Early Modern Art and The Great Depression
The Great Depression had a profound impact on the arts in many different ways. While the country was suffering economically, President Franklin D. Roosevelt attempted to restore it through the New Deal. The New Deal was a project that involved employing photographers and other artists to document real people who were suffering and publish their prints. Through this project, we ended up with some of the most beautiful and heartbreaking artwork of The Great Depression. This helped people all over the world to see how people like farmers and blue-collar workers were struggling. I am sharing three examples of this below.
Dorothea Lange, Migrant Mother, 1936
Migrant Mother is probably one of the most well-known photographs from The Great Depression. Photographer Dorothea Lange visited a squatter camp and took a series of photos of Florence Owens Thompson, a 32-year-old mother who was at a stranded pea-picking farm. This particular photo resulted in an emergency delivery of food to the farm to feed the workers. The first art element I notice is the texture we see in her face. Because of her wrinkles and look of worry that stand out, she appears much older than she is. Also, the colors being removed from the photo give a much more dramatic appearance. It is as natural as it can be. Last, the spacing of the photograph really makes it so striking. The focus is on the mother and her concern, while the children are turned away from the camera and receiving protection from her on each shoulder. This photograph is extremely emotional for me. I have heard many stories passed down from my great-grandparents about what The Great Depression was like, and this is how I imagine they looked during this time. If I had this photograph, I am not sure I would want to display it, but it would be great for a school or library in a "history" section.
Bernarda Bryson, Arkansas Sharecroppers, 1935–1936, lithograph
Bryson's piece was inspired by Grant Woods painting, American Gothic, from 1930. His piece showed a farmer with his wife outside of their clapboard house. In Woods' print, the couple is nicely dressed and appear to live in a nice farmhouse. Bryson's piece above is a take on that but is reflective of the economic situation for farmers during The Great Depression. The house is somewhat shabby, and their clothes appear a little worn out and tethered. The shading in their faces really show off their sullen expressions, especially the shading around the woman's eyes. They appear thin, indicative of a shortage of food and nutrition during this time. The fact that there is no color in this provides a dramatic effect and brings out the seriousness of the situation. The "666" on the shed is a symbol for the times, as well. The way the artist brought them to the front as a focus but also kept enough in the background to make a statement about The Great Depression is significant. To me, this print is very sad and perhaps a little creepy. The bare trees in the background make it look almost like things had burned down, which may be symbolic of the farmers losing their homes and incomes. I would not want to have this piece of art in my own home, but I can see it hanging in a restaurant or cafe for conversation.
Gifford Beal's piece called Gathering Brush, Central Park, from 1934, represents the WPA's mission to employ workers to improve the landscape of the city park. While The Great Depression brought on struggles for many people, this is a demonstration of how the government was working to try to improve the situation. We see in the front the horses and workers are shaded very dark to bring focus to them. We can see that some are working while others are having conversation while working. This possibly shows a little happiness despite the struggles. The background is lightly shaded to show the skyline but to leave some to the imagination. There is some great texture to the brush, and it gives the viewer an idea of how heavy it may have been. One thing that stands out in many pieces from The Great Depression is that they are either black and white photographs or they are like pencil sketches. I think this gives the effect of doom and gloom, which was a sign of the times. I probably would not hang this in my home for this exact reason. It is somewhat depressing. However, I can see this hanging in a school library.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
McDermott, Annette. How Photography Defined the Great Depression in History. April 30, 2018, https://www.history.com/news/how-photography-defined-the-great-depression. Accessed 4 November 2024.
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