Introduction
In the 20th century, different artists and political leaders employed different styles to convey social messages to the masses. The artists who advanced ‘modernism’ as a way to communicate their messages, as opposed to those who embraced the traditional approaches to maintain their political regimes, evidenced this. Hitler and Stalin alongside their artists were against ‘modernism’ but instead created political regimes by the use of the traditional styles in their bid to establish and maintain their own ideologies. The paper examines the different styles of leadership approaches that were taken by the artists who were for or against modernism, as a way to establish political regimes (Sayer, 2000, p.24).
Compare and contrast those promoting a political regime to those who opposed it.
The Soviet socialist realists including artists such as Hitler supported the traditionalistic style of leadership, and went strongly against modernism, as a way to build up their political regime. Other political leaders who supported the traditional styles in a bid to establish political regimes included Stalin, who adamantly fought against modernism, and supported the traditional styles as a base that will flock masses behind them, thus making them not to only establish the political regimes, but also maintain these regimes. These regimes were extremely beneficial to Hitler, as well as Stalin for it formed the basis for the leaders to implement their political agendas.
Hitler, the German leader, had political interest that would effectively work in the case where the system of governance was not swept by the modern approaches that were coming into effect. This justifies their need to maintain their position to keep the traditionalistic styles that would retain the status quo of the society. The artists embraced traditional styles that provide for structures that will make them propagate their political regimes (Sayer, 2000, p.31).
The leaders who embraced the traditional styles used the style to create an art that promoted their positions in governance. Its defendants including Stalin embrace the advantages of the traditional styles and Hitler includes the following.
The traditional styles gave the artists flexibility to run their policies
This style enabled the masses to be swept away by the policies of the propagators of this style.
This style was widely accepted in many countries at the time. This gave the people as well as the leader’s room to manage the affairs of the people.
Progressive Artists
Progressive artists chose a conceptual means of portrayal, while the political leaders felt it necessary to stick with tradition. Hitler & Stalin fought modernism. They used traditional styles to support their political agendas. Progressive leaders such as Beckmann and Dix, Jose Clemente Orozco and even Picasso evidence this incident. The common factor in the styles that these individuals embraced is that they were against maintaining the traditional styles, and instead promoted ‘modernism’ as an effective way to lead the people. This category of leaders also embraced a conceptual means by which to portray to leadership. They were the people who did not propose keeping of the political regimes that were existent at their time (Sayer, 2000, p.38).
Clementine Orozco for instance ensured were among the people who established the ‘Mexican muralists’, a movement that played a critical role in the Mexican Revolution. This began when he became less comfortable with the bloody toll that had characterized their socialism at that time. This made him be described as a Mexican social realist, who boasted to have established the Mexican Mural. These artists include Beckmann, Dix, and even Picasso who used real events as the major theme for their art. The advantages of this style include its pull for the young generation, its flexibility to be used by different leaders at different times, and its role in ensuring that political regimes are not maintained for long.
Conclusion
Consequently, different artists embraced different styles of leadership to promote their political ambitions. The two main fronts were those who promoted ‘modernism’ who included Beckmann and Dix and even Picasso. They contrasted by other leaders who pushed for traditional styles to promote their political regimes.
References
Sayer, R. (2000). Realism and Social Science. London: SAGE
