OSKAR SCHLEMMER OSKAR SCHLEMMER OSKAR SCHLEMMER
CON TEN TS
1. why triadic? (4) 2. what influenced the triadic ballet? (6) 3. what is an essential piece of advice you would give to a designer? (8) 4. why choose bauhaus? (10) 5. what are your thoughts 6. on your art being described as degenerate art? (12) 7. references (13)
the triadic ballet, yellow sequence, wide skirt, 1932
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why triadic? The number three holds significance in both the material world and spiritual world, it carries prominancy. The word ‘triadic’ also reflects on the three parts of the ballet itself, three colours, three dancers and three acts, the three dimensions of space, basic forms and more. The number three couldn’t have been more fitting and valid.
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what influenced the triadic ballet? I would say that the conversation between man and machine, influenced the Triadic Ballet. The machine is the man, whereas the body is the mechanism, where I want to explore the fluidity of the human body, as they achieve new expressions of dance, coinciding and fusing with their own elaborate costumes. As a result, the line between what it is to be abstract and human blurs.
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IN THE FACE OF THE ECONOMIC PLIGHT, IT IS OUR TASK TO BECOME PIONEERS OF SIMPLICITY, THAT IS, TO FIND A SIMPLE FORM FOR ALL OF LIFE’S NECESSITIES, WHICH IS AT THE SAME TIME RESPECTABLE AND GENUINE. - OSKAR SHCLEMMER
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what is an essential piece of advice you would give to an aspiring designer? Do not be afraid to think outside of the box. Accept that there are no limitations to design and be curious. Think ahead, and be fluid in your artworks. Exploring other forms of art is also essential to becoming an artist, look into things that you wouldn’t usually consider going. Visit the ballet, watch a musical performance, get inspired! If you truly want to become a world class designer, consider Bauhaus and get involved in our diverse programs. There you can truly learn what it is like to be a designer, dabbling in all areas of design. In my own experiences, I look upon theatrical arts for inspiration, into dance specifically, as the fluidity of movement on stage, and the way they use space around them fuels my creativity.
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concentric group, 1932
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why choose Bauhaus? Bauhaus is a place of creativity, the breeding ground for world famous designers, it is revolutionary in design, and highly influential internationally. Walter Gropius appointed me as the director of the Bauhaus theater workshop and from then on Bauhaus inspired me to be creative.Although my time at Bauhaus was short lived due to the rising politcal atmosphere, it birthed one of my most popular works, which in turn became rather influential during my time period. Bauhaus is the wave for modernistic art, and it will continue to be for centuries onwards. That is the reason why I chose Bauhaus.
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bauhaus stairway, 1932
what what are are your your thoughts thoughts on on your your works works being being called called ‘degener‘degenerate ate art’? art’?
I was shocked to find out that my works have been featured in the German Nazi’s art exhibition, as they describe degenerate artworks to be an ‘insult to German feeling’. My works are far from this, and instead speak to the nature of man. Take the ‘Triadic Ballet’ for example, one of my most popular works, you cannot simplify the magic of the ballet as ‘degenerate’. It is colourful, futuristic and engages the viewer. It goes beyond the norms of ‘normal art’, and is modernistic. There is an obvious bias against modernistic art, where my high profile background in the art world is highly disregarded by the Nazis.
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references 1) Naomi Blumberg 2020, Oskar Schlemmer, Encyclopedia Britanicca, viewed 1st June 2020, < https://www.britannica.com/biography/Oskar-Schlemmer> 2) MoMA, Oskar Schlemmer, Bauhaus Stairway, MoMA, viewed May 30th 2020, < https://www.moma.org/collection/works/80049> 3) The Guardian 2016, Oskar Schlemmerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ballet of Geometry - in pictures, The Guardian, viewed June 1st 2020, < https://www.theguardian. com/artanddesign/gallery/2016/ nov/24/oskar-schlemmers-ballet-of-geometry-in-pictures> 4) Adam Withnall 2018, Oskar Schlemmer: Who was the Bauhaus artist and modernist German ballet choreographer?, Independent, viewed June 2nd 2020, < https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/art/ oskar-schlemmer-bauhaus-google-doodle-german-artist-ballet-a8521646.html>
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5) Kate Brown 2019, The Bauhaus Did Ballet? See the Surreal Costumes From the German Design Schoolâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Little-Known Performance, Artnet News, viewed June 3rd 2020, < https://news. artnet.com/exhibitions/triadic-ballet-bauhaus-1444630> 6) Google Arts and Culture, The Legacy of Bauhaus Master Oskar Schlemmer, Google Arts and Culture, viewed June 4th 2020, < https://artsandculture.google. com/theme/the-legacy-of-bauhaus-master-oskar-schlemmer/ pQLC-i7Y-5JnKQ?hl=en> 7) The Art Story, Oskar Schelmmer, The Art Story, viewed June 5th 2020, < https://www.theartstory.org/artist/schlemmer-oskar/> 8) Bauhaus 100, Oskar Schlemmer, Bauhaus 100, viewed June 6th 2020, <https://www. bauhaus100.com/the-bauhaus/ people/masters-and-teachers/ oskar-schlemmer/>