The Turn of 20th Contemporary Art under the Big Social Crisis

Journal: Arts Studies and Criticism DOI: 10.32629/asc.v2i4.558

Bijun Zhu

East China Normal University, Shanghai 200062, China

Abstract

The current COVID-19 pandemic has immensely impacted artists and their artwork. Such as the spread of the epidemic has led to the emergence of a new art form-NFT and so on, and also made online art exhibitions and virtual spaces became a popular way of viewing exhibitions. The same applies to the 20th century, artists knew that they had entered a unique and modern age of artistic expression. The modern world would bring both opportunities and challenges to the people. Historical evidence has shown that art is a highly dynamic field characterized by its ever-changing nature. Characterized by various social crises such as the Great Depression, 1918 Influenza Pandemic, First World War, and the Second World War, among many others. The Great Depression of the 1930s influenced art, particularly painting, to a great extent. During the depression, art became a tool for reflecting the current conditions, social critique, and activism.

Keywords

contemporary art, social condition, art forms

References

[1] Robbins, Lionel, and Murray Weidenbaum. The great depression. Routledge, 2017.
[2] Gutiérrez, Ángel López. Art as a social weapon in the great depression-era. Alcalibe: Revista Centro Asociado a la UNED Ciudad de la Cerámica, 17 (2017): 230-265.
[3] Morgan, Stacy I. Rethinking social realism: African American art and literature, 1930-1953. University of Georgia Press, 2004.
[4] Allee, Jessica. New Deal Art Now: Reframing the Artifacts of Diversity. An Exhibition of Creative Works by Artists and Laborers of the New Deal, 1935-1943. Diss. Southern Illinois University Carbondale, 2014.
[5] Vitz, Robert C. Struggle and Response: American Artists and the Great Depression. New York History, 57.1 (1976): 81.

Copyright © 2021 Bijun Zhu

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