Oskar Schlemmer, "Costumes for a Triadic Ballet"
from "Bauhaus Boys" in Professor Moeller's Image Bank: http://www.humanities.uci.edu/~rmoeller/HCC_Lectures/Bauhaus_boys.html
Please post 6 C's of your choice from reader, from Professor Moeller's Image Bank, or from any other relevant place below. CHOOSE one of the C's that you think is most important, tell us why and emphasize this aspect in your discussion of the image you have chosen. Please give as much citation material as possible and link to site when available. Use analytic terms if appropriate: line, composition, color (b/w), orethos-logos/historia-pathos.
20 comments:
6 C's (image of soldier in ruins)
-Content*(see below):In this image the destruction of what looks like houses and trees is overwhelming.
The remains of a fence leads me to believe there may have been homes in the area and the fallen and burnt trees can show a possible small forest/ park near the town. The lone soldier standing in the photo gives exemplifies the magnitude of the destruction. The istoria in the picture is represented by the obviously war stricken area and the one soldier surrounded by complete nothing but debris. The war was not expected to last this long so troops numbers were cut down but as the picture shown it was in vain.
-Citation: This picture was taken sometime early 1914 at the beginning of WWI, the war was expected to end the same year but it lasted 5 more years
-Context: When this picture was taken WWI was beginning and not expected to last more than a year. Based on the atire of the soldier I would say he was british or french. The area was somewhere in western Europe.
-Connections: I would link this picture to either WWI or WWII with out even reading prof. Moeller's description. The expression of destruction and helplessness reminded me of the facts of either world war and how Europe both times came to near annihilation.
-Communication: This picture was taken to show how the war's impact was not expected to be so overwhelming and that it will take longer to end. This was perhaps shown to other countries asking for alliance with the Allied powers.
-Conclusions: This showed us that war can be crushing on areas and that the Central Powers were a force to be reckoned with.
* This was my focus because i believe the photo's story is intense and the devastation Europe experienced was exemplified well.
asad,
is there a link?
The link is http://www.humanities.uci.edu/~rmoeller/HCC_Lectures/wwi_gallery.html
http://www.humanities.uci.edu/~rmoeller/Weimar_Images/1918_Rev/wwi_rationing.jpg
* CONTENT: What's the main idea? Describe in detail what you see, read, touch, etc.?
"Paralleling the war at the front was the war at home. These crowds are standing in line for rations. For those with money, everything was available--without a ration card--on the black market."
The main idea is to show how hard life was after the war. We see people standing in line to get their ration of food. This photo illustrates how food must've been scarce and supplies were probably very low. We see that these people are helpless, and the caption states that the rich are living the care-free life.
* CITATION: Who is the author? Who created it? When was it created?
There is no author cited, but this is a photo taken during World War I.
* CONTEXT: What is going on in the world, the country, the region, or the locality when this was created?
This picture was taken during World War I. Judging by the clothes and buildings, the country might be in Europe.
* CONNECTIONS: How can you link this source to other things you know or have learned about?
I can link this photo to World War I. This photo is evidence of how hard life was during war. We learn the lifestyles during WWI, as well as, how the poor lived compared to the rich.
* COMMUNICATION: What's the point of view or bias? Is this source reliable?
There is no bias in this photo, and the source is reliable. This photo is just showing the hardships of life. It shows no bias, just information and awareness.
* CONCLUSIONS: How does the primary source contribute to our understanding of history?
This primary source is a great contribution to our understanding of history. It reinforces our knowledge of how hard life was during the war. We relate the hardships as a result of the war.
-- COMMUNICATION: I think communication is the most important "C." I feel like communication includes all of the other "C"s since the photo "communicates" a message. The photo tells a story of how people lived during the war. It illustrates the hardships, and uses major PATHOS. We see the little kids standing next to their parents waiting for their ration of food. This picture evokes strong emotions for those who read it.
tell us why and emphasize this aspect in your discussion of the image you have chosen. Please give as much citation material as possible and link to site when available. Use analytic terms if appropriate: line, composition, color (b/w), orethos-logos/historia-pathos.
