Art + Machine – Rising Contenders of the 1920s
April 1 - September 24
Spinning steam engines, train wheels rolling along the tracks, and thunderous factories were taking us towards the future. It was the 1920s. The Great War had ended, and loud machinery was a promise to all that a better life lay ahead. This, naturally, impacted the arts and the culture. The major spring exhibition at Sven-Harrys konstmuseum, Art + Machine – Rising Contenders of the 1920s, highlights a time not entirely dissimilar to our own. Here, we will see paintings and sculptures by pioneers of Modernism, who explored new territory and challenged the establishment and the prevailing styles of the day.
The 1920s, a turbulent age of great hopes for the future, in which the machine was viewed as a means for human liberation. The automobile was an innovation typical of the era, particularly in the form envisioned and realised by car manufacturer Ettore Bugatti. His cars were genuine works of art, and this will be made apparent in the exhibition. French artist Fernand Léger stated: “A landscape viewed from a car at full speed – becomes an abstract painting.”
Léger was a member of the avant-garde of the early 20th century. He wanted to compose beautiful objects out of mechanical elements. In his paintings, human beings became components of metal constructs. Léger’s school in Paris attracted many young Scandinavian artists – modernist pioneers who all sought to challenge the Swedish establishment and the Swedish Grace style that was dominating the nation. They chose to paint the geometric shapes of machines at a time when tastes tended rather towards pared-down elegance instead. The students at the school included Otto G. Carlsund, Franciska Clausen, Erik Olson, Vera Meyerson, Thorvald Hellesen, Waldemar Lorentzon, Bengt O Österblom, and the French Florence Henri – some of the artists who are featured in this exhibition at Sven-Harrys konstmuseum.
We will acquaint ourselves with these artists, who helped modernised the age, zeitgeist, ideas, and lifestyles of their time. This was a time of women’s liberation. Women flew planes, drove racing cars, pursued careers in art, and inspired one another. They got divorced or ran away from home to make their way to Paris to paint. The machines didn’t only influence painting and people’s lifestyles. Fashion, too, found inspiration in the domain of industry, and the overall became a favoured garment among style-conscious individuals. This was functional, comfortable fashion, which was well suited to the active women who embodied the new age. The colourful Camp-Ahla overall was one of the first major success stories in fashion to bear the trademark of a Swedish ready-to-wear business. The rational style and construction of the garments was adapted to the needs of the emerging ready-to-wear industry, and its geometrical decorations were clearly inspired by the machine aesthetics of the day.
Guest Curator: Anders Wahlgren
A Special thanks to: Galerie Bel'Art AB och Lennart Lovén Byggnads AB
"Mashine ya Sanaa: ""Washindani wa Kuinuka wa Miaka ya 1920 Aprili 1 - Septemba 24"" ""Mashine za mvuke zilizozunguka, magurudumu ya gari-moshi yaliyotembea kwenye reli, na viwanda vya ngurumo vilikuwa vikituongoza kuelekea wakati ujao." Ilikuwa miaka ya 1920. Vita Kuu ilikuwa imekwisha, na mashine zenye kelele zilikuwa ahadi kwa wote kwamba maisha bora yalikuwa mbele yao. Hii, kwa kawaida, iliathiri sanaa na utamaduni. Maonyesho ya Spring katika Sven-Harris Kunstmuseum, Art + Machine - Rising Contenders of the 1920s, inasisitiza wakati ambao hautofautiani kabisa na wetu. Katika maonyesho hayo, wataona michoro na sanamu za waanzilishi wa Utamaduni wa kisasa, ambao walichunguza maeneo mapya na kupinga mtindo wa kisasa na wa kisasa. Miaka ya 1920 ilikuwa ni miaka ya matumaini makubwa kwa ajili ya wakati ujao, ambapo mashine ilionekana kama njia ya uhuru wa binadamu. Gari lilikuwa uvumbuzi wa kawaida wa enzi hiyo, hasa katika namna iliyofikiriwa na kutekelezwa na mtengenezaji wa magari Ettore Bugatti. Magari yake yalikuwa kazi halisi za sanaa, na hilo litaonyeshwa waziwazi katika maonyesho hayo. "Fernand Léger, mchoraji wa Ufaransa, alisema: ""Mtazamo unaotazamwa kutoka kwa gari kwa kasi kamili unakuwa mchoro wa abstract.""" Alitaka kutengeneza vitu maridadi kwa kutumia vifaa vya mitambo. Katika michoro yake, wanadamu wakawa sehemu za viungo vya chuma. Shule ya Léger huko Paris ilivutia wasanii wengi wachanga wa Scandinavia - waanzilishi wa kisasa ambao wote walitafuta kupinga taasisi ya Uswidi na mtindo wa Swedish Grace ambao ulikuwa unaitawala taifa hilo. Walichagua kupaka rangi maumbo ya kijiometri ya mashine wakati ambapo ladha ilikabiliwa badala yake kuelekea uzuri uliopunguzwa. Wanafunzi katika shule hiyo ni pamoja na Otto G. Carlsund, Franciska Clausen, Erik Olsson, Vera Meyerson, Thorvald Hellesen, Waldemar Lorentzon, Bengt O Österblom, na Kifaransa Florence Henri - baadhi ya wasanii ambao ni featured katika maonyesho haya katika Sven-Harris konstmuseum. Tutajifahamu na wasanii hawa, ambao walisaidia kisasa umri, zeitgeist, mawazo, na mitindo ya maisha ya wakati wao. Huo ulikuwa wakati wa ukombozi wa wanawake. Wanawake waliendesha ndege, magari ya mashindano, kazi za sanaa, na kuchocheana. Waliachana au wakakimbia nyumbani ili kwenda Paris kupiga picha. Mashine hazikuathiri tu uchoraji na mtindo wa maisha wa watu. Mtindo, pia, ulipata msukumo katika uwanja wa viwanda, na overall ikawa nguo inayopendwa na watu wanaojali mtindo. Hii ilikuwa mtindo wa kazi, wenye starehe, ambao ulifaa sana kwa wanawake wenye bidii ambao waliwakilisha enzi mpya. Camp-Ahla jumla rangi ilikuwa moja ya kwanza kubwa mafanikio hadithi katika mtindo kubeba alama ya biashara ya Swedish tayari-kwa-kuvaa. Mtindo wa busara na ujenzi wa nguo zilibadilishwa kwa mahitaji ya sekta ya tayari ya kuvaa, na mapambo yake ya kijiometri yalichochewa wazi na aesthetics ya mashine ya siku. Mkurugenzi mgeni: Anders Wahlgren A Shukrani maalum kwa: Galerie Bel'Art AB och Lennart Lovén Byggnads AB