I'm taking a history course this semester - auditing it, actually - and tonight's lecture was on the "style" of fascism in pre-WWII Italy. The term and the subject matter took me aback.
This so-called style had to do with the subliminal messages used to promote the emotional content of the fascist "ethic". The idea was to fold in a cup of emotional appeal for ancient times with a heaping tablespoon of traditional values and, through the use of ultra-modern technology or contemporary art, bake (or half-bake - your choice) a futuristic pie that could be had
today!
The image at the top of this post is of the fasces, (in Mussolini's arms) that was meant to be an emotional connection to the glories of ancient Rome.
In 1930s Italy, surreal art appeared-for instance-in the form of Mussolini's face painted in gigantic proportions on the side of a building, or in sculpture, such as this profile piece:
And Italy developed a style of architecture that used shapes to evoke ancient Rome, such as in the below image, meant to simulate the Colossuem:
Naturally, any dictator's image would be incomplete without an image of the glorious leader in warrior pose:
As I took in the pictures presented in class, I saw eerie reflections of cultural styles in our own U.S. of A. The images I present here give only a sketchy idea of what was available in fascist Italy, but if readers are interested in looking deeper into this breathtaking subject, Google it, or visit your library, and send me your reflections.
I'm taking a history course this semester - auditing it, actually - and tonight's lecture was on the "style" of fascism in pre-WWII Italy. The term and the subject matter took me aback.
This so-called style had to do with the subliminal messages used to promote the emotional content of the fascist "ethic". The idea was to fold in a cup of emotional appeal for ancient times with a heaping tablespoon of traditional values and, through the use of ultra-modern technology or contemporary art, bake (or half-bake - your choice) a futuristic pie that could be had today!
The image at the top of this post is of the fasces, (in Mussolini's arms) that was meant to be an emotional connection to the glories of ancient Rome.
In 1930s Italy, surreal art appeared-for instance-in the form of Mussolini's face painted in gigantic proportions on the side of a building, or in sculpture, such as this profile piece:
And Italy developed a style of architecture that used shapes to evoke ancient Rome, such as in the below image, meant to simulate the Colossuem:
Naturally, any dictator's image would be incomplete without an image of the glorious leader in warrior pose:
As I took in the pictures presented in class, I saw eerie reflections of cultural styles in our own U.S. of A. The images I present here give only a sketchy idea of what was available in fascist Italy, but if readers are interested in looking deeper into this breathtaking subject, Google it, or visit your library, and send me your reflections.
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