6 C's(image of Wilhelm surrounded by working class men)
Content: The main idea is that the working class people as well as the military supported Wilhelm in the war. The working class put aside problems to help Germany. This is the most important because the message it is communicating is what the image is about. The people of Germany united for Germany to defend it and so it united politically.
Citation: The image was created during WII for a postcard.
Context: During the time period of the picture, World War I was going on.
Connections: I could link this source to other things that I have learned about because it relates to the first world war.
Communication:: The point of view of the image is probably from a Wilhelm supporter, which is why the image might be biased.
Conclusion: This contributes of our understanding of history because it shows the support of the German people for the defense of Germany.
pic I chose: http://www.humanities.uci.edu/~rmoeller/body/Nazi_posters.html
Content: The main idea in the picture is to appeal to women and to get them to vote for Hitler. It also makes women feel important in society even though they are not portrayed as workers in society like the men, but are the mothers in society. I see a woman who smiles at the audience, possible encouraging the women to vote for Hitler. I also see another woman who stares off in the distance, looking as though she is in deep thought, or perhaps thinking of her children.
Citation: I can't tell who the author is because the print is too small but probably taken during Hitler's campaign to be elected as the Fuhrer. I'm going to say around the 1930's/late 1900s.
Context: Right now Germany is looking for a scapegoat for all the terrible things that have happened, like the Great Depression. The people want someone to lead them to a better place where the economy is not so fickle.
Connections: this one is the most important to me because we have just read about the history before Hitler wants to rule Germany. We know, like before, that the economy is in shambles and the government choses who they want according to their plan. Those who want change are desperate for drastic change and Hitler has a good way of clouding people's minds and telling them what he wants to hear,for ex. like this picture targeting women. He presents them ideally and women can think, wow he thinks we are beautiful. The people are so vulnerable that they are not thinking about what the future could hold for them in the hands of Hitler.
Communication: This is not a reliable source because it involves politics and politics are dirty and scheming. Propaganda will show you what you want to see as long as the party has your vote.
Conclusions: This shows us how desperate the people were that this picture probably did get people to vote for Hitler, because he did end up ruining Germany. It also reflects the ideas of propaganda through the way the women are depicted as kind, soft, loving, and beautiful and there is nothing else in the picture to distract from the beautiful women. The inclusion of women with different colored hair also appeals to the masses of women with similar colored hair. Slight color is shown, but major detail focuses on women's expressions.
http://www.humanities.uci.edu/%7Ermoeller/Weimar_Images/Bauhaus/schlemm_theater.jpg
Schlemmer, Triadic Ballet
CONTENT: The main idea of Schlemmer's ballet was to use the body as a new way of interpretation, emphasizing ballet and pantomime. There's also an emphasize with numbers, especially with trinity (3's) throughout the play. From the costume sketch, it's divided into 3 acts, has 3 participants, 12 dancers, and 18 costumes.
CITATION: Developed by Oskar Schlemmer with music composed by Paul Hindemith. The ballet premiered on September 30, 1922.
CONTEXT: World War II
CONNECTIONS: It can be related to the artistic movements learning toward Modernism where the idea of abstraction was embraced as a new form of expression.
COMMUNICATIONS: The picture was probably taken during the curtain call of one of the performances. The pictures above it are sketches of costuming and a portrait of Schlemmer himself.
CONCLUSIONS: The primary source contributes to our understanding in history with how the art in the ballet reflects how society was back then. In a sense, the abstraction presented through the ballet provides a sense of abstraction with the society and how the World War has affected people. While people use entertainment to temporarily forget the sufferings of the world around them, the abstraction that Schlemmer presents also provides a different view of how the body is used, especially in the bodily expressive forms through pantomime and ballet. His main point was to present the man as the machine and its body as a mechanism.
Content and Context are the most important C's with this picture.
http://www.humanities.uci.edu/~rmoeller/HCC_Lectures/wwi_gallery.html
Content:
the main detail i see throughout this picture is the destruction that is overpowering the entire image. The primary focus of this image seems to be to emphasize how much was lost. The only other thing in this picture other than destruction is a single standing soldier. Everything, even the trees, have been destroyed.
istoria - the story behind this is the war and the impact it has had on the land and people. Everything has been destroyed, from houses to people to land.
pathos - When seeing a picture like this, on cannot help but sympathizing with the agony the victims of the war had to face
Citation: This picture was taken in the end of 1914, in belief of the upcoming end of the war.
