Topic
The Themes and Concepts in the Work of Marianne Brandt
Instructions
You have chosen a research topic here that directly relates to the themes of the module and a subject that is very topical: the importance of Bauhaus women who have often been overlooked in the histories of the school. The presentation responds primarily to your reading of Muller, and how she problematizes Walter Gropius aim of gender neutrality in its admission policy. There was lots of information, from this research, on how women were excluded from various elements of Bauhaus culture and how there were limits to what they could do, despite their notional freedom and despite the fact that the Bauhaus’s openness was still exceptional for its time. There is plenty of potential material to engage with – such as the relationship between gender politics and the Bauhaus artefacts or the importance of performance, play and costume.
Answer Preview
Marianne Brandt was a German painter, designer, metal worker, sculptor and photographer. Born in 1893 studied at the Bauhaus school of art in Weimar (Brenda & Penny, 2003). She was among the first students in the school, and would later become the head of the Metal workshop in 1927, after the Bauhaus art school as relocated to Dessau (Britannica. 2019). Before joining the Bauhaus school of art, Brandt has trained as a painter. Brandt was a student of László Moholy-Nagy while at the Weimar Bauhaus school. László Moholy-Nagy was a modernist theorist and a reputed designer. He noticed Brandt’s talent and would later invite her to be the assistant the workshop. This to a great extent prepared Brandt to succeed László Moholy-Nagy as the workshop’s acting director in the metal workshop. Brandt demonstrated her leadership prowess at the metal workshop, leading the institution to form wide-ranging collaborations with relevant industry players. She left the Bauhaus in 1929, and proceeded to work for Walter Gropius in his studio in Berlin (Britannica. 2019). She later headed the metal design department at the Gotha’s Ruppet firm.
Word Count: 5200