In this time America was suffering from the Great Depression beginning in the early 1930s. In 1941 the US joined the war after the bombing at Pearl Harbor by the Japanese on naval ships. Art and propaganda of this time was dark and showed the hard times america was going through as well as strong propaganda to promote entry to the war.
The Great Depression
Many Americans who had lost all of their money to the stock market crash turned to art to help aid their sorrows and make some money for their family when they couldn't find steady work. As a part of the New Deal, the WPA or the Works Progressive Administration helped to preserve "national culture" during this hard ship by employing a variety of artists, writers and musicians. This was the government's way to enrich American lives and provide stability in small ways.The WPA commissioned many artists to capture the American scene. This project was mostly constructed of photographs and painted murals of true "American Culture"and "Regional Identity". Art from this time was optimistic and allowed a artistic outlet for American's in crisis to find hope.
Grant Wood, "Arbor Day" 1932
During the Great Depression many people were out of jobs as the stock market crashed. As people lost their jobs and mortgages, many homes and farms were foreclosed. Homeless people began building shacks out of old crates and formed shacks called "Hoovervilles" out of the upset toward President Herbert Hoover.
World War II
Many are not aware of the significant efforts from artists that helped their country advance in World War II. Cubism and Realism ad better developed camouflaged all played into the war efforts. Many ships that were used in the war were painted discretely to hide from opposing powers. Many Radical artists helped their country's armies by creating "dazzle ships" and other forms of disorienting weaponry to help win the war. This is not brought up in history often because later in history Art is mostly used to oppose war efforts.
The Cold War
The Cold War .was a time of great political tension and exceptional creativity. Art and design played a central role in representing and sometimes challenging the dominant political and social ideas of the age. Many works from this time period was motivational and inspirational to help artists get through this rough time. In most places around the world at this time, speech and thoughts were censored. Art was a way to break through socially in a sophisticated way. The form of Realism and Formalism came from artists not being allowed to use forms of abstraction like expressionism, although some artists did not follow these rules.
"Mural" by Jackson Pollock Jackson Pollock was a very influential American Expressionist. His Avant-Garde style with paint gripping really expanded the ways people could produce art.
MLA Citation
"Jackson Pollock and his paintings." Jackson Pollock - Biography, Paintings of Jackson Pollock. N.p., n.d. Web. 22 May 2017.
Victoria and Albert Museum, Digital Media [email protected]. "Cold War." Victoria and Albert Museum, Digital Media [email protected]. Victoria and Albert Museum, Cromwell Road, South Kensington, London SW7 2RL. Telephone 44 (0)20 7942 2000. Email [email protected], 25 July 2013. Web. 22 May 2017.
American Studies @ The University of Virginia. N.p., n.d. Web. 22 May 2017.
Saunders, Frances Stonor. "Modern art was CIA 'weapon'" The Independent. Independent Digital News and Media, 21 Oct. 1995. Web. 22 May 2017.
Campbell-Dollaghan, Kelsey. "The Forgotten History of How Modern Art Helped Win World War II." Gizmodo. Gizmodo.com, 02 Aug. 2013. Web. 22 May 2017.
January 16, 2013 · by russelltetherfineart · in Uncategorized · 3 Comments, and Tags: American Art, American History, Art, Art History, Grant Wood, Great Depression Art, Modern Art, Politics, Seymour Fogel, the Great Depression, Thomas Hart Benton. "The American Scene and Public Art during the Great Depression." Russell Tether Fine Arts Associates, LLC. N.p., 16 Jan. 2013. Web. 22 May 2017.