Context: When this picture was taken, the end of World War I was speculated. However, the war ended up lasting another five years. The ciation under the picture states that this happened on the western front. The Western Front was the name the Germans gave to a series of trenches that ran 700 kilometres from the Belgian coast to the Swiss border. (http://www.anzacday.org.au/history/ww1/overview/west.html)
Connections: This picture is apparently reflecting the devastation that took place after some sort of war. Regardless of what i know about the picture, I can easily figure that it deals with destruction. I could easily infer that it dealt with WWI because of the reference to the western front and the time period.
Communication: This source is reliable, it is simply a picture. A picture is not based on bias but rather on fact.
Conclusion: This primary source further proves to us how devastating the war can be.
*the most important aspect of the six C's is the Connections because it ties everything in with the picture. understanding what is occurring during the time period it was taken makes it much easier to understand the picture as a whole.
http://www.humanities.uci.edu/~rmoeller/HCC_Lectures/grosz_gallery.html
Title: Beauty, Thee Will I Praise, from a collection called Ecce Homo, 1919
Content (most important): The message of this painting is that discontent among the bourgeoisie after WWI caused a visible form of ugliness, which shows on the exterior surface of their lives, as seen in this café. This painting portrays the moral decay and corruption among business men, and the side effects women experienced because of their engagements in drinking, smoking, and other harmful pleasures. It shows signs of their unhealthy lifestyle and the despair and sadness this caused. The most significant aspect of this painting is its portrayal of the degradation of respect for women. The main figure is a middle aged female sitting with various bruises and red scars, smoking and in pain. She symbolizes the way in which women experienced humiliation, how they were perceived as objects by the bourgeoisie men during this time period. She sits naked, while the men sitting behind her appear comfortable and relaxed, dressed in business suits, clearly indifferent to the pain and misery she suffers. The devious glance which the closest man is giving her suggests she is a victim of their corruption, and that she could be a prostitute. The other woman in this painting also appears to be in a state of misery. She stands in the background hiding under the cover of her coat turning her face away from the men. This suggests she was mistreated as well and that she fears them.
Citation: This work is done by Grosz, and is called Beauty, Thee Will I Praise, from a collection called Ecce Homo, 1919.
Context: This painting is a form of propaganda that emphasizes the moral decay of the generation, especially the negative views that have developed towards women. As Germany spiraled towards economic turmoil, society experienced a reverse effect in its traditional roles and values as seen in this painting. Unlike the past in which women were regarded with respect as being the wife and mother, this painting shows that much has changed in society, that their image has become tainted by corruption and scandal.
Connections: Grosz is making a connection to the negative impacts of industrialization, and the corrupt bourgeoisie class. After WWI in Germany, society changed for the worse in many ways, and this painting reflects how women have been negatively affected. Because of the corrupt middle class, women lost the dignity they once had and they struggled to maintain stability among chaos and disorder. More places like brothels and drinking salons came into existence. Men wasted their lives away drinking as their respect for traditional values eroded. This painting is making a connection to the period in which Germany experienced greater political and economic turmoil, and the bourgeoisie became corrupt.
Communication: Grosz is communicating his distaste of the bourgeoisie and making a criticism of their cynical lifestyles. He is showing how their carelessness had made them hideous. This is shown by the red gashes they bear and their dark eyes. The men appear ugly and corrupt in suits and bald heads. He is also communicating the suffering of women, shown by their unhappy faces and numerous red body marks in the painting.
Conclusion: This is an art that effectively urges the viewer to realize the true state of things different from how they may appear. Although it may appear to society at the time that the bourgeoisie was making progress and rising to new powers in a good way, Grosz shows that in many ways society was in fact regressing. Such emphasis on wealth pushed business men to become corrupt and materialistic. Women suffered as a result of their greed. In addition, this painting reveals the internal troubled state they experienced, that despite what it may have seemed they were all in great and troubled despair.
http://www.humanities.uci.edu/~rmoeller/HCC_Lectures/bolsh_antibolsh_gallery.html
(worker fighting of the hydra)
Content: This image is depicting a working class man trying to fight off the injustices of the Aristocrats (middle/upper class; the working class man is shown as very tough and well-built, probably because of his profession and all the work he does in all the hours of the day. The hydra itself has 3 heads exuding from it, one that says new militarism, one that says capitalism and one that says Junkertum. All these aspects are the evils of aristocratic society; the evils that the working class are trying to protest.
