Social
or Socialist: Realism, Communism,
Art and the 1950's
by Sarah
Mitchell
When thinking
about the American culture of the nineteen forties and fifties, images of
the happy home-maker and family, as seen in Time Life and the illustrations
by Norman Rockwell probably pop into your mind. The commonly propagated image
is of a "cookie-cutter" life fashioned out of a pristine moment
in time. However this was a turbulent time shaped by war and the civil rights
movement. This was a time when McCarthyism (the second Red Scare) and anti-communist
thought threatened civil liberties. This infringement on civil liberties threatened
to change the shape of the arts the creation and views. This was a time of
change in the art world.
When discussing art it is important to remember that art is a product of its
time created by men and women. It is also essential to acknowledge the social
and political backdrop of the time the art is created. Art coming from the
hearts, minds, and imagination of artists is subject to and representative
of the current socio-political climate. Art therefore can be seen as a study
of the human experience in juxtaposition to the world around the artists. Umberto
Barbaro, a leading film theorist, Marxist, and literary critic in Italy states
in his article Materialism and Art, "In Marxist thought, art is an aspect
of the intellectual production of a given period, part of the corresponding
ideology at a given time. As such, art is conditioned by the structure, by
the base, that is, by the relations of production."1 Art is not a separate
reality, even when portraying the surreal or the absurd art is a true and vital
representation of the thoughts, feelings and imagination of the artist. This
being said it is significant that I discuss, briefly, the social and political
backdrop of this period; that I give a glimpse into the climate of change and
social unrest.
2
Social Distortion: A brief history of changes
Like century preceding the early nineteen forties and fifties; where civil
liberties were being fought for and won, where wars were being waged and the
songs of change were being sung, this too was a time of social transformation.
The years encompassing the nineteen forties and fifties saw the rise and development
of the Civil Rights Movement. Although this movement had its roots in the nineteenth
century, it was at this time in the twentieth that, thanks to modern technology,
the world could share in the plight and victories of these movements. This
was partly due to the fact that popular media made available what was happening
in these movements around the nation. The names and voices of "leaders" in
this movement became familiar to a much broader audience and the turmoil and
tragedy that followed was felt by the masses. These ideals did not fit into
the "cookie-cutter" image that has come to define for so many this
period in American History. A large part of this was due to the political "powers
that be" at the time, such as Senator McCarthy, a leading player in the
anti-communist sentiment, whose political views help to shape the nation's
opinions.
3
McCarthyism: The second Red Scare
In her book, The Age of McCarthyism: A
Brief History with Documentation, Ellen Schrecker, discusses the power of
the state to establish and uphold fear (through promotion by the media television,
radio, and newsprint). This fear allows people to either look the other way
or to be an advocate of actions that infringe on their civil liberties. In
the summary of her book, Schrecker points out the power and use of media
in the buildup of McCarthyism.
An important element of the power of the modern state is its ability to set
the political agenda and to define the crucial issues of the moment, through
its actions as well as its words. During the early years of the cold war, the
actions of the federal government helped to forge and legitimize the anti-Communist
consensus that enabled most Americans to condone or participate in the serious
violations of civil liberties that characterized the McCarthy era. The media
was the government's partner, largely because it amplified messages that came
from Washington. After all, much of the news that went on the radio or onto
the front pages simply reported the government's doings. Presidential orders,
congressional hearings, criminal prosecutions all told stories that, at least
during the early cold war, helped construct the ideological scaffolding for
McCarthyism.4
McCarthyism, named after Senator Joseph McCarthy, who conducted televised anti-communist
hearings, was a modern-day witch hunt. The Wisconsin senator accused numerous
men in the employee of the Federal government of being communists or communist
sympathizers. The House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC) and the Federal
Bureau of Investigation (FBI), which were set up to identify and seek out any
person (or people) believed to be communist or communist sympathizers, During
the nineteen forties and fifties, thanks to committees such as these, numerous
Americans were detained and imprisoned. The effect of McCarthyism and the ever-present
fear of communist spies were felt broadly, from public officials to actors,
and to artists.5
6
ART: For art's sake!?
