Assignment Introduction and Instructions:
In 1937, Adolf Hitler organized two concurrent art shows in Munich: one with art he liked; the other filled with art he considered “degenerate” or art that was to be scorned and banned. Two million people attended.
Watch this short news profile of a recent art exhibit about this famous art exhibition put on by Hitler as he began to aggressively censor and take control not only politically but culturally too. Links to an external site. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/degenerate-art-how-the-nazis-attacked-modernism/
(7 mins. long) (Alternatively, if you’re doing the extra credit assignment and already watched the documentary, The Rape of Europa, you can skip the above news profile story.)
Assignment:
You are to pick five artworks that would reflect the kind of art Hitler would’ve seized, ridiculed, and maybe even destroyed based on what you learned in the video source material. These artworks must be chosen among the many artworks we’ve met in lecture–please do not choose anything beyond those discussed in class, like the works of George Grosz or Otto Dix, for instance. You may go back in time and select from earlier art movements/artists Hitler would’ve condemned as “degenerate.” Do not post images of the original “degenerate” artworks–draw from the artworks from our Canvas lessons.
Cut and paste these 5 artworks here and fully identify per usual.
Then write 6 sentences per artwork minimum describing in three sentences why it’s avant-garde (and makes a positive contribution to the story of art history) and three sentences why it’s “degenerate”–why the Nazis would’ve disparaged and ridiculed it. It’s almost like you’re writing two different museum placards, or those little labels you find under artworks that tells you something about them.
The format of your “Degenerate Art Exhibit” is up to you, but it must be neat and proofread.
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.