Revolutionary Arts in the Age of Extremes: 1914–1945

Introduction

The chapter under review is set in the context of the troubled times that Eric Hobsbawm describes in his book The Age of Extremes — a period which saw two world wars, the greatest economic depressions in world history, and the communist revolution in Russia and elsewhere. There was an environment of revolution across Europe and beyond — in India, for example, where the fight for independence from British rule was at its height during the later part of this period. According to Hobsbawm, the time period from 1914 to 1945 was one in which the socio-political landscape had a deep impact on the arts and culture and their modes of expression.

Dadaism and the Origins of Revolutionary Art

During the period from 1914 to 1945, Eric Hobsbawm notes that in the established world of arts and culture the only two innovations that were truly noteworthy were the rise of Dadaism — which also gave rise, in part, to the Surrealist movement in western Europe — and the Constructivism movement that originated in the communist Soviet Union (Hobsbawm, 1994, pp. 178–181).

At the beginning of the twentieth century, the modernist movement was the most prominent artistic current, and it was deeply affected by the social, political, and cultural upheavals of the time. It was out of this environment that the Dada art movement was established, with World War I serving as its primary catalyst (Hobsbawm, 1994, p. 181).

Dadaism was established largely to give artists a vehicle for expressing their ideas and opinions about World War I and the roles they were compelled to play during the conflict. These movements changed the direction that the arts had previously taken, expanded the range of creativity among artists globally, and provided people with a means of expressing their feelings during the hardships of wartime. The Dada art movement drew on an unusually broad range of materials — from glass and plaster to geometric tapestries and wooden reliefs.

The impact of Dadaism was also felt in the United States, when Marcel Duchamp organized an art exhibition in New York in 1917 in which a public urinal was presented as a ready-made art form (Hobsbawm, 1994, p. 180).

Surrealism, Constructivism, and the Politicization of Culture

In a spirit that carried the revolutionary tone of Dadaism, Surrealism similarly sought to reject all existing art forms. Its subject matter shifted from romanticism to public scandals and, most importantly, social revolution (Hobsbawm, 1994, p. 180). This movement began in France and then spread to other parts of Europe and beyond. Hobsbawm notes that Surrealism, as an addition to the avant-garde art forms of the era, was capable of provoking shock, incomprehension, and sometimes even laughter.

Hobsbawm also examines the influence that the contemporary political environment had on artistic development. He argues that these revolutionary art movements shared three notable characteristics: they became part of the established culture; they became woven into the "fabric of everyday life"; and the art form had become "dramatically politicized" to an extent perhaps unmatched since the Age of Revolution (Hobsbawm, 1994, p. 181).

The impact of the art movement in Europe also extended to the Soviet Union and to ballet. Russian impresario Sergei Diaghilev modernized the form of dance in keeping with the spirit of the period, and this modern form of ballet was described in British journalism as having given audiences "Modern Music without tears and Modern Painting without laughter" (Hobsbawm, 1994, p. 182).

Hobsbawm rightly argues that this diffusion of ballet is just one example of the way art and culture were reshaped by the pressures of troubled times, though the specific forms this reshaping took differed from one country and region to another. This avant-garde diffusion spread throughout western Europe, dissolving what had once been a unified high culture.

Political forces, however, eventually forced the severing of the links that had developed between the art worlds of Russia and Europe. Paris had formed an axis with Moscow and Berlin until Stalin's and Hitler's rise to power silenced this cooperative axis in the arts. Literature and the arts retreated within the remnants of the former Habsburg and Ottoman Empires, using local languages that were rarely translated. Matters changed, however, with the rise of the anti-fascist diasporas in the 1930s — a moment when, Hobsbawm argues, the avant-garde resurfaced (Hobsbawm, 1994, p. 182).

Hobsbawm also writes that the interwar period — between the First and Second World Wars — was a time of revolution in forms of expression. While modernism in the arts took local forms, some of which flourished and managed to break down political boundaries, art simultaneously became a symbol for those who wished to demonstrate that they were in step with the times and culture (Hobsbawm, 1994, p. 184). He further notes that the cultural vanguard of each country, while reappraising the past, rewrote or repainted it in ways that suited contemporary needs.

Conclusion

The period that Eric Hobsbawm examines was characterized as one of the most troubled times for mankind — an era marked by two world wars, numerous revolutions, and the rise of fascism. Arts and culture were transformed during this time, though in a limited manner due to political complications and constraints, providing artists with a means to express their anger and frustration at what was happening around them. The Dadaism and Surrealism movements stand as testament to artists' attempts to break free from established art conventions, making social and political issues — rather than romance or idealized subjects — the central theme of their work. This revolution in the arts was also evident in Russia with the rise of Constructivism — a three-dimensional art form that influenced everything artistic — and this revolution soon became embedded in the everyday lives of people and in the broader culture.

Mass media, including film and the press, were also shaped by this movement. It was this period that gave rise to the concept of aesthetics in popular film and to a greater degree of artistry in cinema made for general audiences.

The non-Western world, too, was not untouched by the impact of war and the Great Economic Depression, and this movement left its mark there as well, though in a different form. The rise of Realism in non-Western countries — where artists sought ways to better express local vernaculars in literary idioms that could represent the reality of the times — helped bind the arts and culture of the East and the West together.

Thus, Eric Hobsbawm's attempt to trace the development and growth of arts and culture during the "Age of Catastrophe" ultimately reveals how the revolutionary art and cultural movements of the West and the non-West converged and, in doing so, found common ground.

Reference

Hobsbawm, E. (1994). The age of extremes. New York: Pantheon Books.