Roma
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Esposizione_Universale_Romahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Esposizione_Universale_Roma


9/13

Architecture

Niemeyer: Brasilia

Ceaucescu


10/13

Painting

Painting and official ideologySoviet peoplesart: http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=UZ4Gu7a7V9UC&pg=PA496&lpg=PA496&dq=Soviet+people%E2%80%99s+art&source=bl&ots=F-

ypMM8qM5&sig=Yf2vhcRSh2xbI_dZqXmVh2nLVgo&hl=en&sa=X&ei=aJmhUuabBsOBhQeqgoG4AQ&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=Soviet%20people%E2%80%

99s%20art&f=false

Italian fascism. http://www.palazzostrozzi.org/SezioneAnni30.jsp?&titolo=The+Exhibition&idSezio

ne=1853

http://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/jonathanjonesblog/2012/sep/24/art-

fascist-italy-paintings-florence

Fascism and Futurism. http://counterlightsrantsandblather1.blogspot.co.uk/2009/07/beautiful-ideas-which-

kill-futurism-and.html

http://www.jstor.org/discover/10.2307/657603?uid=3738032&uid=2129&uid=2&ui

d=70&uid=4&sid=21103140601873

Futurist manifestohttp://vserver1.cscs.lsa.umich.edu/~crshalizi/T4PM/futurist-manifesto.html
http://www.palazzostrozzi.org/SezioneAnni30.jsp?&titolo=The+Exhibition&idSezione=1853http://www.palazzostrozzi.org/SezioneAnni30.jsp?&titolo=The+Exhibition&idSezione=1853http://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/jonathanjonesblog/2012/sep/24/art-fascist-italy-paintings-florencehttp://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/jonathanjonesblog/2012/sep/24/art-fascist-italy-paintings-florencehttp://counterlightsrantsandblather1.blogspot.co.uk/2009/07/beautiful-ideas-which-kill-futurism-and.htmlhttp://counterlightsrantsandblather1.blogspot.co.uk/2009/07/beautiful-ideas-which-kill-futurism-and.htmlhttp://www.jstor.org/discover/10.2307/657603?uid=3738032&uid=2129&uid=2&uid=70&uid=4&sid=21103140601873http://www.jstor.org/discover/10.2307/657603?uid=3738032&uid=2129&uid=2&uid=70&uid=4&sid=21103140601873http://vserver1.cscs.lsa.umich.edu/~crshalizi/T4PM/futurist-manifesto.htmlhttp://vserver1.cscs.lsa.umich.edu/~crshalizi/T4PM/futurist-manifesto.htmlhttp://vserver1.cscs.lsa.umich.edu/~crshalizi/T4PM/futurist-manifesto.htmlhttp://vserver1.cscs.lsa.umich.edu/~crshalizi/T4PM/futurist-manifesto.htmlhttp://www.jstor.org/discover/10.2307/657603?uid=3738032&uid=2129&uid=2&uid=70&uid=4&sid=21103140601873http://www.jstor.org/discover/10.2307/657603?uid=3738032&uid=2129&uid=2&uid=70&uid=4&sid=21103140601873http://counterlightsrantsandblather1.blogspot.co.uk/2009/07/beautiful-ideas-which-kill-futurism-and.htmlhttp://counterlightsrantsandblather1.blogspot.co.uk/2009/07/beautiful-ideas-which-kill-futurism-and.htmlhttp://counterlightsrantsandblather1.blogspot.co.uk/2009/07/beautiful-ideas-which-kill-futurism-and.htmlhttp://counterlightsrantsandblather1.blogspot.co.uk/2009/07/beautiful-ideas-which-kill-futurism-and.htmlhttp://counterlightsrantsandblather1.blogspot.co.uk/2009/07/beautiful-ideas-which-kill-futurism-and.htmlhttp://counterlightsrantsandblather1.blogspot.co.uk/2009/07/beautiful-ideas-which-kill-futurism-and.htmlhttp://counterlightsrantsandblather1.blogspot.co.uk/2009/07/beautiful-ideas-which-kill-futurism-and.htmlhttp://counterlightsrantsandblather1.blogspot.co.uk/2009/07/beautiful-ideas-which-kill-futurism-and.htmlhttp://counterlightsrantsandblather1.blogspot.co.uk/2009/07/beautiful-ideas-which-kill-futurism-and.htmlhttp://counterlightsrantsandblather1.blogspot.co.uk/2009/07/beautiful-ideas-which-kill-futurism-and.htmlhttp://counterlightsrantsandblather1.blogspot.co.uk/2009/07/beautiful-ideas-which-kill-futurism-and.htmlhttp://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/jonathanjonesblog/2012/sep/24/art-fascist-italy-paintings-florencehttp://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/jonathanjonesblog/2012/sep/24/art-fascist-italy-paintings-florencehttp://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/jonathanjonesblog/2012/sep/24/art-fascist-italy-paintings-florencehttp://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/jonathanjonesblog/2012/sep/24/art-fascist-italy-paintings-florencehttp://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/jonathanjonesblog/2012/sep/24/art-fascist-italy-paintings-florencehttp://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/jonathanjonesblog/2012/sep/24/art-fascist-italy-paintings-florencehttp://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/jonathanjonesblog/2012/sep/24/art-fascist-italy-paintings-florencehttp://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/jonathanjonesblog/2012/sep/24/art-fascist-italy-paintings-florencehttp://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/jonathanjonesblog/2012/sep/24/art-fascist-italy-paintings-florencehttp://www.palazzostrozzi.org/SezioneAnni30.jsp?&titolo=The+Exhibition&idSezione=1853http://www.palazzostrozzi.org/SezioneAnni30.jsp?&titolo=The+Exhibition&idSezione=1853


