Bauhaus

The Bauhaus was a school of art, founded by Walter Gropius in 1919 in Germany. The first half of the twentieth century saw Germany as the centre for war and destruction. The First World War made a huge impact on German society and many artists feared that the meaning of German art would be forgotten. Therefore Gropius and artists such as Wassily Kandinsky created one of the most influential schools of art in history in order to revive the arts in Germany.

One of the main aims of the school was to rejuvenate creativity in manufacturing. The industrial revolution had increased technology and production and many artists feared that the focus on mass production was destroying the essence of creativity and art. The artists in the Bauhaus aimed to transform technology and mass production by adding artistic elements into everyday life and unite both industries. The school was also influenced by Modernism and the Arts and Crafts movements. The artists were inspired by the British artist William Morris who founded the Arts and Crafts, and they aimed to develop and design arts and crafts for the modern day.

The most inspirational outcome of the school would be the attitude towards art which the artists changed. The artists used art as a problem solving tool with their design concept of creativity in industrial mass production. They saw art as a research science and an experiment rather than a visual aesthetic. This has changed the way art is seen in society, with manufacturing focusing on creativity and productivity instead of just practicality.

There were many different classes within the school including, sculpture, pottery, stage design, graphics etc. However, all the classes taught within the school had an emphasis on art as a craftsman ship and a tool, not a profession. The teachers and students all aimed to create a more creative and colourful future for Germany, as the devastation caused by the First World War nearly destroyed the German passion. This school has been argued to be the saving of Germany, even though the Second World War was around the corner, this school inspired the future past both wars into the modern day.