The Entartete Kunst exhibit

I was very much inspired by the LACMA’s exhibition regarding Degenerate Art. We also got the chance to see the documentary film regarding Degenerate Art. It was an exhibition mounted by Nazis in Munich in 1937. The exhibition consisted of modernist artworks that were considered “degenerated” according to Nazis, and were accompanied with text labels of what “bad art” are. While prohibited modern style of art, Nazis promoted the art that celebrate the values of racial purity and militarism. What surprised me the most is the propaganda of “2000 Years of German Culture.” It’s basic isn’t ‘German Culture,’ but the combination of Greek and Roman. It shows the powerful narrative of the government. Back than, government may play a role in arts, in term of support artists or banning the unflavored subjects. How about 21st century? Does government still have some kind of control in arts? What about the media we see everyday? We are living in such a mass media culture that we need to be award of what it is and how it works. Just like the title of the movie, Wag the Dog, "Why does a dog wag its tail? Because a dog is smarter than its tail. If the tail was smarter, the tail would wag the dog." This makes me think if the dog is the public and the tail is the media; and the dog is the media and tail is the politician. In either case, tail is smarter than the dog so it can influence the dog.

Alexei Jawlensky

Alexei Jawlensky is a Russian expressionist artist who belongs to the Blue Four in the early 20th century. His works redefined modern art with a new philosophy that rejected the idea of object reality. He was looking at his inner reaction for the subject matter and he was also influenced by other sources than traditional like non-western art and folk art. His works represent a highly emotional and spiritual image composed of distorted forms and non-naturalistic colors. I really like his “Meditation” series. Through out his “Meditation” Series, Jawlensky just repeatedly painted a human face. He said, “ I am not so much searching for new forms, but I want to go deeper and not to progress in breadth but in depth.” He is searching for his soul in a way of speaking. His human face progressed from a recognized human face to a very objective geometric face with just the lines for two eyes and frame of the face. By painted a human face over and over again, he wants to know what lies beneath in his heart; and, he also want to quench the thirst of surety, the surety of himself. Like the French philosopher Rene Descartes said, "Cogito, ergo sum" ("I think, therefore I am.") Jawlensky is searching who he is, what he is, and how he is through his paintings.