Post-War German Art – or post-war German art, we will focus on Joseph
Beuys, whose works we saw in Saals (Rooms) 18, 19, and 20 of the
Pinakothekder Moderne in Munich. In particularly, focus upon his work
The End of the Twentieth Century (Das Ende des 20. Jahrhunderts) in Saal
20. He produced this work between 1983 and 1985. Discuss what Beuys Das
Ende des 20. was trying to do with this installation. In particular,
what was he trying to say about Germany and the German people at the end
of World War II? What did he believe the future held for Germany, and
how did he symbolize this in this installation? To get you started, I
will give you a few hints. The basalt rocks symbolize the dead produced
by World War II. The hole in each, lined with clay and felt, symbolizes
the possibility of new life emerging from the ruins in post- war
Germany. You may also discuss some of his other works in Saals 18 and 19
if you wish, and you can also consider any pieces by Beuys that you saw
during our visit to Lenbachhaus and the special exhibition of his works
on the second floor (or the first
floor in Germany).
Sources to consider for this essay:
Davies,
Penelope, et al. Janson’s History of Art: The Western Tradition. 7th
edition. Vol. 4. The Modern World. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey:
Prentice Hall, 2007. p. 1064
Joachimides, Christos, ed. German Art
in the 20th Century: Painting and Sculpture, 1905-1985. Munich: Prestel
Verlag, 1985. pp 470-472.
Acton, Mary. Learning to Look at Modern Art. London: Routledge, 2004. pp 106-110.
No comments:
Post a Comment