The influence of Socrealism in Poland

Résumé du document

Socrealism is „an attempt to translate Marxism into the sphere of art” . This term appeared first in 1932 in the soviet press. It is, more formally, an artistic current; it was indeed the official art trend imposed by the Communist regimes. It originates in the Union of Socialist and Sovietic Republics (USSR), where it was officially implemented as the unique form of art in the country in 1934, by the Congress of Sovietic Writers, after several years (since 1917 and the October Revolution indeed) of artistic debates. The Russian artists were to decide whether they had to support artistically the new Communist regime, and, if yes, which form of art would be the most appropriate. The debates were facilitated by a flourishing vanguard of young artists, eager to translate and glorify the radical social and political changes. However, vanguard art was deemed too sophisticated, too complicated for the „basic” masses the communist regimes aimed at representing (at least, theoretically speaking). Eventually, the socialist realism trend, mainly embodied by the Russian artist Maxim GORKY, won. Indeed, realism was put in opposition with the bourgeoisie's art, such as surrealism or vanguard art.

Extraits

[...] Those parts were step by step built between 1951 and 1963. Part III is composed of the streets Wyzwolenia, Nowowiejska and Koszykowa, was mainly built between 1953 and 1955. All this district was deeply marked by monumentalism: large and straight streets, square buildings, antique-style street lights (notably on Plac Konstytucji), huge statues incrusted in the facades, representing mine, or farm workers . Last but not least, Palac Kultury[16] the best example of building of this [socrealist] type in the world”[17]. [...]

[...] As everywhere in communist Europe, as well as in the USSR, the death of STALIN, in 1953, put a brake to the strength of Communist dictatorship, and, as a result, to the strength of the socialist realism credo. The 1953-1954 years were a period of transition: criticism aroused against this artistic style which was exposed, among other evils, as a „morale-boosting literature for bureaucrats”[19] (as far as literature is concerned of course). Scorealism was also accused of being too schematic. Indeed, the attempts to „broaden” and socrealism led to works of art which were less standardized, and this triggered out death of socrealism. The Minister of Culture, Wlodzimierz SOKORSKI, stopped supporting socrealism in 1954. [...]

[...] The first sight and general appearance of a given building prevailed over the aesthetical detailed quality. The buildings had to convey feelings of „power and persistence of the people's state, its mass collective character, its democracy and humanism[5]”. Concretely speaking, edifices had to translate into architecture the claimed strength, power of the communist countries. They were huge, symmetric and presented a lot of ornamental details like attics, columns, or pilasters. Everything was supposed to be massive, so as to create a style of monumentalism. [...]

[...] It is interesting: on the one hand, the painting has a thoroughly realistic style, even photographic style. On the other hand, the proportions are not genuine, because everything is supposed to be monumental. Moreover, this is typical also in the content, since it evokes the reconstruction of Warsaw, which was not only a socialist theme, but also a popular theme. We can also think of „Podaj cegle”[14], by A.KOBZDEJ, one of the symbols of socrealist painting, typical both by the form and by the content; this painting can be seen as a perfect piece of stakhanovist propaganda, by since it praises work and solidarity between the workers. [...]

[...] All those films were on the screens almost at the same time. All those film makers had to comply with the socialist artistic rules, which mean simples and schematic stories, patriotism and emphasis on symbolic heroes. However, this demand for schematism put a frame too rigid to enable real and long-term quality of shooting. Thus, socrealism in the cinema was rapidly criticized by general public opinion, and left room for the „avant garde” movement, with A.WAJDA leading. Literature is an interesting field of art as far as socrealism in Poland is concerned, because it is the field where there must have been most resistance. [...]