The Second Clue Of Modernism

The research subject of this Phd dissertation is Josef Albers(1888-1976).Usually,in the narration of art and design history,Albers is a teacher,writer,painter and color theory researcher.He connected three of the most legendary institutes: Bauhaus,Black Mountain College(BMC)and Yale University.Consequently,because of his participation,BMC and Yale University are also recognized as the footnotes and the alienation of Bauhaus spirit,which has affected the development of American Modernism.However,Bauhaus is complex,and so is American society.In the relationship between Bauhaus and the America,it is not to narrate "America" as a whole,but needs to get deep into a multidimensional perspective of American society.Therefore,starting from the problem consciousness,this dissertation takes Albers as the second clue of Modernism development,proposes ten questions relating to history in his development process.Jumping out of the usual writing techniques of biography,this dissertation applies “think in situation” and adopts the methods of “epoche” and “reduction” in phenomenology,and clarifies the relationship network of important figures in the development of Modernism in Bauhaus,BMC and Yale University,all through the four identities of Albers: an artisan as a traditional craftsman,a basic course master as an innovative practitioner,a spiritual leader as an educator and an artist as a rebel.It attempts to discover the contradiction,cooperation and conflict among these characters,and seeks to determine to what extent was Albers’ personal development involved.This dissertation also attempts to explicate what kind of Bauhaus spirit has been alienated in BMC and Yale University,and restore the real Albers and his role in the process of Modernism.Finally,this dissertation moves beyond the identity narrative of Albers and "epoche" him.It investigates the development of mid-century modern design and then reveals the local factors of that in the United States.This is also a study of alternative modernity in the development of American Modern design and art.It can be seen that although Bauhaus has an impact on architecture and graphic design,it has exerted less impact on American industry and consumer culture.This also explains why the United States did not choose and follow the German model,instead dispelled the myth of Bauhaus and made a critical interpretation of absorption of the Bauhaus in the United States.At the same time,it is also recognized that although Bauhaus had limited impact on American industry,it had rather profound influence on American abstract art.Accordingly,this dissertation tries to respond to an important issue in the mainstream development of Modernism,that is,to what extent does Bauhaus spirit participate in What aspects of American Modernism development,the reasons and performance.This dissertation takes the development of Modernism and Albers’ life story as clues to each other.In addition to the study of Albers as an individual,the whole discussion also pays attention to the handicraft in the 20 th century,Bauhaus basic courses,Bauhaus and mass production in Hannes Meyer period,Mies’ attitude towards Bauhaus,American liberal arts education and university system reform,mid-century modern design,abstract art,cultural capital and other important historical issues.In this interweaved framework,macro history and micro cases are intertwined and narrated in parallel,verifying the complexity of both sides in differences.Albers has also become a valuable case to gain an understanding of the emergence of Modernism,which is also significant and meaningful for the current design and art education.