Citation: This image was painted/made in response to the Bolshevik / Spartacist revolution
Context: During this period (WWI), many supported the Majority Socialist Party and the Bolsheviks. Some supported the Communist Party while others tried their best to break away from it. Workers wanted an international movement, so that others can express how disgusted they are with the present way of things in Germany.
Connections: This picture can be connected to the struggles of all working class people. People even in present day countries are fighting against upper class rules. Capitalism and new militarism can be replaced with other aspects of aristrocratic rules, things that make it even harder for working class people to make a better living. I would connect this to events leading to and within WWI and WWII.
Communication: This was made in order to show the unfair treatment of low status men and women. Why would they be treated unequally, if everyone should be treated the same? They are protesting capitalism and new militarism because they negatively affect the livelihoods of workers. The hydra has faces of generals and authoritative figures, showing their greed and corruption.
Conclusion: The conclusion here is that workers were fighting the aristocrats; they weren't sitting around and allowing these things to happen, they weren't going down without a fight. It also illustrates the corruption of those with power. It effectively shows the emotions of the working class and their reaction and attitude towards those in power and the events of the time.
Alex Wong:
6 C's (Heartfield's image of a man with a very crooked spine caused by doing the Hitler salute)
Content: In this image, a man is seen suffering from an extremely crooked spine while doing the Hitler salute. One doctor asks the other what could have caused this and the other doctor replys that it is the result of doing the Hitler salute too much.
Citation: This image was created in WWII Germany by John Heartfield during Hitler's rise to power.
Context: Heartfield's art often criticized Hitler by subverting his propagandist images and turning them against him. This particular piece is probably an example of this undermining of Hitler.
Connections: The only prior knowledge I would be able to bring to this image is the fact that it is a commercial piece created for propagandist purposes against Hitler. Since the crooked spine is connected to Hitler's salute, it is implying that Hitler is a crooked individual.
Communication: When it comes to biasness, I think that Heartfield makes no attempt at presenting himself and this image as unbiased. Hearfield is clearly against Hilter and his art shows this position. In terms of the source, I think that it is reliable since this image is coming from one of the more known and noted propaganda artists during this WWII era in Germany.
Conclusions: This image shows that Hitler's leadership was contested by people. This is contrary to the popular conception that most or all Germans supported Hitler.
Alex Wong:
I would pick the content and context of these six C's to emphasize because it seems like the whole purpose of the image is to show that Hitler is a crooked man. This has to do with the image's content since an image communicates a message through what it presents visually and also the context because the image is dependent upon the historical context in which it was created.
Alex Wong:
This is in response to the six C's posted by ahanna1.
1)Citation: Why is a belief in the upcoming end of the war important to this image?
2) Communication: I disagree with your claim that pictures cannot be biased. Of course even photographs can be biased. In choosing what to photograph, the photographer demonstrates his/her biased because the resulting picture is an attempt to communicate the message the photographer wants it communicate.
Shannan's Post: same as email
I am having a hard time with the instructions for this posting. I am
having difficulty finding what is going on in the images from the image bank.:( Can I talk to you after/ before class today and post after class today? I am confused with the abstract painting, the ballet costume painting, and the mug shot like Russian image).
