Jessica Galati Essays - Visual Arts, Art Movements, Arts, Modern Art

Jessica Galati Art and Visual Culture December 3, 2013 Assignment 5: Art and Social Issues This piece is called "Merry-Go-Round" and it was painted by Mark Gertler in 1916, during the the first world war. It is oil paint on canvas canvas and it is in the modernist and futuristic style. The modernist art period lasted between 1860's to the 1970's. The modernist style was one of experimentation of removing the narrative of the art and using more abstract representation to get their ideas across. The artists started making more striking and unexpected pieces breaking social norms, such as Picasso's pieces with prostitutes and violent portrayals of women. This style was often a blended with futurism in the early 20th century as styles began to change. Along with modernism and futurism, cubanism, expressionism, and fauvism were among the new flourishing art movements of the early 20th century. Mark Gertler was born in 1891 in London, a Polish Jewish immigrant. He attended classes at Regent Street Polytechnic and Slade School of Art, University College in London. He had many social problems and often faced poverty. He married in 1930 but about ten years later she left him. Gertler committed suicide in his London studio in 1939 due to increasing financial difficulties, his wife leaving him, and his fear of the war. The art clearly reflects the Gertler's feelings about the tim period in which it was created. The first world war was raging and Gertler feared it and feared being drafted. The painting was created after a carnival held for wounded soldiers. It is believed that he saw many men on the carousel posing with very fake smiles for a newspaper photograph. The idea behind the paining is that the war goes on and on in a never ending mechanical loop. During this time Britain was in turmoil over entering a war they did not want to be a part of. Citizens were in uproar about entering a war, debating over whether or not to support it. I think the piece does a very good job answering the question of whether or not the country should support the war. The colors in this depict a dull grey world and a new age of machenary, which is reflected by the new mechanized warfare and desolation of war grounds. Gertler is saying, with no objection, that the war should not go on. He believes the new way of war will bring misery, and his opinion is not far off from the rest of what the country believed. Because of this piece many were moved by the idea of a never ending war and recognized the new way that war was waged. It caused many to see the suffering of their country. The discontent is represented in the hard lines of the humans and stark contrast of the background. The painting was put in an exhibition causing many to see and review its piece, each writing their own take on the sorrow of their country. This piece caused many to tell their own tale of suffering due to the war as well. Not only did this piece tell Gertler's story but also brought forth stories from others. The piece I chose can teach me very much about the way life was during this era. I can see the grey bleak background and harsh shadows and understand that there was desperation and sorrow in the country and the peoples hearts. The strict contrast of colors, however still muted, shows us that the people did not want to be in this war that they instead wanted to stand away from it. We can also learn the more literal parts of history back then., for example the fact that they held carnivals for the wounded soldiers.