Rendered in 1913, Ludwig Meidner's art reflects the angst in Germany that was so prevalent before World War I. This angst is represented as penciled chaos on paper (with a turpentine wash) in Industrial Landscape, suggesting a chaotic, turbulent time in early-20th century Germany. I selected this work because of my admiration of the Italian Futurists, who influenced Meidner's art. Modern art, such as Industrial Landscape, always takes place within a sociopolitical context, regardless of its genre.
Ludwig Meidner was a pioneering figure during the second wave of Expressionism. He was also a poet who, after service during World War I, urged fellow artists to take up the cause of socialism -- a political system that he thought operated for the service of the greater good. Unfortunately, books about him were burned in Nazi Germany, beginning in 1933. He left Germany in 1939 because of his Semitism, but returned in 1953. He continued to be an artist as an expatriate during the 1940s (ushmm.org, 2014, internet).
Industrial Landscape depicts an industrialized area of a city. There is a warehouse and a tower lurking in the background, a cargo ship in the foreground, and what appears to be other industrial equipment throughout the drawing. The drawing could be of a shipyard itself. Its bold, angular lines are of different thicknesses, adding variety to the composition. The composition also has what appears to be smog permeating the sky over the landscape.
The shapes that the lines form are thick and weighty, especially the cargo ship, suggesting an ominous nautical presence. The circular lines in the upper right quadrant of the composition depict a round object that has the illusion of movement, as if it is building something or being prepared to build something. Curiously, the work has no people or caricatures of people. It is very mechanical. Its lack of color variation -- black is the only color -- further add to its portent of something bad that is about to happen. As the shapes are somewhat vague, it is unclear what event the composition portends. The industrial texture of the landscape lends it a feeling of coldness and aloofness. The absence of other colors and the verticality of the shapes -- such as the towers -- make the composition unsettling and frightening, as well as angst-provoking. While the nature of the work is open to interpretation, it is definitely a foreboding, unnatural presence, one that is de-humanized. In my estimation, the rendering is successful on a number of levels. It is imposing, thought-provoking, frightful, and looms as a powerful expression of man's industrial -- albeit devoid of humanness -- prowess. It is an angst-provoking piece as well.
Evidently, Meidner is attempting to convey his angst in an expressive manner with Industrial Landscape. The piece works more on an intellectual level because of its coldness, and lack of warmth in color choice. However, it also works on an emotional level because the subject matter is unsettling, with lines and forms that are skeletal and mechanically-rigid. Knowing the work's sociopolitical context lends it more allure and appeal, as the piece predates Germany's entry into World War I by only one year (pbs.org, 2014, internet). Its historical context is fascinating, and the composition serves as a type of artistic prophecy, in retrospect.
This composition is a typical work of the Expressionistic style, the so-called "second wave" of Expressionism, and bears similarities to works from the Futurism movement, as well. Its use of line and form are similar to a work by Ernst Ludwig Kirchner titled Nollendorfplatz (1914). While Kirchner's work is more eye-appealing, it is not naturalistic, and its use of heavy, angular lines give the work a feeling of chaos -- that things are out of control, busy, or falling apart. However, Kirchner's work also depicts people in a large urban area. There is a human element in Kirchner's piece that is not found in Meidner's apocalyptic piece (theartstory.org, 2014, internet). At the time of Industrial Landscape, Europe was in a state of socioeconomic chaos, and political regimes were on the verge of collapse. This chaos and turbulence is reflected in the second wave of expressionism. This style grew out of the unsettling feelings and instability of this era that predominated Europe.
At first, I was repulsed by this work of art. It was colorless and lacked human warmth. Yet, this tack was successful, as I realized that the artist was trying to provoke feelings of unease in the viewer. It was not particularly executed well. It appears that this work may not have taken more than a couple of days to complete. Ironically, its lack of beauty is what makes the piece something intriguing to behold -- especially after I discovered its historic context. It ranks low, in my estimation, with regards to raw beauty, as I usually do not regard industrial landscapes as something beautiful. The piece is perplexing insofar as it is effective in other ways, especially stylistically, as it suggests something portentous or apocalyptic -- a feeling of doom. I came away from this particular piece with an appreciation for the art and life of Ludwig Meidner.
This work underscores the fact that modern art never takes place in a vacuum. Modern art always reflects the tensions of life within a sociopolitical and sociocultural context. Like Kirchner's composition, this piece was drawn right before World War I. Europe was already in a state of economic, political, cultural, and social chaos. Seeing these original works in person was eye-opening, to say the least. I wondered how they stayed preserved for so long, fresh for so many years. However, the artwork was more than just visually-appealing. It was a veritable history lesson upon walls.
Works Cited
"Artist on the Blacklist: Ludwig Meidner." Holocaust Encyclopedia. Retrieved on 22 Nov 2014 from http://www.ushmm.org/wlc/en/article.php?ModuleId=10005922
Kirchner, Ernst Ludwig. (2014). Retrieved on 22 Nov 2014 from http://www.theartstory.org/artist-kirchner-ernst-ludwig.htm
The Great War. (2014). Retrieved on 22 Nov 2014 from http://www.pbs.org/greatwar/
