A Short History of Magic Realism
| A Short
History of Magic Realism
Magic Realism developed as an art movement in the years after World
War I . For many decades thereafter numerous artists throughout
Europe and subsequently in the Americas crafted a representational
art, mixed with elements of fantasy. This art was often typified by
remarkable detail and sharp
focus. Yet more importantly Magic Realism taps into emotional
reservoirs within all of us. It tricks us by hiding unexpected or suggestive
content in what at first might seem to be a common or ordinary
scene.
Magic Realism
evolved as a current within the Post-Expressionism movement in Weimar Germany. Related
to the Return to Order movement as seen elsewhere in Europe,
Post-Expressionism exhibited fewer neoclassical impulses than
the parallel postwar realist trends in Italy and France.
Post-Expressionism
evolved by shedding Expressionism's
emotionally charged nature and abstract style. This process moved
much slower than
the related trends in other European countries, not
fully maturing until the mid 1920s.
The term Magic Realism was coined by the writer Franz Roh in 1925.
He was referring to works within Post-Expressionistic art in which
some mystery or a secret seemed to be hidden within the
subject matter. This type of art differed from 19th Century Realism,
which was generally naturalistic or narrative in nature. Important
influences on Magic Realism came from the naive art of Henri
Rousseau and the Metaphysical
works of Giorgio de Chirico.
Magic Realism is a type of realism using contemporary subjects,
often in cool detachment and sometimes injecting an eerie atmosphere.
Juxtapositions of sharply rendered and detailed elements, both in
the foreground and background, are used to develop an air of mystery
or ambiguity. Although the paintings may incorporate everyday
objects, their objective is not to appear dull or banal . Instead they
attempt to show us the everyday world in new and unfamiliar ways. They
remind us that there are still many mysteries in life. Magic Realism acted as a
portal to Surrealism, and later also influenced Contemporary Realism .
The potential
of the new movement could be seen with the traveling exhibition
titled Die Neue Sachlichkeit (The New
Objectivity), which was organized by Gustav Hartlaub, and began in
Mannheim during the summer of 1925. Thereafter Die Neue Sachlichkeit was to replace
Post-Expressionism when referring to the dominant styles of the Weimar period.
Some of the most notable artists of Neue Sachlichkeit were Max Beckmann,
Otto Dix, George Grosz, Rudolf Schlichter, Christian Schad,
Alexander Kanoldt and Franz Radizwill . See
Neue Sachlichkeit Gallery
The onset of the Great Depression and subsequent rise of the Nazi
party in the 1930s were to bring a halt to further development of Neue
Sachlichkeit. The Nazis declared most contemporary work as "Degenerate
Art". Many works were destroyed in public burnings and
others in the bombings during the war.
Many artists were stripped of
their academic positions, while others left their homes or the
country. World War II dampened the
further development of Magic Realism permanently in Germany. However it would
continue to surface sporadically on a worldwide basis during the
decades of the 1930s, 40s and 50s. See
European Magic Realism Gallery
Most American artists remained isolated from
the developments in Europe in the first three decades of the 20th
Century. Generally, the Realism of the 1920s and 30s
in the U.S. is referred to as The American Scene. This included rural art,
called Regionalism, and urban art, usually referred to as Social
Realism . American art had strong traditions of Realism going back
to the 18th century, somewhat influenced not only by late developing Impressionism,
but also by indigenous Expressionism and by naive styles.
Within The American Scene there were many styles, some of which are
closely related to the Magic Realism of Germany. Grant Wood traveled
to Europe several times, where he studied the German and Flemish Masters and
became acquainted with Neue Sachlichkeit. He developed a parochial naturalism with
a satirical bend. Ivan Albright developed a bizarre realism with
extreme detail, which eventually appeared ossified. During this same
time, the Precisionists, led by Charles Sheeler, developed a
detached style of art with sharp detail, sharing many
characteristics with Neue Sachlichkeit .
American Social Realists experimented with a
home-grown type of Surrealism, yet, for the most part, this art
remained distinct from European Surrealism .A good portion of it fit
many of the criteria of Magic Realism . A major exhibition
titled "American Realists and Magic
Realists", was held at the Museum of Modern Art in New York during 1942.
Included in the exhibit were Ivan Albright, Clarence H Carter, Peter Blume, Philip Evergood,
O Louis Guglielmi, Jared French, Paul Cadmus, Zsissly (Malvin Marr
Albright), and Charles Rain .
Works by
Edward Hopper and young Andrew Wyeth were also included. Wyeth was
soon to become the most successful American artist associated
with Magic Realism . See American Magic
Realism Gallery
Two other artists who began painting in the 1940s became important
Magic Realists. George Tooker, friend of Paul Cadmus and Jared
French, working in egg tempera exclusively, consistently produced work during the next 50 years. And
the Canadian Alex
Colville perhaps produced a body of work over six decades that most
closely fits the concepts of Magic Realism, as originally defined in
Germany in the 1920s.Many other artists throughout the U.S., Canada
and also in Latin America produced art related to Magic Realism
. However, the rise of Abstract Expressionism in the U.S. during
this period took most of
the publicity away from representational art, at least during the
middle portion of the century.
Some writers
argue that Magic Realism doesn't really encompasses a
movement in art, but that it's simply a style. It should be noted that there
is controversy about most art movements. It is true that there is no manifesto
for Magic Realism, and no recognized standard bearers. These artists
did not find the need to be part of the avant-garde nor were they publicity seekers.
They acted instead as individuals, who often painted for a small
devoted audience. Magic Realism is not Realism per se, but it is
fabrications from the artist's perception and imagination
masquerading as Reality. Every artist/magician uses different tricks
and keeps his own secrets. Still these artists communicate amongst
themselves through cool detached observations about each others
works. Perhaps we should nickname Magic Realism "The Quiet Movement".
In Andrew Wyeth's Christina's World pictured above, we first
see a young girl, who is looking with us at a rural farm in the
distance. As we look more closely, we notice that the girl's arms
are thin and deformed. We later learn that she is not, in fact, a
young woman, but Christina Olson, disabled and in her fifties, as
she drags herself through the field toward her house on the skyline.
Magic Realism reminds us that we don't always at first understand
the true identity of objects, and also that, beyond the surface,
there are many phenomena and mysteries in life that are not easily
understood.
Ten Dreams has compiled an extensive history of Magic Realism,
supported by numerous galleries. We invite you to explore this movement
in more detail, from its beginnings in Weimar Germany through its spread
to many countries worldwide, in our more comprehensive study that
follows. See Magic Realism Spreads
Email:
dreams@tendreams.org.
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