NEW ORLEANS (press release) – The New Orleans Museum of Art (NOMA) presents An Ideal Unity: The Bauhaus and Beyond on view Aug. 16 through March 8, 2020. Celebrating the centennial of the Bauhaus (1919-1933), An Ideal Unity explores the artistic breadth of the innovative school that integrated fine arts and design. Including photographs and decorative arts from NOMA’s permanent collection, the exhibition underscores the principles of the Bauhaus aesthetic and mission.
“Though the Bauhaus did not survive the rise of the Nazi regime, the school’s influence continues to impact generations of artists and designers today,” said Susan Taylor, Montine McDaniel Freeman director of NOMA. “We are delighted to present works from NOMA’s permanent collection to showcase the distinctive theories and practices of the Bauhaus.”
Founded by architect Walter Gropius in Weimar, Germany, the Bauhaus school was established in response to the political and economic uncertainty following the First World War, as well as the rise of industrial production and the movement away from individually-made to machine-made objects. The goals of the institution grew to include creating an aesthetic that served the modern industrial society, designing for mass production, and incorporating technology to improve quality of life. All students began their studies with a preliminary course that focused on materials, color theory, and formal relationships before moving into more specialized workshops in carpentry, ceramics, graphics/bookbinding, metalworking, photography, weaving, sculpture, stagecraft, stained glass, wall painting, or printing and advertising. An incubator for thought and experimentation, the Bauhaus invited students from around the world to rethink modes of making.