Art can be seen as a representative of the human experience, therefore it must
be examined while keeping in mind the context of the time, social atmosphere
and political makeup in which it is created. In the United States, during
the years prior to physical involvement in World War II, there was a large
upsurge of educated, artistic and affluent people who were interested in
as well as active in the communist movement.7 In the socio-political whirlwind
of labor unrest, depression and sitting in "the eye of the storm" between
two wars, the movement towards communism -- the fight against fascism-- seemed,
as Serge Guilbaut puts it, "...easy and rational...For the first time
in American history it seemed that writers, theater people, and painters
were not out of step with society, that their social role was finally being
recognized (18-19)" 8
As radical ideologies, such as communism or progressivism, rose in the consciousness
of the American public, artists no longer found themselves hanging on the fringe
of society: they could now publicly assert their ideas through the various
mediums of art. With this ability to fuse political thought and art many artists
were commissioned to create works that upheld and promoted an ideal image of
the American public. Politicians used art of this nature as a political tool
to sway the viewing public. One such artist was Norman Rockwell.
Norman Rockwell's instinctive talent for creating a realistic representation
of the everyday and his knack for imbuing his painting with a sense of honor
and "The American Way" made him an icon. The realism, the aesthetically
pleasing, picturesque nature of his work, made it popular and appealing to
society at large. He is most famous for his Saturday Evening Post covers and
for his patriotically saturated images, The Four Freedoms, which were inspired
by a speech given by President Roosevelt.9 While this use of art as a political
tool is true for some it is not that way for all.
On the other hand, the political sway an art piece possesses could be that
of informing the public of social injustice. One artist who used his craft
as a social commentary, criticizing social injustice, was Jacob Lawrence.
His works showcased, mainly, lives of African-Americans and the struggles
they faced. Lawrence's depiction of reality, although abstract, touched
on the very real nature of disparity. In contrast to the works of Norman
Rockwell, Lawrence used abstraction and rich color to convey a socially
charged message of the need for consciousness and change while showcasing
aspects of the human experience . His work, unlike that of Rockwell, was
a vehicle for sharing the disparity of a people's social situation. Lawrence
highlighted the injustices that loomed over many African Americans at this
time, while illuminating their pride and power. 10
 11 |
 12 |
These two diverse
forms of political artistic representation of the life and times of people
during the bedlam of the nineteen forties and fifties is a hallmark of the
transformation that was happening in the American culture. They are small,
but influential representations of the chasm that developed between the elite
and the poorer classes. Although the styles are varied, both characterize
the focus of artists on the socio-political climate. Both these forms of
art convey the power of art and artists to shape the social consciousness
and to project for the public an image of the American life. By highlighting
the images of American life and that of the everyday people, regardless of
which side of the tracks the artists may be conveying, artists were venturing
into new territory. Using this ability to meld art and social consciousness
into a viable form gave artists a means of societal expression. Therefore these
artists were taking part in the art movement of social realism.
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Social/Socialist: Realism
At this point
it is essential to discuss what creates the distinctions between social realism
and socialist realism. Although the two terms are used interchangeably, there
are fundamental differences in the artistic styles and the motivations --emotional
and social-- behind the messages that make up the two.
15
Social realism, which gained popularity in the early part of the twentieth
century, is characterized by its portrayal of the everyday, the common place
and most importantly the poor working class. Social realism, in any medium
was used to depict the struggles of the ever-growing lower class. This was
mainly due to the industrial revolution and the growth of slums, rising unemployment,
and the ever growing chasm between the affluent and working class population.
Social realism was critical of the socio-political environment that created
these conditions. Social realism as an art form was used to express the "true" state
of being, the hardships and horrors of life on the bottom rungs. This is in
direct contradiction to the morale-boosting idealistic use of socialist realism.
In his book, Contemporary Mexican Painting in a Time of Change, Shifra Goldman
explains this.
Social, or "critical" realism, as it has been called, implies...
protest against bourgeois society...Social realist art in the United States
during the 1930s dealt with the negative aspects of life during the Depression:
strikes, poverty, malnutrition, injustice, state brutality, and racism. It
portrayed struggle against these conditions..."16
17
Socialist realism, in contrast, is a tool used to educate the working class
of socialist societies, on the goals of communism. In the early nineteen
thirties, socialist realism became the ruling policy in the Communist bloc;
all artists had to adhere to this school of thought. Goldman states, "The
socialist realist artist is one who works to express the ideology of the
new ruling class (the working people) to aid the transformation to a socialist
society..."18. Works created represented the working class in an "idealistic" setting,
promoting an idea of the honor and value of the working class. Although these
works were realistic in their physical representation of land and people,
they carried an emotional weight more closely related to idealistic or romantic
works. Much like the illuminated manuscripts of the early Italian Renaissance,
socialist realism was used to convey the social and political messages of
the ruling ideology, communism. For many of these reasons socialist realism
is seen to have a retrograde conservatizing affect on art. Goldman elaborates
in his discussion on socialist realism when he states, "... [The enforcement
of rigid rules on socialist artists of the soviet] has been considered a
temporary aberration and distortion..."19. While there are both negative
and positive views of socialist realism it is none-the-less an integral part
of the art in the nineteen forties and fifties.
