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The Great Depression Brought Changes to Art in Many Ways

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The Great Depression Brought Changes to Art in Many Ways
Sean Rayl
American Art History

The Great Depression brought changes to art in many ways.

America finally had the war behind it. The country was booming and the majority had a carefree attitude. People were accustom to their lives and were not prepared for what was about to happen in 1929. The new decade would be a time of great change for everyone – art included. The 1920’s would bring a rollercoaster of events to America.

Times had changed, the war was over and new technologies were starting to emerge causing people to change their lifestyles. Many people had moved from the farms into the big cities so they could help with the war effort. Millions of immigrants flourished to America. This would mark a new era in American history known as “The Roaring 20’s” and the beginning of modern day America. Life in America was more open and out going then normal. Jazz clubs opened up at mostly every block, where young vibrant people would go drink and dance the night away. This kind of social activity was looked down upon by older citizens that thought this kind of behavior was inappropriate. This would ultimately lead up to prohibition and the first time ever in American history an amendment was excused making alcohol illegal in the United States. This caused crime rates to skyrocket within American cities causing some of the most notorious gangsters in American history to emerge, such as Al Capone. So many other things came out of the roaring 20’s, such as inventions of the automobile, radio and airplanes, new fashion styles, skyscrapers and movies. With life changing, so did art. Mostly throughout the 1920’s there were a variety of art movements and styles that were popular. Such as surrealism, Art Deco, regionalism and with new technologies came photography and also film.

In 1929 the stock market crashed causing many people jobs and their life savings. Banks were continuing to fail and jobless workers would rely on crime and theft to support their families.

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