Bauhaus

The Bauhaus was a German school of art. Bauhaus literally means building house or school of building. The school was open and active between the years of 1919 and 1933. The Bauhaus was founded by Walter Gropius in Weimar. Although Gropius was an architect and then name of the school implies architecture, there was not a department of architecture during the first few years. Gropius wanted a school that brought together all forms of art into one school.

The Bauhaus took place during the years between the fall of the German monarchy and the rise of the Nazis party. This was a period of extremely liberal experimentation in German that lent itself perfectly to the rise of modern art under Gropius at the Bauhaus. Although Gropius never firmly believed in other revolutionary ideas taking place in other places such as Russia, there is no doubt that it probably had a great influence on some of the students. Gropius was definitely influenced by the teaching of William Morris who held the idea that form follows function, art that benefits society, an idea that Gropius brought to the Bauhaus.

The school moved three times during its history. It started in Weimar from 1919 to 1925, moved to Dessau between the years of 1925 and 1932 and finally Berlin from 1932 to 1933. In 1933 the school was closed under pressure of the Nazis. The Nazis party was very interested in keeping with tradition they not only disliked Gropius’ ideas of modern art but they did not like his political stance that they deemed radical.

The Bauhaus had a major influence on art and architecture in later decades. Buildings in the Bauhaus style can be found in abundance in the US, Canada and Israel, where many of the artist fled to after they were exiled by the Nazis party.

The Bauhaus aimed to marry the ideas of the arts and of new technology. Some of the most famous artist associated with the Bauhaus was Paul Klee, Kandinsky, Josef Albers, Marcel Breuer, and Piet Mondrian.

Performance Piece

Bauhaus Chair- Breuer