Throughout the 20th century, several styles ofavant-garde arthelped shapemodern art.
Though it is most closely associated with Germany, it attracted and inspired artists of all backgrounds.
What is Bauhaus?
Architects, sculptors, painters, we all must return to the crafts!
For there is no such thing as art by profession,' Gropius wrote in a1919 program for Bauhaus.
There is no essential difference between the artist and the craftsman.
The Bauhaus Logo (Photo:Wikimedia Commons)
The artist is an exalted craftsman.
This is the original source of creative design.
At Weimar, the stage workshop was an important part of the education.
Photo:Susanlenox(Public domain)
It was directed by Lothar Schreyer from 1921 to 1923 and then by Oskar Schlemmer from 1923 to 1925.
It brought together visual and performing arts and stressed an interdisciplinary approach.
Students engaged in metalworking, cabinetry making, a weaving workshop, pottery, and more.
Yellow-Red-Blue (1925) by Wassily Kandinsky (Photo:Musée national d’art moderneviaWikimedia Commons, Public domain)
Dessau
Dessauwas considered the hotspot in the heyday of Bauhaus.
It arose after the politically motivated close of Weimar.
During this time, it set forth on the path of designing new industrial products for mass consumption.
Bauhaus Exhibition Poster (1923) (Photo:iv toran,Public domain)
(Most of the products and designs that are well-known today came from Dessau.)
It was also here that the famous Bauhaus Building was planned and built by Gropius.
This iteration of Bauhaus was dissolved on September 30, 1932.
Photo:KlausHausmann
Berlin
Berlinwas the last phase of Bauhaus.
By April 11, 1933, however, the premises were searched and closed by the police and SA.
The teaching staff dissolved the Bauhaus in July 1933.
Fallingwater byFrank Lloyd Wright(Photo: Library of Congress, Prints & Photographs Division, photograph by Carol M. Highsmith viaWikimedia Commons,No known copyright restrictions)
Undoubtedly inspired by architecture,the paintingstypically pair flat planes with overlapping shapes to suggest dimensionality.
Theiconic furniturethat did adorn these spaces was always highly intentional.
He wanted to create minimalistic and mass-producible pieces that were made mostly of metal.
Photo:MichaelGaida
This resulted in the foldable, lightweightWassily Chairnamed after the painter Wassily Kandinsky.
In fact, students studied color theory as well as weaving in the textile workshop.
Their pieces, as well as the occasional wall painting, provided some levity to the otherwise industrial rooms.
Photo: Spyrosdrakopoulos viaWikimedia Commons(CC BY-SA 4.0)
Frequently Asked Questions
Bauhaus originated as a German school of the arts in the early 20th century.
The school eventually morphed into its own modern art movement characterized by its unique approach to architecture and design.
What defines Bauhaus style?
Photo: chungking/Depositphotos
What does Bauhaus literally mean?
Bauhaus literally translates to construction house.
Photo: PeterDrews viaWikimedia Commons(CC BY-SA 3.0)
Photo: pyrosdrakopoulos viaWikimedia Commons(CC BY-SA 4.0)
Bauhaus Dessau (Photo:MewesviaWikimedia Commons, Public domain)
