Bauhaus Beginnings

Exhibition runs through Oct 13.

The origins of the Bauhaus art school (Germany 1919 to 1933) lie in the late 19^th century anxieties about the soullessness of modern manufacturing, and fears about art’s loss of social relevance. The Bauhaus aimed to reunite fine art and functional design, creating practical objects with the soul of artworks.  The school is also renowned for its extraordinary faculty, who subsequently led the development of modern art – and modern thought – throughout Europe and the United States.

Marking the 100th anniversary of it’s founding, the Getty Research Institute exhibition Bauhaus Beginnings considers the school’s early dedication to spiritual expression and its development of a curriculum based on the elements deemed fundamental to all forms of artistic practice. More than 250 rare objects will be on view, including woodcut prints, drawings, collages, photography, textile samples, artists’ books, student notebooks, masters’ teaching aids and notes, letters, and ephemera from the school’s founding and early years.

This exhibition will be accompanied by the online exhibition “Bauhaus: Building the New Artist,” also launching June 11, which further explores the school’s history, theoretical underpinnings, and novel pedagogy. This online platform features more than 50 rare objects not available in the gallery exhibition and includes three interactive activities modeled after exercises developed by Bauhaus masters—a Wassily Kandinsky color survey, a Josef Albers 3D paper cutting exercise, and a customizable experience that embodies the spirit of Oskar Schlemmer’s “Triadic Ballet.”

You can find more information on both the gallery exhibition and the interactive on-line exhibition here.