When I first heard about the Degenerate Art Exhibit, I wondered when it would reach Berlin as the exhibition had been traveling through almost a dozen German cities. Now, as an artist myself it was painful to hear about how someone’s art was deemed “degenerate” – like what does that even mean! I truly empathize with these artists. It is cruel to put a person’s art on display for people to come and gawk and further disapprove of a life passion. I thought about it for days when the exhibition finally reached Berlin of whether or not I would pay it a visit. I wondered if there were any people going just to look at the artwork and maybe even a slim chance of people there in disguise, appreciating the artwork. As a fan of expressionism, I had to go at least once. I remember arriving and seeing a crowd of people outside, almost in the street. I was truly taken aback from the inside– all of this modern art, these new ways of expression, in the same presence as I. It was truly amazing. I had actually fallen out of art for a little, suffering artist block, but this exhibit somehow awakened something in me. Many resembled pictures from Passionate Journey. There were so many different styles of art that represented so many of today’s current  modernist tendencies, such as abstraction. Even though in most of the public eye, they are seen as the outcome of genetic inferiority and society’s moral decline, I thought they represented a new era of art. I didn’t realize how much influence and power the Nazi party had until this exhibit. It is clear that they desired to shape and control German society in every way possible. This type of “propaganda” they used was unfortunately working and it was making it even harder for other artists, including me, to have a place in society and be able to express myself. I still remember the faces of those who experienced the exhibit– the faces of disgust and disapproval still haunt me today. Even though this exhibit was meant to defame and lessen artists all around, it still provided a way for those people’s art to get out there into the world for the small chance to inspire someone like it did for me. 

Here we are, almost 10 years later following the hyperinflation period. I scraped by that’s for sure– and let me tell you, it was definitely not easy. I finally finished art school and I was trying to find my place in the world. All of my friends were going their separate ways putting their art skills and other skills to use. I need to make myself get out into the world. That day I decided to figure out what I was going to do with myself. First off I really needed to find a place to live. I have been saving a little bit of money as much as I could and the inflation period definitely didn’t help. As I walked the streets, I saw newspaper headlines and radios all saying the same thing: Paul Von Hindenburg. .  Dead. I couldn’t believe it. These past few years I have been trying to pay attention and be more involved with the political climate I was living in. I felt as though Hindenburg was seen as a symbol of stability and authority during a time of political and economic turmoil. I think along with many others, we believed that his death marked the end of an era and left me and my fellow Germans feeling a sense of loss and uncertainty about the future. Honestly, along with the sense of uncertainty, I was also very fearful. Hindenburg’s death further weakened the already fragile democratic institutions of the republic. He had been seen as a moderating force on Hitler and the Nazi Party. His death removed one of the few remaining checks and balances on Hitler’s power, allowing the Nazis to pursue their radical agenda more aggressively. I had fears that our society would revert to times of trouble and turmoil again– setting me back once again. I finally had dreams of mine I wanted to accomplish. I once again turned to Passionate Journey  and tried to relate it to my current reality as the book represents a visual narrative of the human experience, capturing the hopes, struggles, and aspirations of individuals in a changing society–that changing society being mind in this moment. Hitler’s consolidation of power and the subsequent establishment of the Nazi regime led to the erosion of civil liberties, the suppression of political opposition, and the dismantling of democratic processes. Hindenburg’s death was more than just loss of life. He really meant something to the people and now we are stuck with the feelings of uncertainty and fear to guide us further in this life. At this point I actually miss being in art school still, when life was somewhat simpler.

As I was still a current art student during the period of hyperinflation did no good deeds for me. I couldn’t even buy any new brushes or paper without having to potentially sell my leg! It was definitely a rough time to still be living alone in what you would call barely a stable living condition. Everyday was a struggle and the state of the economy was not helpful. Sometimes I wondered how Marthe or some of my other friends handled this. I was almost done with school too so this situation just made everything even more difficult. My art professor was harder on us than ever telling us to “Use the adversity from the economy and express it into our artwork”. I didn’t know how. I remember barely being able to sleep and most nights I was hungry as even a loaf of bread or a pound of butter almost cost millions. As an artist I am very observant and I believe there were multiple reasons for this hyperinflation. I felt as though the economy was still suffering from the effects of World War I, when the German government had printed more and more money to pay for the costs of the war. This devalued the mark. In a way I felt the same way as the mark– devalued by myself though. I felt ashamed of what the economy was doing to my education, my social class. “How was I ever going to recover from this” I remember thinking to myself. Moving forward a little where a new currency reform was introduced, this gave me hope. I ended up finishing art school and eventually finding a job for myself. I was determined to get myself out of the “rathole” I was living in for the past few years. In a way I channeled the foundations of Expressionism and expressed my emotional experienced in many ways. 

