From Bohemianism to radicalism: The art and political context of the "Liberator", 1918--1924.
Item
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Title
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From Bohemianism to radicalism: The art and political context of the "Liberator", 1918--1924.
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Identifier
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AAI9986328
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identifier
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9986328
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Creator
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Galotola, Antoniette.
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Contributor
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Adviser: Marlene Park
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Date
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2000
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Language
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English
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Publisher
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City University of New York.
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Subject
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Art History | American Studies | Journalism | Mass Communications
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Abstract
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This dissertation seeks to broaden the scope and role of the politically active artist and intellectual during the 1920s. The Liberator, an American cultural and political magazine, was among the most important venues, for artists and writers of the 1920s featuring the work of such prominent artists as Stuart Davis, Hugo Gellert, Kathe Kollwitz, George Grosz, and Diego Rivera. The Liberator was published from March 1918 to October 1924; a time of great political change, marked by the end of World War I and the aftermath of the Bolshevik Revolution. As an independent voice for radical intellectuals of the 1920s, its contributors pioneered the concept of proletarian art, contributed to the ongoing debate on the relationship between art and politics, the conflicting objectives of artistic merit versus political message, as well as what constituted an indigenous American art.;The first chapter, "Framing the Liberator" provides the historical and cultural background of the publication and a comparison between its predecessor, the Masses. The second chapter, "Patrons and Policy" concentrates on the financial supporters of the publication and the art editorial policy of its editors (Max Eastman, Floyd Dell, Crystal Eastman, Claude McKay, Mike Gold, Joseph Freeman and Robert Minor), as well as a description of Soviet art policy as it affected the magazine. The third chapter, "The Artists" examines the work of Lydia Gibson, William Gropper, Robert Minor and Boardman Robinson. The fourth chapter, "Defining Bolshevism in America" evaluates international events that shaped American radicalism, specifically that of the Bolshevik Revolution and the Spartacist uprising in Germany. The fifth chapter, "The Liberator's Response to Communism in America," addresses the effects of the revolutionary model of Soviet Russia on the national agenda. The establishment of the Communist Parties in 1919, the "red scare," the impact of the Communist movement on African Americans, censorship and labor are discussed in the chapter. The conclusion, "The Legacy of the Liberator: Confrontation Between Bohemianism and Radicalism" evaluates the status of the Liberator and its subsequent impact on the cultural and political activities which determined a socially relevant art of the 1920s and 1930s.
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Type
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dissertation
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Source
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PQT Legacy CUNY.xlsx
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degree
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Ph.D.