Another artist depicting the social changes around him was Diego Rivera. As
a prominent figure of artistic social commentary Diego Rivera, a Mexican muralist,
communist and social realist painter, reflected the social upheaval of this
time through his highly recognizable works. The picture below (The Arsenal
- Frida Kahlo Distributes Arms, 1928) demonstrates how artists can become key
players in political movements not just historians of them.
20
Rivera lived in the United States from 1930-1934. In 1930 he was kicked out
of the Mexican Communist Party for his affiliation with Leon Trotsky. While
in the United States Rivera was commissioned to paint several murals, the most
infamous being the Man at the Crossroads (as seen below, recreation), which
was for the Rockefeller Center in New York. Before the piece could be finished
controversy arose over the image of Lenin and other communist figures as well
as its depiction of labor unrest in the midst of the Depression.
21
The mural was destroyed before its public debut. The Image below is a detail
of the original before its destruction.22
23
FIN: What it all means
The years surrounding the nineteen forties and fifties were years of social
change. In this time people who were tired of the status quo --of living
as second class citizens, tired of not having a voice-- stood up and fought
for their civil liberties. One such example of this is when activists in
the Civil Rights Movement boycotted the Montgomery bus system desegregating
the seating on the buses. At the same time American citizens found themselves
in the midst of a world war. World War II was a war that fueled the fires
of fear: fear of communist take-over, of spies and domination. All these
changes shaped the hearts and imaginations of artists and their art. Art
is often thought of as solely the inner voice of the artist, not a reflection
of the world around them. However, during this time artists as well as society
began to realize that art was much more than this. Because of this realization
governments and artists used their medium to influence and bring to light
the social ideas of the times.
The social landscape of nineteen forties and fifties is painted in many forms.
These artistic forms differ from one another in appearance and meaning, but
ultimately bring to light the changing atmosphere of art and its styles, representative
of the social changes taking place. Regardless of social activism or political
affiliation artists are moved by the world around them. The political and social
currents that shape the landscape of a particular period also shape the landscape
of the artists' imagination, and therefore the art.
Bibliography:
Barbaro, Umberto. "Materialism and Art." Marxism & Art:
writing in aesthetics and criticism ed. Berel Lang and Forrest Williams.
New York: Longman Inc.1972. pp. 161
Goldman, Shifra. "Contemporary Mexican Painting in a Time of Change" Austin:
University of Texas Press, 1981. pp. 10
Guilbaut, Serge. "How New York Stole the idea of Modern Art".Chicago,
University of Chicago Press, 1983. pp. 18-19
Kettenmann, Andrea. Rivera. Germany: Benedikt Taschen Verlag GmbH, 2000.
Lang, Berel, and
Forest Williams, eds. "Marxism & Art: writings in
aesthetics and criticisms". New York: Longman Inc.1972
Linsley, Robert. "Utopia Will Not Be Televised: Rivera at Rockefeller
Center". Oxford Art Journal 17.2 (1994):48-62.
Polcari Stephen, "Orozco and Pollock: Epic Transfigurations".
American Art 6.3
(1992): 36-57.
Schrecker, Ellen. "The Age of McCarthyism: A Brief History with Documentation".Boston:
St. Martin's Press, 1994. pp. 76
Whitney Museum
of American Art, "Jacob Lawrence", http://www.whitney.org/
(February 2007)
Wikipedia, the
free encyclopedia, "Norman Rockwell",
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norman_Rockwell (March 2007)
Wolfe, Bertram
D. "The Fabulous Life of Diego Rivera" .New
York: Stein and Day Publishers, 1963.pp 327
Images:
Image # 1: Nortnik,
Andy, "Mom's
'KITSCH'en, (c) 2006, http://www.andynortnik.com/cd_kitschen.htm (February
2007).
