Art & The New Deal
A New Deal for Artists
Golden Gate Bridge by Ray Strong, 1937
While the Great Depression was a time of incredible struggle for most Americans, it was also a time of significant opportunity for artists. "As the Federal Emergency Relief Act, a prototype of the New Deal work-relief programs, began to put a few dollars into the pockets of hungry workers, the question arose whether to include artists among the beneficiaries. It wasn't an obvious thing to do; by definition artists had no 'jobs' to lose. But Harry Hopkins, whom President Franklin D. Roosevelt put in charge of work relief, settled the matter, saying, 'Hell, they've got to eat just like other people!' (Adler)"
This inclusion of artists within the Works Progress Administration (WPA) not only allowed the arts to flourish, it also provided the Roosevelt administration with propaganda materials to bolster the morale of the struggling public. Many WPA artists created works that touted the industriousness of the American people and pointed to a better future through hard work and perseverance.
Golden Gate Bridge by Ray Strong pays homage to one of the WPA's most ambitious projects; the building of a suspension bridge across the temperamental San Fransisco Bay. The painting depicts the massive concrete foundations of the bridge on the San Fransisco side of the bay with the Marin foothills in the background and it serves to remind the viewer of the incredible feat of engineering undertaken by the workers (Smithsonian American Art Museum).
The diminishing perspective lines of the piece serve to create a sense of scale and depth, but also firmly grounds the viewer looking forward across the water and into a future full of hope and promise. It challenges the viewer to imagine the gleaming expanse of the bridge in the empty sky.
In fact, President Roosevelt was so enamored of Strong's painting, he requested that the final canvas be displayed in the White House as a silent testimony of the good work created by his New Deal (Adler).
However, the works accomplished by the WPA were not the only subjects available to artists. Many painters chose to highlight the frontier spirit of the American West as a reminder that American's have overcome hardships in the past.
History of Southern Illinois by Paul Kelpe, 1939
Kelpe's mural, created for the Southern Illinois University Library "looks back to a supposedly simpler time when pioneers
triumphed over adversity and built the nation through hard work, community, and
strength of character. The results of all this industry--the growing fields,
the commerce on the river, the school, even the children--are offered as proof
that progress and community were achieved despite frontier conditions (The National Archives)." Kelpe's style here is typical of murals painted for public buildings for the WPA and utilizes bold lines to depict our frontier ancestors to highlight their strength and fortitude. His chosen color palette is primarily earth tones to punctuate the pioneer's connection to the land, even as they work to shape it to their will.
American's of this era were suffering hardship and turmoil and the unique spirit of collaboration and community, even across ethnic barriers, is celebrated in paintings like this one and served to connect disparate communities in the common endeavor of building this country (Ulaby).
The Riveter by Ben Shahm, 1938
Works celebrating the American industrial worker were also very common during the period of economic recovery after the Depression. In Shahm's piece we see a riveter hared at work, eyes focused and determined. He fills the canvas with his presence and looms large in the eyes of the viewer. Like many WPA artists, Shahm painted many pieces during the era of the New Deal and enjoyed painting the working man, stating that he often painted construction workers to reflect
his admiration for the working American and his abhorrence of injustice and
oppression (Smithsonian American Art Museum; Ben Shahm).
Each of the paintings selected for this post were created by artists working for the WPA. While each is different in style and subject matter, they have at their core the common theme of building a better future. This message of hope was critical to the economic recovery of the nation after the Great Depression.
Works
Cited
Smithsonian American Art Museum. "Ben Shahm." n.d.
Smithsonian American Art Museum. 28 March 2021.
—. "Golden Gate Bridge." 2006. Smithsonian
American Art Museum. 28 March 2021.
The National Archives. "Rediscovering America."
n.d. The National Archives: The Art of the New Deal. 28 March 2021.
Ulaby, Neda. "Art Of The New Deal: How Artists Helped
Redefine America During The Depression." 25 May 2020. National Public
Radio. 28 March 2021.
Hi Fred, thank you for your blog. It is always unique to see artworks that have been funded with intentionality. I consider the New Deal by FDR to be reminiscent of art patronage like that of the wealthier families during the Renaissance. Though both of different time periods the patronage was the same but differed greatly in their values. The Strong piece that you have presented on here today is really amazing. The detail by Strong in the building of the Golden Gate Bridge is quite indicative of the needs of the early Modern era in inspiring hope and prosperity to come. The bridge which of course is now complete is in its infancy as depicted by Strong. Fun fact, the bridge was actually never supposed to remain this orange and red color, rather it was supposed to be painted over but the accidental color stayed.
ReplyDeleteI really like the illustration that shows the perspective on the first peice, it is really neat. I also really like how the three peices almost look like they could be on display together, they have a similar feel, at least to me. It is also really cool to see when presidents, or people of similar power seem to be genuinely interested in art for more than just value.
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