Also, how can I use the 6 C's on the HCC reader if there are no images?
http://www.humanities.uci.edu/~rmoeller
/images/arbeiter_erwacht.jpg
CONTENT: Upon first viewing this poster, the use of colors is what stuck out the most to me. This poster is predominantly red, which epitomizes the threat level and tyranny of the Communist movement. There are three main elements to this poster – the large man represents the movement, the bourgeoisie in a way, the higher class, the values of the Communist party, and to the left of this is the people, which represents the suppression, the attempt to stand against the man. The man is much larger in comparison to the people, which I believe is a strong statement against the oppression of the government. Behind the main objects lies the city, the foundation and emblazoned upon it is a large swastika. The swastika dominates the poster which is in the same level as the man. This domination of the swastika also symbolizes the power of the movement against the people. The people, which are the lowest level, seem to be powerless against the mighty oppressors. Translated, the text means “Workers Awake!” This is a strong statement, which basically forces the workers of the union to wake themselves from their obliviousness to the power of the oppressive communist movement. The bigger picture is essentially the power of the government attempting to reign over the workers, but the strength of the workers seem futile against it.
CITATION: Unfortunately, from the website the author is not given but its’ subjects include a larger man representative of some other element (which I will discuss later) and the community (which I will also discuss later as well). This political propaganda was created during the Early 1920s.
CONTEXT: This poster was an appeal to the working class voter, but unfortunately was unsuccessful. During this time there was a major revolution amongst the working class and the richer bourgeoisie. The attempt to overpower the government by the people is the main concern of the time. There is a rise of anti-Semitism and the Nazi movement stormed the population rapidly.
CONNECTIONS: This picture epitomized the Nazi revolution and the Communist movement.
COMMUNICATION: The artist chose to communicate the stuggle between man and the tyrannical government. Destruction and helplessness is a theme resonant within this image.
CONCLUSIONS: The portrait is a strong statement against government and its’ rule over the people. The weak, oppressed working folk must strive to survive against the modern regime. The large man in the picture represents domination, whereas the people represent oppression – which is the main context of this worker’s movement.
I also forgot to mention, in terms of art, I believe content is most important and that's why I emphasized Content in my 6 C's
Shannan's post
Content: The main idea of the article “Photomontage as a Weapon in Class Struggle” from the reader is that photomontage is a successful form of propaganda and agent of the revolution. The article basically tells us that the purpose of photomontage is to tell the truth. John Heartfield was a major contributor to the development of revolutionary photomontage with his introduction of satire. Many time photomontage combines text and photography.
Citation: Alfred Kemenyi is the author who expresses his views about photomontage in this article written in 1932.
Context: This article links to the article that I read called “En Avant Dada: A History of Dadaism (1920)” where I learned that Dadaism is new, abstract art. Dadaism incorporates the harsh reality of the time period in which it is created. John Heartfield who is also from the article at hand wrote the Dadaist Manifesto where he talks about the concept of art reflecting the now (the time that it is painted in). The section of this Photomontage article that praises Heartfield ties to Heartfield’s picture of Hitler on the blog. In it, he uses a lot of satire to make a negative political statement about Hitler.
Connections: In the year 1932 (when this article was first published), Bruning is appointed as the chancellor (of Germany or of the Weimar Republic) and replaced by Papen when Bruning was unable to fix Germany’s economic, political, and social depression. Papen was replaced by Schleicher when he calls for a Reichstag election that gave increasing power to the Nazi party. In 1932, the Nazi’s had a multitude of campaigns which left them with a lack of funds and morale. There were six million unemployed people in Germany because of the depression. Hitler gained increasing appeal within the Country. There was also a presidential election in 1932 in which Hitler lost to Hindenburg who decided to have another term in office.
Communication: The author shows us his views that photomontage is based on social class and therefore in 1932 it was based on the class struggle between working class and the bourgeois. Kemenyi believes that photomontage creates opportunities for change. He shows the view that photomontage is an effective tool used to create propaganda that makes a political statement. Kemenyi reveals his view that the formalist montage neglected the social issues. This source may not be reliable because it does not use evidence from formalist photomontage and does not reveal an example of photomontage’s influence in the class struggle. (or is it not supposed to have evidence because it is a primary source?)
Conclusion: “Photomontage as a Weapon in Class Struggle” helps to define the purpose of photomontage as well as to give some background on John Heartfield, one of the movement’s leading artists. My question is was formalist photomontage the type of art that the middle class used for propaganda. Also, what are some political and social examples of photomontage? A few examples used by the bourgeois and the proletariat would help me to better grasp the material.
Context is the most important "C" for this article because it creates the subject for the propaganda. The class struggle between the proletariat and the middle class was the leading influence for photomontage.
