Bauhaus

At the crossroads of the 19th and 20th century, there were a few major influences that guided the society and art of that time. By the middle of the 15th century, the Industrial Revolution brought a new page of modernity with steel and iron work. This introduced many new materials and building techniques for architects, builders, and thinkers alike to work with. Another strong body of influence was the burdensome weight of war: World War I. With volatile tensions, come volatile reactions; namely, the rapid emergence of revolutions. As the war began to dissolve, the repercussions gave rise to a new direction in art.
When the German monarchy extracted its influence from Western Europe, the ban on censorship allowed many artists to deal with the ethos that war left in its wake. At the same time, artists were embracing the refreshing controversies and innovations of art eras like that of De Stijl and Constructivism. Thus, the school of Bauhaus was founded and helmed by Walter Gropius. In Dessau, Germany; fine artists, architects, and craftspeople gathered at the school to shape the teachings of Bauhaus that is heavily influenced by modernism. Does mass production clash with the painstaking efforts of fine art? Does form follow function or does function trump form? Is there a proper model of art?
To this day, the aforementioned questions are still up for debate and perceptive contention. The school of Bauhaus was not collected under one specific style. Often times, the work that was being produced and works that are being influenced could be described by similar characteristics. Colors, lines, and shapes were pared down to their basic and true form. For example, the revival of Gothic architecture introduced many buildings that were form-dependent; the design of the Gothic era was skeletal and linear and heavily embellished with ornaments. Architectural plans of Bauhaus showcased the cleanliness of ninety degree angles and a solid veneer of primary colors. While one is more intricate than the other, both examples of artistic development pack the same punch.
One of the many reasons why Bauhaus is still present in contemporary work is because of the school's ability to blur the class lines. Introducing fine art that can be mass produced will without a doubt, cause contempt and respect from both ends of the spectrum. Le Corbusier, an architect of the Bauhaus school, built beautiful chairs that resembled both homely comfort and the lofty energy of modern architecture. The horizontal and vertical steel bars hug the plush black cushion— the design seems simple and so it is subject to mass production. And like how gems are passed around a party viva voce, the influence of Bauhaus reaches so far because of its availability and relatability.