The economic turbulence and laissez-faire practices of the United States of America in the 20’s set up the country for fiscal disaster. The roaring twenties were supplanted at the end of the decade with the worst economic disaster to rock the United States. Across the country, millions of people saw the American dream dry up as they lost some if not all of what they owned. The system that had propelled America to prominence had failed and the burgeoning middle class buckled. The arts suffered as well during this time with such the main power broker of their livelihoods now too poor to contribute to entertainment and artists.
I remember asking my grandmother and grandfather what it was like to live during the Great Depression. My grandmother looked at me said, “Kevin, we didn’t live we endured.” That struck me to the core of my being as she recollects in anguished detail the shanties, bread lines, and a hungry stomach. The population of America had become demoralized and disenfranchised. I asked my grandma what art meant to her at that time, “Well, I remember lots of paintings and newspaper comics, but we didn’t have much time to appreciate what we saw.” Artists across the nation felt this too and began to use their talents to speak out against what they saw.
What I find fascinating about this time in art is how artists retooled their techniques. Already people had been breaking from the traditional molds after the First World War, and now with another damning social calamity, artists were using their art to make statements. The Federal Government under the New Deal funded the arts through: Federal Art Project, Federal Writer’s Project, Federal Theatre Project, and the Federal Music Project. This is a historic event because this was the first time that Art was considered something so important to our society that it needed to be publicly instead of solely privately funded1. These programs were designed to prevent artists from losing their tradecraft because of losing the means to support themselves through it.
As the Great Depression continued with no end in sight, some artists championed social realism. With so many people out of work, out of food, and out of luck some artists cried foul against the system and created art pieces that blames the system, and highlights the suffering of those who did no wrong. It also placed these individuals as strong, hard-working people bravely fighting for a better future2. Other artists focused heavily with painting and depicting the common man’s struggle as they subsisted day to day. I want to concentrate on these two forms of expression through the Great Depression. We will take a brief look into two Artists and how they used their art to showcase what they saw.
The first artist we will look at was definitely a proponent of social realism. His name is Richard Correll. He began his tenure painting for the Seattle Communist Party’s newspaper3. His art style used woodcutting to depict the social injustice of this time period. Remember, social realism was a form of propagandized art that placed an emphasis on the working man, and the strife people went through in the 30’s. As you will see, these images are politically charged themes of depravation, class strife, and uncertainty4. This is a popular theme in his art and other artists at the time. One last tidbit on this artist is his use of woodcuts and contrasting colors of white and dark. It definitely sets an ominous tone for reviewing the pieces he made. The last artist we will take a look at is Ronald Ginther.
Ronald Ginther provides to us a unique account of the time period. Contrasting his work from Mr. Correll is the use of bright vivid colors and action. Over the course of his life, Mr. Ginther created 80 pieces of art depicting what he saw during the Great Depression5. Another proponent of social realism, his art depicts the gritty aspects of living during the Great Depression. I want to emphasize the use of bright colors and take note of the amount of action in the painting which was indicative of his style. I will provide a link that can take you to all of his artwork here. You will see what I mean and I recommend you contrast the charged, action-packed art versus Mr. Correll’s darker more ominous pieces.
Remember, Social Realism was an important and prominent style of art that gained a lot of traction because of the Great Depression. The uniqueness of the time period through the demoralization of the population, frustration, and loss of opportunity robbed America of an innocence we once had. The American Dream could be snuffed or muffled. In the two artists and their respective pieces you can see the divergences from the art styles we have studied. The divergences of color, contrast, and style make these pieces a unique testament to the Great Depression and its influence on art.
Bibliography:
May, Ruth. Personal Interview. 9 March 2014
Xaxx, Jagg. “Art During the Depression.” EHow. Demand Media, n.d. Web. 10 Mar. 2014. .
“Communist Party and the Arts.” The Great Depression In Washington State. University Of Washington, n.d. Web. 10 Mar. 2014. .
“Culture and Arts During the Depression.” The Great Depression In Washington State. University Of Washington, n.d. Web. 10 Mar. 2014. .
“Ronald Ginther Watercolors.” The Great Depression In Washington State. University Of Washington, n.d. Web. 10 Mar. 2014. .
“The Great Depression and the Arts.” New Deal Network. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Mar. 2014. .
kem12993jk 