In the New York 69th Regiment Armory on Lexington Avenue, over 1250 works of art from over 300 European and American artists had come together. The 1913 armory show, officially named as The International Exhibition of Modern Art, brought "avant-garde" to America. Without this mind-opening event, the nation would not have experienced the positive impact on urban life that resulted from this spectacle.
25 American artists united under the Association of American Painters and Sculptors to sponsor the show. Arthur B.Davies, Walt Kuhn, and Elmer MacRae, all esteemed artists of the time, came together as presidents, secretary, and treasurer of this society. It was Arthur's idea to make the space itself out of the ordinary, yet elegant and tasteful, as a wishful reflection of the art. To do so, he converted the large, hollow armory into a labyrinth of rooms by hanging burlap partitions, as well as decorating with flowers, exotic greenery, beautiful lighting, and a band. With the thousands of invited guests, came just as many critics. The art was dragged through the mud as the Cubists were ridiculed, Matisse was trashed, and the ever famous Marcel Duchamp's
Nude Descending a Staircase became the immediate laughing stock of the public. The aforementioned artists are highly recognized today, so the show was obviously not a flop. On the contrary, the "cozy art" caused the attendance to grow heavily as it got attention from figures like the Former President Theodore Roosevelt who compared Duchamp's piece to an, "Explosion in a shingle factory, or perhaps my bathroom mat"(
NPR). However, as the show approached its peak attendance, the negative reviews and articles were suddenly overpopulated by positivity,"A miracle, a bomb shell, not to be missed", "The armory show shattered the even complacency of American art"(
armoryshow.org).
With an estimated attendance of over 300,000 people, the impact of the show resounded strongly amongst all types of people. American artists soon adopted the loose forms and vibrant colors of the modern impressionists in the armory such as Cezanne and Matisse. The art of fauvism, a french term derived from the term"fauves, or wild beasts emerged from exhibition. This was the name given to describe the uncivil nudes and harsh color combinations which could be seen amongst the majority of the art. The acknowledgment and acceptance of this term marked the transition between the old post impressionism, and the new expressionism which was all about breaking the boundaries of impressionism, resulting in the use of flowers, figures, and landscapes with a much more vibrant color palette, and a simpler approach. Jon Quin, a lawyer and art connoisseur was present throughout the exhibition, and was interviewed by the New York times for his esteemed opinion, "One of the most important international exhibitions of contemporary art that has been held in any country in the last quarter of a century [...] but they are alive and vital and we may stay for them that 'they don't know where they're going, but they know they're on the way,' which is not only true of the cubists. But of all art that is living and vital and progressive"(
Jon Quinn).
To paraphrase Jon Quin, if the show was meant to be anything, it was to be progressive. It was meant to push the nation forward, and grow from the creativity it inspired, "The armory show was intended to shake America out of its lethargy, to revitalize it, make new opportunities for artists, and interest the world" (
armory show.org) Overnight, america became a hub and the top market for modern art. The Met paid the highest price for one piece of art, lighting the fuse under galleries all over the nation, reforming the practice of art collection. This one purchase can be accredited to the great art museums we have the privilege of visiting today. Yes, modern would have eventually made its way to America, however, the Armory show is the reason the public became so intensely involved and aware.
Along with the public and the artists, the armory show also changed the business of art , "It didn't just influence the artists, it influenced buyers so much over the next 100 years" (
Todd Weyemer, Specialist). Today at the high society fairs like the
Art Basel and the
Venice Biennall, you can still see the product of the Armory Show's provoking headlines in the similar, highly coveted styles of art. The show became "A prototype for contemporary commercial showcases (
Todd Weyemer, Specialist). The centennial anniversary show which took place in 2013 and was much alike to the original with the exception of the center galleries. These showcased a spread of artists that were pre-modernism such as Van Gogh and Courbet- artists who were significantly controversial in their day, but renamed to be masters and classics in 1913 with the arrival of the new controversial work from the Armory show. The purpose of the pre-modernism tribute, surrounded by the modernists of the 1913 show, and currently controversial pieces was to remind the public about the nature of progress, and to illuminate the message of individualism.
Personally, the idea of individualistic thinking, is the most important gift the Armory Show gave to America. "The importance of the Armory Show lies in the fact that it collected all these strands, arranged them in a grand design, and challenged the public to look"(
armoryshow.org). It was a time that all races and genders from around the world could come together, view the art, exchange opinions, generate ideas, and grow as a global community, "between cultural democracy, and an international, free-market economy, allowing the globe to value undifferentiated works in a large market where they could make choices based on individual preferences" (
JoAnne Mancinni). While people were coming from all over the world to discuss this work, the Immigration flow in 1913 was also prominent. New York was becoming a cultural hub with new languages and cultures at every corner, and the gift of individualism to many of these people was a great one. The boldness of the International Exhibition of Modern Art was not only daring, but incredibly different, and proved to be a great success, "Nearly 50,000 have visited the exhibition in the 69th regiment armory the 8 days it has been open. Over 160 works of art have been sold, and the association has entered already into a contract with the Chicago Art Institute [...] Its success in attendance and sales demonstrates something great of the American people,"(
Jon Quinn) .
Today, the amount of art sold from the show is equivalent to over 2 million dollars. To the country, and especially immigrants, the success of the show was a symbol and an encouragement to have confidence in your opinion, try something new, stay creative, and to not be afraid. Creativity and the ability to form new ideas are the source of urbanization, industrialization, and the growth of a nation. Without free thinking and new opinions, ideas can't freely generate, or be built-on, and the world would be in a constant rut. Although the show advanced urbanization, it was also influenced by it. None of it would have been possible without the strong global communication, the transportation for art being imported from around the world, and especially the new media and press which came from the rapidly urbanizing america. The show would not have gotten any attention on its own and been dismissed quickly without the newspapers and press.
In the end, the 1913 armory show accomplished all of it's goals. It opened minds, and furthered Urban life. It influenced artists to create, inspired people to take the leap and become artists, expanded the global art trade, as well as influencing cultural and societal growth with the sharing of ideas. It transformed the public perceptions of art, and influenced avant-garde thinking in all parts of life. Most importantly, it was a symbol of freedom and individualism to immigrants, and a stepping stone to a greater nation.
Sources
Source 1:
General overview
Source 2:
Primary Source Newspaper article- article about commitee talking about show over dinner
Source 3:
The impact 100 years later
Source 4:
100 years later
Source 5:
Fauvism`
Source 6:
Immigration
Primary Photo Sources 7-12
The board of the show
