自1919年诞生至今的近百年来,包豪斯逐渐发展成为了艺术史中不可逾越的篇章。无论之于现代设计、或是当代艺术,包豪斯都可被视作一门显学,在宏观视觉艺术史的范畴中扮演着关键角色。
然而,人们似乎更习惯于接受当下的结果,却甚少思考形成的过程。包豪斯在德国被纳粹势力关闭后,相当一批包豪斯人是作为“难民”辗转全球各地的。在这个过程中,最重要的包豪斯核心成员——创始人兼首位校长沃尔特·格罗比乌斯;以及在德期间最后一任校长密斯·凡·德·罗都选择了迁居美国。此外,本就出生于纽约的旅欧画家、创作《包豪斯宣言》封面木刻的莱昂内尔·费宁格;首位留校教学的包豪斯毕业生约瑟夫·阿尔伯斯与其夫人安妮·阿尔伯斯;设计出“瓦西里”钢管椅子的马歇·布鲁尔;改革版面编排的赫伯特·拜耶;以及强调科学实践的莫霍里-纳吉都进入了美国本土。虽然过程艰辛,但是他们最终都获得了这块新大陆的认可,对美国、乃至世界的当代艺术、现代设计的发展做出了巨大的推动。
除却这些教员,当年颇为活跃的包豪斯学生们——桑迪·沙文斯基、T·卢克斯·费宁格等也都在美国立足,发挥着不容忽视的影响力。虽然过程极尽复杂,但是美国依然成为了包豪斯人们当时赖以为生的沃土。本文通过九个章节的探讨,尝试对1933年以来包豪斯在美国的发展历程进行系统的还原、分析和阐述,并力图通过对美国、德国、英国、奥地利、意大利、法国、瑞士、日本等多个国家的调研,以文献与实证相结合的方式剖析包豪斯通过美国获得当下历史地位的真相。此研究也将揭示出作为一个移民国家,美国是如何逐渐成长为世界艺术巨擘、并最终获得在世界现、当代艺术领域中重要地位的。
此项研究结束时,正值包豪斯百年之际,全世界似乎都酝酿着一股涌动且亢奋的气息。也许中国学者异于世界他国的独特立场,将有助于从另一个角度,对这个源自西洋的艺术命题进行不同往常的解释。
本著作在杭间教授和王受之教授指导下完成,亦受到美国俄亥俄州博林格林州立大学前院长卡特琳娜·鲁埃迪·雷(Katerina Ruedi Ray)教授,美国艺术与科学院院士、纽约现代艺术博物馆前菲利普·约翰逊主策展人、普利兹克奖评委、哥伦比亚大学迈耶·夏皮罗艺术史与考古学教授巴瑞·巴戈多(Barry Bergdoll)先生,美国大学艺术联盟过渡执行主席、费城德莱克塞尔大学教授大卫·瑞兹曼(David Raizman)先生,独立学者玛丽·艾玛·哈瑞斯(Mary Emma Harris)女士,著名建筑师德克·罗翰(Dirk Lohan)先生,约瑟夫与安妮·阿尔伯斯基金会主席尼古拉斯·福克斯·韦伯(Nicholas Fox Weber)先生,约瑟夫与安妮·阿尔伯斯基金会的主策展人布兰达·达尼洛兹(Brenda Danilowitz)女士和驻地艺术家、教育协调人弗里兹·霍斯特曼(Fritz Horstman)先生等前辈友人的学术支持、指导和帮助。本项成果曾于2018年获中国美术学院优秀博士论文。
Over the past century since its birth in 1919, Bauhaus has gradually developed into an insurmountable chapter in art history. Whether in modern design or contemporary art, Bauhaus can be seen as a prominent discipline that plays a key role in the macro history of visual art.
However, people seem to be more accustomed to accepting current outcomes and rarely think about the process of formation. After the closure of Bauhaus by Nazi forces in Germany, a considerable number of Bauhaus people traveled around the world as "refugees". In this process, the most important core member of Bauhaus - founder and first principal Walter Gropius; And during his time in Germany, the last principal, Mies van der Rohe, chose to move to the United States. In addition, Lyonel Feininger, a European painter born in New York and creator of the woodcut cover of the Bauhaus Manifesto; Josef Albers, the first Bauhaus graduate to stay on campus for teaching, and his wife Anni Albers; Marcel Breuer designed the " Wassily" steel tube chair; Herbert Bayer, who reformed the layout; Moholy-Nagy, who emphasized scientific practice, also entered the United States mainland. Although the process was arduous, they ultimately gained recognition from this new continent and made tremendous contributions to the development of contemporary art and modern design in the United States and even the world.
Apart from these teachers, the active Bauhaus students of that time, such as Xanti Schawinsky and T. Lux Feininger, also established themselves in the United States and played an undeniable influence. Although the process was extremely complex, the United States still became the fertile ground on which the Bauhaus people relied for their livelihood at that time. This article attempts to systematically reconstruct, analyze, and elaborate on the development process of Bauhaus in the United States since 1933 through nine chapters of exploration. It also attempts to analyze the truth behind Bauhaus' acquisition of its current historical status through the United States through a combination of literature and empirical research, conducted in multiple countries including the United States, Germany, the United Kingdom, Austria, Italy, France, Switzerland, and Japan. This study will also reveal how the United States, as an immigrant country, gradually grew into a world art giant and ultimately gained an important position in the field of modern and contemporary art worldwide.
At the end of this study, on the occasion of the centenary of Bauhaus, a surging and excited atmosphere seemed to be brewing around the world. Perhaps the unique stance of Chinese scholars, which is different from other countries in the world, will help to provide a different interpretation of this artistic proposition originating from the West from another perspective.
This work was completed under the guidance of Professors Hang Jian and Wang Shouzhi, as well as by Professor Katerina Rüedi Ray, former director of Bowling Green State University in Ohio, the Philip Johnson Chief Curator of Architecture and Design of MoMA, Meyer Schapiro Professor of Art History and Archaeology at Columbia University, a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, jury member of Pritzker Architecture Prize, David Raizman, Interim Executive Director of College Art Association and Distinguished University Professor Emeritus at Drexel University in Philadelphia, independent scholar Mary Emma Harris, and renowned architect Mr. Dirk Lohan, with the academic support, guidance, and assistance of Mr. Nicholas Fox Weber, Executive director of the Josef and Anni Albers Foundation, Ms. Brenda Danilowitz, Chief Curator of the Josef and Anni Albers Foundation, and Mr. Fritz Horstman, Artist Residency and Education Coordinator, and other senior friends. This achievement was awarded the Outstanding Doctoral Dissertation by the China Academy of Art in 2018.