We have looked at art movements and works of literature that respond to and reflect on World War I. Discuss at least two examples of artworks or works of literature that show the variety of responses to the war.

There many artworks and literatures that have been developed as a response to World War I. After World War I. One of the major artworks that was created as a response to World War I is “Trench” by Otto Dix. The artwork was made from 1920 to 1923, and was one of the anti-war works that was inspired by Otto’s experiences in World War I. In the early 1920s, Otto Dix felt sickened by the collective desire of so many civilians to forget the war and in response wanted to create a painting of gut-wrenching impact, that would serve to remind the civilians of the impact of the war. Otto painted an artwork that was a frank depiction of death and dismemberment in the trenches, and this resulted to a public outcry when the artwork was bought in1923 by a Cologne Museum.

The second piece of artwork that was created as a response to World War I was, “The Parents,” by Kathe Kollwitz. The artwork was created between 1921 and 1922; it is a woodcut depicting two grieving parents. Kollwitz was also saddened by the fact that people would easily forget the aftermath of the War, and thus, decided to make something that could remind people of the impacts of the war including loss of loved one. Kollwitz, lost her son Peter, who died while serving in Flanders in October 1914. Despite losing her son, she did not a portrait of him, but displayed the grief she and her husband felt in his absence. So many parents lost their sons in War, and this piece of art served to remind them of the scars left by World War I.

Explain the Social Realist art movement of the 1930s through a discussion of at least two specific works of art.

The Social Realist art movement was associated with the era of the Great Depression in the United States and which depicted the everyday realities of life. This type of art was critical of the social, economic and racial conditions in the United States and which made life challenging for the working classes and the poor. There are various artworks that depicts the Great Depression in the 1930s. One of the Social Realist Movement artworks include “The Migrant Mother,” by photographer Dorothea Lange. The image was taken in 1936, to symbolize hunger, poverty and hopelessness that was endured by the American citizens during the Great Depression. Based on this, the purpose of the artwork was to raise awareness of and provide aid to impoverished farmers. During the Great Depression, poverty rates were so high such that people became hopeless, and thus, the artwork depicts the misery exhibited by the citizens.

Another artwork that can be used to depict the Social Realist Movement in the 1930s is “The Subway,” by Jose Clemente Orozco which was created in 1928. The artwork presents several commuters on the New York’s emblematic public transportation system, and which was first established in 1904. The passengers of the train can be described as shadowy, stone-faced, imparting a sense of melancholy to the scene, which is a high contrast compared to the shiny poles of the train. The artwork depicts the time during the Great Depression as the people were having a hard time coping with the hard economic situation, unable to afford better clothing and to an extent of going hungry, and these can be attributed as being some of the reasons the passengers are frowned.

After World War II, New York became the focus of the modern art world. Explain the concepts behind Abstract Expressionism, and discuss the variety of ways that artists applied paint to create different effects. Illustrate your points with discussions of at least three specific artworks. 

Abstract Expressionism is an artistic movement that comprises diverse styles and techniques and emphasizes the artist’s liberty to convey attitudes and emotions through non-traditional and usually non-representational means. There are different techniques that are used in making abstract expressionism art. Some artists poured and dipped paint, moving around the canvas in the act of painting. Besides, other artists applied broad, heavy, brush strokes with thick brushes. There are many artworks that are representative of the abstract expressionism.

One of the examples of abstract expression artworks include the “Autumn Rhythm (Number 30)” that was created by Jackson Pollock in the 1950. The artwork shows the expression of freedom as the artist used his famous drip method in which he poured, splattered and applied paint in an extremely physical fashion from above the to a canvas that has been laid to the ground. The artwork serves to express internal emotional turbulence of Pollock’s entire career through line, gesture, texture and composition.

Another piece of artwork that depicts the characteristics of abstract expressionism include “Excavation” by Willem de Kooning and which was created in the 1950. The artwork depicts a multitude of outlined forms that are abstractions of familiar shapes right of the periphery of recognition including eyes, birds, teeth, jaws and fishes. The artist painted the house in that manner because he could put more and more things in anger, pain, drama, horses and even love. Through the panting, the artist depicts freedom of expression, which he mostly depicts emotions as well as other things that he perceives to be of significance in his life.

Finally, Mark Rothko’s “No. 6 (Violet, Green, Red) is work of art that was created in 195. The piece depicts color field painting and which provides the artist with freedom to move their brushstrokes and paint texture. This method of painting provides artists with a powerful communication tool to pass their message to the audience. Rothko’s blocks of color were meant to strike up a relationship with the audience’s deep consciousness, providing a contemplative, mediative space in which to visually investigate their moods and affiliations with the artwork.

How have you responded to the art we have looked at in this unit? Were there pieces you were drawn to, or that challenged the way you see art? Explain.

Works of art play a crucial role in educating and creating awareness. From the artworks that we have covered from this class, I feel that there are pieces that I was more drawn to and this include the Social Realist art movement art that were developed around the 1930s during the great depression. This pieces not only reminds me of how the economy of the United States performed, but also presents the suffering and the conditions of living, especially among the poor. Many people died during the Great Depression since they could not afford food and other basic necessities, and this compelled the government to initiate aid programs to give hope to people who were largely affected.