Image # 2: Cartoon, (c) UE News. February 14, 1950
Image # 3: Lawrence,
Jacob. Brownstones. 1958. Whitney Museum of American Art, "Jacob Lawrence",
http://www.whitney.org/ (February 2007)
Image # 4: Wikipedia,
the free encyclopedia, "Norman Rockwell" Freedom
form Want, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norman_Rockwell (March 2007)
Image # 5: Lawrence,
Jacob. "Tombstones" 1942.
Whitney Museum of American Art. http://www.whitney.org/ (February 2007)
Image # 6: Bibel,
Leon. "Food not Cannon". 1937. http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.keithsheridan.com/images/foodnotcannonbig.jpg&im
(February 2007)
Image # 7: Karpo
Demjanowitsch Trokhimenko. "Stalin as an organizer of
the October revolution". http://members.telering.at/pat/soc.htm (January
2007)
Image # 8: Vavak,
Joseph, "Give",
1940 Illinois State Museum Collection. http://www.museum.state.il.us/muslink/art/htmls/de_sr.html#
(March 2007)
Image # 9: Valdimirski,
Boris Ieremeevich. "Roses for Stalin" 1949.
http://www.marxists.org/subject/art/visual_arts/painting/exhibits/socialist-realism.htm
(January 2007)
Image # 10: River
Diego. "The Arsenal - Frida Kahlo Distributes Arms" 1928.
http://www.fbuch.com/diego.htm (March 2007)
Image # 11: River,
Diego. "Man Controller of the Universe"1934.
http://www.fbuch.com/diego.htm (March 2007)
Image # 12: River Diego. "Man at the Crossroads" 1934. http://www.fbuch.com/diego.htm
(March 2007)
1 Barbaro, Umberto. "Materialism and Art." Marxism & Art:
writing in aesthetics and criticism ed. Berel Lang and Forrest Williams.
New York: Longman Inc.1972. pp. 161
2 Nortnik, Andy, "Mom's 'KITSCH'en, (c) 2006, http://www.andynortnik.com/cd_kitschen.htm
(February 2007).
3 Cartoon, (c) UE News. February 14,1950
4 Schrecker, Ellen. "The Age of McCarthyism: A Brief History with Documentation".Boston:
St. Martin's Press, 1994. pp. 76
5 Ibid
6 Lawrence, Jacob. Brownstones. 1958. Whitney Museum of American Art, "Jacob
Lawrence", http://www.whitney.org/ (February 2007)
7 Guilbaut, Serge. "How New York Stole the idea of Modern Art".Chicago,
University of Chicago Press, 1983. pp. 18-19
8 Ibid.
9 Wikipedia, the
free encyclopedia, "Norman Rockwell",
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norman_Rockwell (March 2007)
10 Whitney Museum of American Art, "Jacob Lawrence", http://www.whitney.org/
(February 2007)
11 Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia, "Norman Rockwell" Freedom form
Want, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norman_Rockwell (March 2007)
12 Lawrence, Jacob. "Tombstones" 1942. Whitney Museum of American
Art. http://www.whitney.org/ (February 2007)
13 Bibel, Leon. "Food not Cannon". 1937. http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.keithsheridan.com/images/foodnotcannonbig.jpg&im
(February 2007)
14 Karpo Demjanowitsch Trokhimenko. "Stalin as an organizer of the October
revolution". http://members.telering.at/pat/soc.htm (January 2007)
15 Vavak, Joseph, "Give", 1940 Illinois State Museum Collection.
http://www.museum.state.il.us/muslink/art/htmls/de_sr.html# (March 2007)
16 Goldman, Shifra. "Contemporary Mexican Painting in a Time of Change" .Austin:
University of Texas Press, 1981. pp. 10
17 Valdimirski, Boris Ieremeevich. "Roses for Stalin" 1949. http://www.marxists.org/subject/art/visual_arts/painting/exhibits/socialist-realism.htm
(January 2007)
18 Goldman, Shifra. "Contemporary Mexican Painting in a Time of Change" Austin:
University of Texas Press, 1981. pp. 10
19 Ibid.
20 River Diego. "The Arsenal - Frida Kahlo Distributes Arms" 1928.
http://www.fbuch.com/diego.htm (March 2007)
21 River Diego. "Man Controller of the Universe"1934. http://www.fbuch.com/diego.htm
(March 2007)
22 Wolfe, Bertram D. "The Fabulous Life of Diego Rivera" .New York:
Stein and Day Publishers, 1963.pp 327
23 River Diego. "Man at the Crossroads" 1934. http://www.fbuch.com/diego.htm
(March 2007)
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