Page 46 - Studio International - July-August 1969
P. 46
Arthur Segal
and
German Cubism
Norbert Lynton
We take much too simple a view of German much of it under the influence of Delaunay,
art of the pre-Nazi decades. The vague term but it is apparent also in discussions of
Expressionism is made to cover a contra- Cubism. The years following the first world
dictory range of work and intentions, and war brought a broader wave of Cubo-
thus inhibits clearer understanding of what Futurism (it becomes impossible to distinguish
actually happened. Encounters and temporary between the influence of the French and the
collaborations are hardened into movements Italian movement). When Suprematism and
for ease of promotion. Artists of value are Constructivism arrived in Germany, via the
ignored if they cannot readily be classified, big Russian exhibition shown in Berlin in
especially if they evaded the embrace of the 1922, the ground was to a large extent pre-
commercial system and never became material pared for it: geometrical abstract painting,
for the promotion spiral. and figuration abstracted in geometrical and
Particularly striking is the lack of attention planar terms, were already familiar.
given to what I will call German Cubism. Social preparedness existed also. I mean that
Not that there was a German cubist move- many artists, after 1918, were looking for the
ment. But art centres in Germany, like those way to involve themselves in the social strug-
further East, were keenly interested in Paris gle, and the Russian example, being Russian
Cubism and quite well informed about it. and also being more pragmatic, affected them
Delaunay was particularly admired, partly much more deeply than the remoter pro-
because he was better known than other gramme of the Dutch De Stijl movement. The
French artists and partly because his lyrical same urge to act usefully made it possible for
and individual form of Cubism suited those Expressionists, Dadaists and abstract artists to
Germans who sought to exploit the expressive work together.
potential of form and colour without relin- Berlin was the scene of the most effective
quishing an appearance of order. In 1912 inter-denomenational co-operation. A parti-
Klee, Macke and Marc visited Delaunay in cularly resolute focus of activity was the
Paris; in January 1913 Delaunay and Apolli- November Group (Novembergruppe), founded
naire arrived in Berlin for Delaunay's exhibi- 1918 in the month of revolution and the
tion at the Der Sturm gallery, and on that Kaiser's abdication. It brought artists, archi-
visit Apollinaire lectured on modern French tects, writers and composers together, all of
painting while Klee's translation of a Delaunay them progressive, all intent on contributing
essay appeared in the Der Sturm magazine. to a better world. It organized exhibitions,
Delaunay's work was indeed better known in discussions, W.E.A.-type courses, concerts of
Germany than in France, and it coloured the new music, experimental film shows. A great
view German artists and critics took of the part of the public was of course sceptical but
nature of Cubism. the Group seems to have had more than the
This focused attention more on its geometri- usual amount of optimism and persistence.
cal and constructive aspects than on fragmen- Indeed, it demanded from the start the right
tation and ambiguities, on the planometric to participate in public planning and build-
more than the stereometric. This is demon- ing, as also in the organization of art schools
strated particularly by Blaue Reiter painting, and museums. Its membership and activities
