Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

'Glitter and Doom': Art to Make You Wince
Newsweek ^ | December 18, 2006 | Peter Plagens

Posted on 03/06/2007 7:01:14 AM PST by Sam Cree

Dec. 18, 2006 issue - In the first world war, germany suffered 5 million casualties. When the war was over, the country was left with 2 million orphans, a million widows and a million invalids. In the waning days of 1918, it underwent a revolution in which the kaiser abdicated and fled to the Netherlands. Soon thereafter, the victorious Allies imposed a staggering reparations burden on Germany. Unemployment skyrocketed, and inflation reached such insane proportions that paper currency made better firewood than money. German cities became, simultaneously, pits of poverty, starvation and disease, and dens of drug-fueled high life. The painter Max Beckmann, who'd been flung out of the Army and the war in 1915 due to a nervous breakdown at the front, said, "We must take part in the whole misery that is to come." He meant that he and his fellow artists mustn't avoid the grotesque subject matter that history had placed in front of them. They must paint it with all the realism—emotional and psychological, as well as physical—at their command.

(Excerpt) Read more at msnbc.msn.com ...


TOPICS: Arts/Photography
KEYWORDS: art; currentexhibitions
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-39 next last
This exhibit is unfortunately closed, but you can still see it online here:

http://www.metmuseum.org/special/glitter/images.asp

1 posted on 03/06/2007 7:01:19 AM PST by Sam Cree
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: Sam Cree

http://www.metmuseum.org/special/glitter/images.asp


2 posted on 03/06/2007 7:01:59 AM PST by Sam Cree (absolute reality)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Sam Cree


3 posted on 03/06/2007 7:04:29 AM PST by Sam Cree (absolute reality)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

I happenned to be in Manhattan one weekend and caught this show. I'm clearly not a fan of modern(e) art, but I found this stuff very powerful, if depressing. My opinion is that the skill level of the artists was high.


4 posted on 03/06/2007 7:07:03 AM PST by Sam Cree (absolute reality)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Sam Cree
Granted, the wealthy, comfy U.S.A. in 2006 is a far cry from a gutted, prostrate Germany 80 years ago. But there are wounded soldiers coming home from a war whose rationale has proved to be at least as dubious as that for Germany's participation in World War I. There are people getting stupefyingly wealthy off our war, and hookers—of both sexes—all over the place. And there are preachers and priests caught in their company. What would Dix, Beckmann, Grosz & Co. be inspired to paint if they were living in America today? It boggles the mind to imagine.

A very tortured attempt to equate the early 20th century Germany with 21st century America. We are very different from what Germany was.

5 posted on 03/06/2007 7:08:56 AM PST by what's up
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Liz; Joe 6-pack; woofie; vannrox; giotto; iceskater; Conspiracy Guy; Dolphy; Intolerant in NJ; ...

Art ping.

Let me, Republicanprofessor or woofie know if you want on or off the art ping list.

My apologies that this exhibition at the Met is over, but I thought the art work of these people, known as the "Verists" worthy of discussion, especially since we've recently had a couple threads on 20th century art.


6 posted on 03/06/2007 7:10:21 AM PST by Sam Cree (absolute reality)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Sam Cree
These are fascinating glimpses into the seamy characters of the Weimar Republic.

Many of us born in the German immigrant-laden Midwest had relatives who lived in this period and who lived and died during the horrors of WW2. Interesting to speculate on what they saw and reacted to as they viewed the decadent German elite and cabaret society of the 20's and early 30's.

Leni

7 posted on 03/06/2007 7:28:47 AM PST by MinuteGal (The Left takes power only through deception.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: what's up
We are very different from what Germany was.

Germany was very decadent. The musical Cabaret actually does some justice to those times. We're really not so much different, except that the enemies are the white patriarchal Christians, rather than the Jews.

8 posted on 03/06/2007 7:29:11 AM PST by TradicalRC ("...this present Constitution, which will be valid henceforth, now, and forever..."-Pope St. Pius V)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 5 | View Replies]

To: Sam Cree
This era of German painters, Grosz and Dix particularly, set out to make everything as deliberately ugly and negative and cruel as they could.

In their own way, they contributed to the breakdown of Germany between the wars. Obviously they didn't single-handedly lead to Hitler and WWII, but they helped.

And this fool in the review who's trying to tie Weimar Germany to the U.S.A. today is doing his best to contribute to the breakdown of the U.S.A.

Fortunately, this country is not as fragile as Weimar Germany -- but if enough people try hard enough, they can still bring our country down to that level.

Idiots.

