Totalitarian Art in the Soviet Union, the Third Reich, Fascist Italy, and the People's Republic of China Review

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Totalitarian Art in the Soviet Union, the Third Reich, Fascist Italy, and the People's Republic of China ReviewIgor Golomstock bravely explores the frightening aesthetic similarities of four of the 20th Centuries most notorious dictatorships, and totalitarian cultures. While his focus is primarily on Nazi Germany under Hitler and The Soviet Union under Stalin, he also briefly covers the art of Fascist Italy and The Peoples Republic of China. This intelligently written book reveals how they used and abused the Western Realist Tradition in the so called fine arts, while also exploiting homegrown artistic achievements that appealed to nationalist pride and xenophobic fears. Each of these regimes employed surprisingly similar thematic content, in epic painting and colossal sculpture. Depictions of happy families and dutiful mothers, contented workers merrily laboring away in fields or factories, and of heroic soldiers on the crucible of the battlefield were particularly favoured. Depictions of the bountiful Fatherland and the industrial might of all four states figured heavily too, especially in The Third Reich and The Soviet Union. And of course looming in importance above all other subject matter was the iconic and idealized portrait of the loving and benevolent, visionary and wise leader himself. The architecture of classical antiquity served as the model for most state buildings (irrespective of political ideology) in the form of monumental stripped or neoclassical architecture that was used to oppressive and soul destroying ends. Mussolini, Hitler and Stalin for example had audaciously bold plans to completely rebuild their respective capital cities - Rome, Berlin and Moscow - on a stupendously massive scale to suit their pompous tastes, though fortunately for later generations of people to live in these three beautiful cities these grand and delusional visions were never fully realized.
Mr Golomstock's revealing book deftly shows how politics can so very easily twist and subvert the arts to chilling ends; thus reducing them to the level of sterile, blatant and at the same time kitsch propaganda. He details how with the aesthetic philosophy of "socialist realism" art was cynically utilized by political leaders and parties as an important tool of state sponsored terrorism to indoctrinate and control the teeming masses, and subject peoples. All four totalitarian states led the populace to believe that they were variously being "liberated" from aristocratic, bourgeoisie, foreign or alternatively jewish cultural dominance; and that the only solution to societies ills was of course provided by them. This insightful and perceptive book illustrates that the far right and the far left have alot more in common than many people at either extreme of this broad political spectrum would ever like to admit! I also think it's a great shame there aren't more colour photographs in Totalitarian Art, for I believe art books really do need them, however with a book such as this it is the message that's unquestionably the most important factor, and not the pretty pictures. So if you're interested in the murky relationship between art, architecture and politics in totalitarian cultures or regimes, then do yourself a big favour and read this perceptive and timely book. And be warned that civil liberties, democratic freedoms and human rights could easily be taken away in your beloved homeland, so don't be an unthinking patriot, and always question your government... always.Totalitarian Art in the Soviet Union, the Third Reich, Fascist Italy, and the People's Republic of China Overview

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