I wanted to include these details about my avatar in this blog to further move along his story and give a deeper perspective on his living situation and how it was affected by the hyperinflation period. I researched how much some food cost during this time and how that obviously made it difficult to eat and live in general. I also wanted to keep tying my character’s connection to art in this blog by mentioning expressionism again and also how he might have navigated through art school with these economical challenges. I believe this would be historically accurate as the hyperinflation would push a lot of adversity, especially on someone in Richard’s situation

Lehnen, Christine. “1923: How Weimar Combatted Hyperinflation – DW – 01/01/2023.” Dw.com, 1 Jan. 2023, www.dw.com/en/1923-how-weimar-combatted-hyperinflation/a-64184767.‌

On this day, I remember it like it was yesterday. I’m getting closer to being 30 and I feel as though so much has already happened in my short life. I remember I was on my probably 5th time looking through Franz Masereel’s Passionate Journey. I just find it so invigorating. It just serves as such a powerful social commentary and critique of modern industrialized society. I feel as though I can truly feel the way Masereel depicts the struggles, joys, and tribulations of a certain. When I found out about the Armistice I felt all of those feelings that Masereel showed through his book along with those of relief, celebration, disbelief and a profound sense of loss. I was sitting in my rundown room contemplating my life and thinking how did I end up here. . . mostly looking at that yellow jar in the corner of my room. I had just gotten back from another rooftop gathering after another insufferable class. To think– I thought it was just another normal day but then suddenly a four year war comes to an end. My first thought was- what now? How does this affect me? I flip through Passionate Journey to try to find an image that expresses how I felt in that moment. There was sure to be one that fit as the book carries a strong message of social criticism and highlights the destructive nature of war. His stark black-and-white woodcuts, with their bold lines and stark contrasts, evoke a sense of urgency and emotional intensity within me that I’m not able to shake as there is a cloud of uncertainty rolling in.

I took a few details from chapter 2 of Jason Lutes’s comic like Passionate Journey and a few of his friends and his living situation to add. I wanted to focus more on the contents and what Passionate Journey represented, not only to readers, but also what it stands for in the eyes of Richard. I think the material and the artwork within Masereel’s book was a good representation of how many people including Blunck may have felt when they found out about Armistice. I also researched a little on some of the ways the emotions were described during that time and included those.

Donahue, Neil H. A Companion to the Literature of German Expressionism. Camden House, 2005. 

“Armistice.” National WWI Museum and Memorial, www.theworldwar.org/learn/about-wwi/armistice. Accessed 9 June 2023.

Today was just a regular day: art school in the morning, being misunderstood at night. I find it hard to live in Berlin during such a culturally innovative and fast paced time. A young 20 something year old,  I feel as though sometimes it is too late for me to truly express myself. My parents are the ones who got me into art in the first place; however, like many other residents in Berlin, they always fall and lean in more to the trends. . . like the New Objectivity movement.s. Growing up, I often felt the weight of my parents’ expectations and the need to live up to their success. There was an underlying tension between my desire to forge his own path and the desire to fulfill my family’s hopes for me. As its name suggests, this movement offered a return to unsentimental reality and a focus on the objective world, as opposed to the more abstract, romantic, or idealistic tendencies of Expressionism. It was a complete challenge to Expressionism– therefore me and my parents had opposing views. I guess you could say that I’m a naive architecture student (no matter how many times I deny myself), eager to make my mark on the world. But as I delved deeper into the heart of the city, I soon discovered that beneath its glamorous facade, Berlin harbored secrets and shadows that would shape the course of my life. As I look in the mirror I see Otto Dix’s self-portrait in my reflection. Maybe tomorrow I can come a little closer to breaking down my boundaries and letting the inner artist shine through.

I chose these details to describe Richard Blunck as he is living during a time of great political and cultural change. As such a young man and especially an artist I chose to make him experience that tension of wanting to fit in but also follow what you believe in. I also think that this character has a lot of potential and there is a lot of room to further develop his story and map out the events of his life. I think the fact that he is an art student and looks like Otto Dix will definitely be key factors in watching him navigate life in 1920s Berlin.  

“German Expressionism.” MoMA, www.moma.org/s/ge/curated_ge/styles/new_objectivity.html#:~:text=
The%20New%20Objectivity%20(Neue%20Sachlichkeit,or%20idealistic%
20tendencies%20of%20Expressionism. Accessed 2 June 2023.