9 posted on 03/06/2007 7:37:00 AM PST by AnAmericanMother ((Ministrix of Ye Chase, TTGC Ladies' Auxiliary (recess appointment)))
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: what's up
"What would Dix, Beckmann, Grosz & Co. be inspired to paint if they were living in America today? It boggles the mind to imagine."

I suspect that Beckman and Co. would find their worthy subjects for decadence, not among us "conservatives (if that is what we are)," but among the Hollywood glitterati and other super wealthy members of the Left.

10 posted on 03/06/2007 7:40:41 AM PST by Sam Cree (absolute reality)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 5 | View Replies]

To: AnAmericanMother
"...they can still bring our country down to that level."

If they succeed in that, or if other circumstance make it happen, then they will be grafified in seeing a real parallel instead of an imagined one, I think.

Somehow, "liberals" always overlook the fact that so many of the world's wealthiest people are among their own numbers. I was kind of startled when I figured that out. Anyhow, the closest current American parallel to the decadence that was depicted in the Verist art must be our entertainment industry.

I saw that quite a few art dealers were depicted unflatteringly by the guys who were in the exhibit. I'm pretty sure that there is a fair amount of chicanery in the way art dealers operate, but I don't know whether or not that profession exceeds the rest of society in such things. Some professions, like car salesmen and lawyers acquire reputations, though.

11 posted on 03/06/2007 7:49:29 AM PST by Sam Cree (absolute reality)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 9 | View Replies]

To: Sam Cree

But does this explain Picasso?


12 posted on 03/06/2007 7:54:30 AM PST by woofie
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 11 | View Replies]

To: Sam Cree
Germany was obsessed with its own importance, having recently been unified into one country in 1870.

Not knowing which way to go, Neitchze's philosophy triumphing over all, the underbelly of human nature reigned.

True, we have our sordid elements here in the US of A. However, we have a much stronger religious dynamic going on here in America than Germany had, despite the haranguing voice of the media elites. We have a century of totalitarianism to look back on and learn from; Germany was just on the cusp of entering into that era caused in large part by its own spiritual depravity.

13 posted on 03/06/2007 7:59:08 AM PST by what's up
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 10 | View Replies]

To: what's up

Yes, and unlike many countries, we have a long tradition of individualism and freedom, though those things seem a little out of vogue at the moment.

I'm not knowledgable about Nietchze, but your comments seem pretty much on point to me.


14 posted on 03/06/2007 8:04:12 AM PST by Sam Cree (absolute reality)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 13 | View Replies]

To: what's up
Gawd, they (liberals) have to work Bush and the war in Iraq into everything, don't they? Talk about obsession.....
15 posted on 03/06/2007 8:04:30 AM PST by SW6906 (6 things you can't have too much of: sex, money, firewood, horsepower, guns and ammunition.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 5 | View Replies]

To: Sam Cree
There's something about this one... I wonder, did her face really look like that or was it purposely distorted.


16 posted on 03/06/2007 8:08:15 AM PST by DejaJude
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4 | View Replies]

To: Sam Cree
Basically Nietchze said "God is dead" and made the case for tying Darwin's theory of survival of the fittest to mankind...thus according to him (and his philosophy spread like wildfire in Germany) the strongest had a right to step on the weak. A by-product of this philosophy was the all kinds of experimentation with depravity which was reflected in art.

BTW...I wished I'd seen the exhibit. Thanks for posting.

17 posted on 03/06/2007 8:14:12 AM PST by what's up
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 14 | View Replies]

To: woofie

Look at the paintings. The Newsweek comment is not about the art, at all, imho. woofie wrote, "Does this explain Picasso?" Good comment, for I see the some cubism here. The public subjects remind me of Toulouse Lautrec. As for the octagenarians at the bar. They just remind me of 60 Minutes or the US senate. LOL


18 posted on 03/06/2007 8:17:01 AM PST by ClaireSolt (Have you have gotten mixed up in a mish-masher?)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 12 | View Replies]

To: DejaJude
According to the Berlin Stadtsmuseum website (where the painting is located), Margot is a prostitute who had been beaten up by a client. So, her face really looked like that, if only temporarily.

The museum website has a lot of laudatory stuff to say about the "emancipated woman." She looks like an enslaved woman to me.

19 posted on 03/06/2007 8:17:30 AM PST by AnAmericanMother ((Ministrix of Ye Chase, TTGC Ladies' Auxiliary (recess appointment)))
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 16 | View Replies]

To: DejaJude; AnAmericanMother
Looking at the hands, "she" may even be a "he"!

Leni

20 posted on 03/06/2007 8:48:20 AM PST by MinuteGal (The Left takes power only through deception.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 16 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-39 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson