Alan Powers' Book Reassesses Bauhaus Influence in Britain and America
Alan Powers' book 'Bauhaus Goes West: Modern Art and Design in Britain and America' examines the migration of Bauhaus ideas as key figures fled Nazi Germany. Published by Thames & Hudson in March 2019, the work challenges the notion that Britain failed to embrace Modernism. Powers focuses on Walter Gropius, Marcel Breuer, and László Moholy-Nagy during their late-1930s stays in England, detailing their lives and commissions. Gropius later moved to Harvard, expressing enthusiasm for America in letters. The book traces the Bauhaus legacy from its 1933 dissolution in Berlin to influences on 1960s design and popular culture. Powers uses metaphors like zombies to describe the institution's enduring yet transformed presence. He argues for a complex exchange between émigrés and British hosts, reframing historical narratives. The study extends to figures like Habitat and IKEA, noting the Bauhaus's broad cultural impact.
Key facts
- The book 'Bauhaus Goes West: Modern Art and Design in Britain and America' is by Alan Powers.
- It was published by Thames & Hudson in March 2019.
- The book explores the Bauhaus's evolution after its founders left Nazi Germany for the West.
- Walter Gropius, Marcel Breuer, and László Moholy-Nagy are central figures in the narrative.
- Powers argues that Britain's interaction with Modernism was more complex than previously thought.
- Gropius moved to Harvard after his time in England, writing positively about America.
- The Bauhaus was disbanded in Berlin in 1933 under pressure from the Gestapo.
- The book traces Bauhaus influences up to 1968 and into contemporary design like IKEA.
Entities
Artists
- Alan Powers
- Walter Gropius
- Marcel Breuer
- László Moholy-Nagy
Institutions
- Thames & Hudson
- Bauhaus
- Harvard
- UNESCO
- ArtReview
- Gestapo
- Habitat
- IKEA
Locations
- Nazi Germany
- England
- Britain
- Berlin
- Germany
- Bristol
- Paris
- France
- America