"THE HELL OF THE BIRDS"

ROBERT STORR

Coming into his own in an era of trauma and dislocations much like our own, Max Beckmann was deeply ambivalent about the promises of "modernity" even as he was profoundly affected by the ruptures and conflicts of his moment and milieu. Caught between what Antonio Gramsci called "an old world that was dying and a new one that cannot be born (yet,)" Beckmann turned away from more or less realistic representation toward claustrophobic, heavily charged allegories of an apocalyptic present. This talk will range from his experiences in and renditions of World War I, to his Neue Sachlichkeit depictions of Weimar Germany, on through to his congested, dialectical, often multipanel  portrayals of a world coming apart at the seams.

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Members may reserve a complimentary ticket for themselves and up to one guest. Proof of membership must be presented upon arrival.