In the Work Council for Art manifesto, Walter Gropius draws a programmatic document that re-discussed the role of art in society. The manifesto stemmed from a social perspective where art and people should converge to create a whole. For this reason, art should be made available to the masses, not being a prerogative of a few privileged people. Such a goal entailed a profound rethinking of the artists’ life and role.
Artists and art lovers should reconsider their artistic life and follow precise guidelines to rebuild the art/society paradigm. The guidelines included the recognition of the public character of every building activity, the redefinition of the traditional schools of art and architecture, and the transformation of museums into educational spaces for all people. The most radical aspects entailed the liberation of arts and crafts from State interference and the destruction of all artistically insignificant monuments and buildings.
The “Programme of the Staatliches Bauhaus in Weimar (1919)” and “Principles of Bauhaus production [Dessau] (1926)” reflect the evolution of the basic principles of Bauhaus. In the Programme of 1919, Gropius’s primary concern is to highlight the need for unity in visual arts to complete a building. Moreover, he underlines that architects, sculptors, and painters are craftsmen before being artists (par.3). In the text of 1926, the focus is on functionality, production methods, and durability. Forms are derived from productive processes, environmental limitations, and pragmatism (Framptom 128). These contrasting approaches are evident in the types and purposes of objects created by students in 1919 and 1926.
In 1919, students were trained in arts and crafts, and their products involved painting techniques, wood carving, sculpting, and ceramics. The emphasis was on individuality, and the aim was to educate competent “craftsmen and independent creative artists (Programme of the Staatliches Bauhaus in Weimar par. 7).” Seven years later, the perspective was sensibly different and affected the qualities of the objects created by the students. The workshops had become laboratories to study prototypes suitable for mass production (Principles of Bauhaus production [Dessau] par. 8). The objects created in 1919 were not necessarily useful in everyday life, while functionality was a requisite in 1926.
The 1919 Arbeitsrat für Kunst (Work Council for Art) embodies some of the most vital cultural and social currents that characterized the turn of the twentieth century. While the manifesto offers several interesting points of discussion, two aspects seem to be especially relevant. More specifically, the willingness of free arts from the influence of the State and the goal of making art not only available to the populace but even an integral part of their lives.
In the attempt to provide a road map to the rebuilding of the artistic life, Gropius addressed the topical issue of reform of art education and supported the creation of new institutions. The Academy of Arts, the Academy of Building, and the Prussian Provincial Art Commission were to be replaced by innovative art schools with a redefinition of competency areas. Gropius is precise in highlighting that the new bodies must be free from State interference (par. 5). The second relevant aspect relates to the coeval topic of cultural empowerment of the masses, typical of the Soviet society and many rising artistic movements across Europe. Gropius suggests that the museums should become “educational establishments for the people (par. 7).” Besides exhibitions, they should offer lectures and tours to contribute to the cultural awakening of the populace.
Works Cited
Frampton, Kenneth, Modern Architecture. A Critical History. 4th ed., New York, Thames & Hudson, 2007.
Gropius, Walter. “Principles of Bauhaus production [Dessau]”, class reading, 1926.
Gropius, Walter. “Programme of the Staatliches Bauhaus in Weimar”, class reading, 1919.
Gropius, Walter. “Work Council for Art: Under the Wing of a Great Architecture”, class reading, 1918.