01/25/2026
“That’s very Bauhaus” is often thrown around as though the term means a particular aesthetic. But in fact the Bauhaus was an art school first in Weimar, then Dessau (in the iconic building designed by Walter Gropius), and finally Berlin from 1919-1933. With foundational classes taught by Kandinsky, Paul Klee, Josef Albers, Marcel Breuer and others, the school produced artists such as Anni Albers, Marianne Brandt, & Otti Berger seen here. As primarily an institution created to avoid the maximalist ornamentation of previous styles, practical instruction was given in color theory and materials with students eventually producing works in mediums from photography to collage, ceramics, weaving, furniture making, and metalwork with the eventual aim being interior designs and architecture that were “gesamkunstwerk” (translates to: “a total work of art”).
After political pressure from Germany’s fascist regime, the school chose to close in 1933 while under the direction of Mies van der Rohe. His words are below:
“One morning, I had come from Berlin in the streetcar and walked a little, and I had to pass over the bridge from which you could see our building. I nearly died. It was so wrong. Our wonderful building was surrounded by Gestapo—black uniforms, with bayonets. It was really surrounded. I ran to be there. And a sentry said, “Stop here.” I said, “What? This is my factory. I rented it. I have the right to see it.” “You are the owner? Come in. Come in.” He knew I never would come out if they didn’t want me to.”
Miraculously, the art created during that tumultuous mere 14 years still guides and inspires us today. Prophetically, the story of the Bauhaus itself serves as a vital reminder that the act of creation MUST continue - whether you’re reading this from the Middle East, Ukraine or right here at home, this is our hope; that you continue to make art, always, even in the most difficult time, especially those. 🔴