Written by: Raina Tian
The 1920s was a time of rapid change in the American landscape as the United States experienced an era of stark isolationism following the devastation of World War I and the Great Depression. There became a desire for a distinct American identity formed through art and tradition which identified and captured aspects of American life. The expansion of technology and industrialization were most prominent in large cities, and it was there that artists began documenting the changing cityscape. Artists, influenced by photographers using sharp focus and harsh lighting, experimented with reducing forms into simple shapes and geometric structures. The Exposition Internationale des Arts Decoratifs et Industriels Modernes in Paris in 1925 and the Machine-Age Exposition in New York in 1927 consolidated the intent of these artists and identified two contrasting views in the content of the art. Some sought to promote the joining of art and industry in everyday life and celebrate technological advances while others emphasized the dehumanizing effects of technology like how it replaced workers and destroyed familiar landscapes. This group of emerging artists were initially referred to as the “Immaculates” but in 1927, Alfred H. Barr of the Museum of Modern Art recognized them as “Precisionists”. Charles Sheeler and Paul Strand are recognized as the founders of this movement due to their short film, Manhatta which explored the New York cityscape through film and photography. For Charles Sheeler, this film would become a source of inspiration for his later art which glorified the role of machines and architecture. The film marked a change in the underlying motifs in his art and these themes would resonate throughout the movement. Edward Hopper was known for his scenes of urban life which purposefully removed the presence of humans. His scenes were characterized by an air of loneliness and suggested at the “transitory nature of contemporary life”. However, he notably also depicted scenes which centered on the poor and their place in the ever-changing landscape of the city. Georgia O’Keeffe is most known for her abstractions of nature and depictions of skulls and flowers, but an era of her work is also recognized as Precisionist. In the 1920s, O’Keeffe spent time in New York which became the subject of her architecture paintings. These artists were distinctly American although they recognized their influences from contemporary European movements such as Dadaism, Futurism, and Cubism. Subject matter consisted of aspects unique to American life and documented the process of American industrialization. Precisionism is more of a tendency than a movement or school due to its lack of a formal program and its composition of artists united by a common subject. It sought to document the changing urban landscape, but rural skylines were also included. Buildings, such as barns and mills, and farm machinery commented on the extent of the era’s rapid change. Although it’s roots were formed in controversy, Precisionist art was not meant to be a form of social criticism. Instead, both the viewer and the artist experience distance. Often, the artist’s mark, brushstrokes and mark-making, are not visible to the viewer, creating a sense of detachment between artist and viewer and artist and subject. The second wave of Precisionist artists in the 1930s brought a subtle shift in the movement. The industrial landscape still was the center of most art, but styles became more surrealist. The end of the decade brought an unease regarding technology that translated to melancholic tones in art. Precisionism declined in popularity with the close of the 1930s as the Great Depression and atomic bomb led to unease regarding the destructive potential of technology. The positive outlook on technology Precisionists had presented faltered with the despair of war.
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ContributorsJACQUELINE YU is the co-founder of the MLWGS art history online magazine. She is an incredible artist and devotes much of her time to both participating in, experiencing, and appreciating art. Archives
April 2019
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