MILLIONS STAND BEHIND ME
http://www.humanities.uci.edu/~rmoeller/Weimar_Images/Heartfield/Hitler_Gruss_32.png
Content: The piece shows Hitler reaching for the money behind him with his backhand. In this photomontage, Hitler is very small compared to the man behind him who is holding out the money. The man is dressed in a suit and has his face cut off, which may indicate that he doesn’t want his identity to be revealed. The fact that the man is so much larger in size compared to Hitler, may symbolize that the man is the one that has the power and that Hitler is just a puppet leader that does his biddings. The photomontage also shows Hitler inconsistency, in that at the same time Hitler is willingly accepting donations from the wealthy, he is also appealing to working class for their support.
Citation: This photomontage was created by John Heartfield in 1932, and it was used for the cover of the Arbeiter Illustrierte Zeitung.
Context: During this period, the Hitler and the Nazi Party was becoming more power and influential. The photomontage was created before Hitler became chancellor of Germany.
Connections: It relates to the fact that Hitler was a corrupted leader and wasn’t working for the best interest of the overall public, which reflects all the horrible things that Hitler caused such as the Holocaust.
Communication: The author shows that Hitler isn’t this great leader that Hitler portrays himself to be. The photomontage also offers another side to Hitler because at that time, there was a lot of propaganda in support of Hitler.
Conclusion: It contributes towards the understanding of history because it shows Hitler’s inadequacy to be a leader, yet he manages to come into power.
The most important “C” is the content because it shows the relationship that Hitler had with wealthy businessmen, which the general public was probably not aware of.
(Image of Nachkreigsigdyll)
CONTENT: This image shows the military marching in the background. It also shows an injured soldier in the front staring hatefully at the jolly, carefree capitalist who is smoking his cigar with pleasure. It also shows a general chasing after a girl and a old, degenerate veteran asking for money. The istoria of this picture shows the working class's obvious animosity against the capitalist who are manipulating them as they sit back and do nothing but enjoy their luxuries.
CITATION: This image is published by Grosz intended for a large public named "The Face of the Ruling Class." It may have been drawn around the 1920s or later.
CONTEXT: During this time, the capitalist are raking in money as they exploit the lower class. Grosz is expressing his hatred against the capitalist as he tries to depict the unfair system of capitalism. Grosz is trying to promote the Socialists to revolt against the government and band together as a fraternity, a brotherhood, and rebuild the system to favor the working class.
CONNECTIONS: I will refer to the article "En Avant Dada: A History of Dadaism" written in 1920 and written by Richard Huelsenbeck. He states that "the theory of a melioristic philosphy, the psychological naivety of which is highly significant for a critical understanding of expressionism, runs ghostlike through the minds of men who never act." This is a powerful statement describing the expressionists and the ruling class as "men who never act." They are the ones who use the less educated and make them do the dirty work.
CONNECTIONS: In a way, this shows that the ruling class are using the working class as slaves. The working class reaps slightly any benefits for the work they put in. They are put in their situation by force and there is barely any chance for class mobility. This form of implicit slavery bolsters the hatred of the working class against the ruling class.
COMMUNICATION: This picture is used to show the feelings of the working class and their interpretation of the behaviors of the ruling class. They see that the capitalists are useless, corrupted exploiters while the working class are in dire situations they can't help to get out of.
CONCLUSIONS: This image helps me understand just why the Socialist felt the need to become organized and create a revolution against the ruling class.
CONTENT: This painting shows the istoria of the destruction that World War I caused. In the painting, you can see the sorrow and pain that the war left on the world.
CITATION: 1922, Oskar Schlemmar
CONTEXT: This painting was created post WWI but pre WWII and shows the pain and dead dreams that the war left behind.
CONNECTIONS: This painting can be linked to the era between WWI and WWII, and to art of the 20th century.
COMMUNICATION: This painting tries to communicate the pain that was in the world during the era after WWI had ended, and the dreams that will never come to pass.
CONCLUSIONS: Overall, this painting is a good example of post World War I art, and of dreams that were lost in the youth that died during the war.
I think that Communication is the most important C because Communication is the primary element and goal of all art, and as such should be stressed more than any other element of the work.
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