In the 1920’s the Jazz Age and the Harlem Renaissance occurred creating new trends and changes in fashion, culture and art in history. As World War 1 also known as the Great War was the first industrialized conflict with new mechanized weaponry and large scale slaughter of combatants, artists were under pressure to find new visual forms to make apparent the wars changed visuality in works of art. When the management of public opinion became a fundamental task of government and war began to break out, when Germany sunk the US passenger ship the Lusitania, the US decided to join the war therefore, creating the accelerating development of propaganda including the censorship of sensitive military data and dispute.
The Harlem Renaissance
The Harlem Renaissance was a cultural age of the appreciation of African American adjustments to American culture. This took place after the Great Migration. Many elements of art evolved form this time period. Art from this era was inspired by African American hardships form slavery and over coming white supremacy and discriminatory concepts. African Americans developed this art style as a way to express and preserve their past. Well known artists from this time period were Aaron Douglas, Jacob Lawrence and William Johnson.
Aaron Douglas: "Idylls of the Deep South" This image by Aaron Douglas, “Idylls of the Deep South” depicts life between the 1920s and 1930s also known as the Harlem Renaissance. During this time the Harlem Renaissance began to show the unique culture of African Americans in art.
The Jazz Age
As well as the Harlem Renaissance, the Jazz Age was known for its expression of African American culture. During the Roaring Twenties, Jazz music and at inspired by Jazz bands became creative platforms for people to use the freedom of expression to depict the wild and spectacular lives during this lavish era.
"Romare Bearden: Jasmin' at the Savoy" The Jazz Age was a period in the 1920s where jazz music and dance styles became popular. Romare Bearden created paintings, collages and prints to celebrate African American history, music and lifestyle by using bright colors to portray their lives during the Jazz Age.
Entry to War
Much like muckrakers of the Gilded Age, artists and journalists used their platforms to express their opinions on social matters. While propaganda was used to express social interest, it was not used for creative freedom. Propaganda was a kind of advertisement done by the government in hopes to inspire people to support the war efforts.
Propaganda impacted life in a huge way during this era. This image represents America's entry to war after the sinking of the US ship the Lusitania. By creating propaganda it encouraged people to enlist in the war saying “Remember the Lusitania”, Remember what they did to us and “it is your duty” to take justice into your hands.
MLA Cited Sources
"Fauvism Movement, Artists and Major Works." The Art Story. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 Apr. 2017. <http://www.theartstory.org/movement-fauvism.htm>. "American History." Ushistory.org. Independence Hall Association, n.d. Web. 18 Apr. 2017. "Power of propaganda in World War 1 - Infogram, charts & infographics." Infogr.am. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 Apr. 2017. <https://infogr.am/power-of-propaganda-in-----------world-war-1>.