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At the turn of the 20th century, America had started realizing its industrial potential. The growth of industries transformed lifestyles as many people lured by economic opportunities, moved to the cities to work in factories (Adams, Cahan and Dreiser, 3). A vibrant urban lifestyle emerged because of this convergence of People from different ethnic, social and economic backgrounds; it also led to social tensions and the establishment of social class structure, the very wealthy and the very poor. Socially conscious artists committed to expressing their observations of the effect of social class structure and ethnicity on American life. While both Ashcan and Social realist artists developed an interest in the display of socio-economic realities of the early 20th century, Social realists sought to inspire Americans to bring back prosperity by reflecting on their heritage. This essay will highlight two images, Huston Street by George Luks and City Hall Murals by John Augustus Walker. These images are intended to show the importance of this dynamic period of artistic vitality in American art.
Economics of the day played a major role in artistic work in the 20th century. Labor unrest and reform were the issues of the day in this era (Pittsburg State University). Staples agrees that the desperate economic conditions at this time drove many artists through their work to exhibit the suffering and disenfranchised people. John Augustus Walker‘s mural The City Murals is a classic example of the gap between the wealthy and the poor a common phenomenon in early 20th century urban America. Staples assert that social realism, inspired by leftist concerns, aimed at bringing social change and a number of them used mural as a campaign tool. Many artists felt that show casing art in galleries and private homes in times of extreme poverty was unacceptable and mural painting was therefore used as a protest against the decadence of art at this time. Numerous paintings highlighted social issues and people’s plight during the depression era and protested against socio-economic injustices in the country (Staples).
In addition, The American 20th-century paintings illustrated a dynamic America through the competing forces of conservatism and innovation. Ashcan artists were resilient and their work was adaptive to modern lifestyles. History of civilization & Culture points out that “the Ashcan school was a small group of artists at the beginning of the 20th century who sought to document everyday life in New York City, capturing it in realistic paintings of urban street scenes”. Adams, Cahan and Dreiser (3), show that at the turn of the 20th century, “millions of immigrants from Europe, and China flooded urban centers like New York and San Francisco”. According to Gould, housing issue was the most fundamental of social problems relating to environment. Hudson Street by George Luks is a good example of the situation at that time. This oil painting on a canvas portrays storied buildings in the backdrop of a busy street with many people including children. It is a typical illustration of how industrialism transformed the demographics of urban society in America. Antiques Digest reveals that “there was usually crowding and huddling of people on Broadway and more so the East Side of New York which was the most congested district in the world.” Nonetheless, unlike the Social realist who used art to protest against social injustices to restore the American values, Ashcan artists chose to display their talent.
Nonetheless, the debate on American art in the 20th century was a political affair. According to Staples, Social realism was more about political leanings than style. Adams, Cahan and Dreiser ( 3), also agree that artists in America used their work to protest against the social inequalities and exploitation during this era. Their art was a contributing factor in the sprouting of political pressure groups dedicated to reforming the socio-economic situation, which included oppression of women, prejudice against immigrants, racial discrimination, unsafe housing conditions, and exploitative labor practices. The City Mural by John Augustus Walker portrays such disparity to illustrate exploitative labor practices and the emergence of social class structure in America at that time. Ashcan artists also worked in the newspaper industry as illustrators, which gave them an influential role in the politics of the day. This probably explains the reason why their paintings documented everyday life in New York City.
In conclusion, in the 20th century, Americans used art to capture the socio-economic conditions of the day. The Ashcan were dynamic and embraced change in a bid to connect their work with the events of the day, while the social realist sought to motivate the people to reflect on their heritage of revolution in a bid to bring back prosperity. The economic situation at that time was unbearable as depicted by paintings by artists of the day. John Augustus in his painting shows the contrast between the social classes where the lower class worked under deplorable conditions in contrast to the upper class. With immigration, many cities were crowded with people lured by economic opportunities. This led to overcrowding in the cities resulting in limited housing as depicted by George Luks in Huston Street. Nonetheless, this painting shows the conditions endured by people of the lower class during this period.
Works Cited
Adams, Henry, et al. “Social Realism.” Adams, Henry. Class Consciousness in American Literature 1875-1920. Washington DC: Annenberg Foundation, 2011.
Antiques Digest. “New York City – The Tenement Dwellers.” 1900.
Gould, E. R. L. “The Housing Problem in Great Cities.” Quarterly Review of Economics (1899-1900): 378-393.
History of civilization & Culture. “Art of the 20th Century:A Revolution in the Arts.” 2005.
Luks, George. Huston Street. Saint Louis Art Museum. Oil on The Canvas. St Louis, 1917.
Pittsbug State University. “Contexts.” 2007. Web.
Staples, Shelley. “Negociating The Racial Mountain.” 2003. Web.
Walker, John Augustus. City Hall Murals. Mobile. Murals. Alabama, 1936.
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