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Literature, examples of classical

writers Greek drama

Checkov

Late Tolstoy Orwell

Bertold Brecht Epic theatre

Use of art as an instrument for arising political awareness

Influenced Dario Fo (Noble prize)

http://muse.jhu.edu/login?auth=0&type=summary&url=/journals/philosophy_

and_literature/v032/32.1.conolly.pdf
http://muse.jhu.edu/login?auth=0&type=summary&url=/journals/philosophy_and_literature/v032/32.1.conolly.pdfhttp://muse.jhu.edu/login?auth=0&type=summary&url=/journals/philosophy_and_literature/v032/32.1.conolly.pdfhttp://muse.jhu.edu/login?auth=0&type=summary&url=/journals/philosophy_and_literature/v032/32.1.conolly.pdfhttp://muse.jhu.edu/login?auth=0&type=summary&url=/journals/philosophy_and_literature/v032/32.1.conolly.pdf


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13/13

Cinema, some examples

Leni Riefenstahl http://www.nybooks.com/articles/archives/1975/feb

/06/fascinating-fascism/?pagination=false Sergei Eisenstein

Italian Neorealism

Obsession: Luchino Visconti Bycicle thefts, Miracle in Milan: Vittorio de Sica

Germany Year 0, Stromboli: Roberto Rossellini

Story of a love affair: Michelangelo Antonioni (not in

subsequent films)
http://www.nybooks.com/articles/archives/1975/feb/06/fascinating-fascism/?pagination=falsehttp://www.nybooks.com/articles/archives/1975/feb/06/fascinating-fascism/?pagination=falsehttp://www.nybooks.com/articles/archives/1975/feb/06/fascinating-fascism/?pagination=falsehttp://www.nybooks.com/articles/archives/1975/feb/06/fascinating-fascism/?pagination=falsehttp://www.nybooks.com/articles/archives/1975/feb/06/fascinating-fascism/?pagination=falsehttp://www.nybooks.com/articles/archives/1975/feb/06/fascinating-fascism/?pagination=false

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