Real (?) Utopia

Oscar Schlemmer (1888-1943) was an outstanding representative of the European avant-garde between the World Wars. His name is connected with the famous Bauhaus school, within which he established an experimental theatre, Triadisches Ballett, influenced by the ideas of De Stijl and constructivism. It became a milestone in the history of modern theatre. Under Nazism, his works were proscribed, his paintings banned from all museums in Germany and denounced at the infamous exhibition in Munich – “Entartete Kunst”. This edition is based on extracts from his diaries, which he kept from 1912, and his essays on art (e.g. Tendentious Art, Man and Mannequin). Several letters from the period before the author’s death are also featured, including a protest note addressed to Joseph Goebbels.