Art Is Dangerous: Nazi Degenerate Art Exhibition • Entartete Kunst, 1937

01/23/22 • 22 min

When the Nazi Party came to power in Germany, in 1933, one of their first goals was to reshape culture by force. The Nazis organized book burnings, stormed artist studios, confiscating work they disagreed with, and fired contemporary artists from teaching positions in universities. The goal was to place limits on human expression–an ominous display for what was to come.

Visit the companion gallery for this episode here: https://mjdorian.com/dangerous/

The celebrated 1800's German poet, Heinrich Heine, wrote: "where books are burned, there too, people will burn."

On this episode, we explore the Degenerate Art Exhibition of 1937, otherwise known as Entartete Kunst. The intended goal of the exhibit was to insult and ridicule the featured artists and kill modern art. Making it clearly known to the German public that the Nazi Party was forbidding any form of abstraction in painting, film, sculpture, or music.

The suppression or censorship of art is a symptom that something is desperately wrong in the cultural fabric of a society. What happened to the artists featured in the exhibition? Did they continue making art? Did they flee or stay and protest? Why is art so dangerous?

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Artists featured in this episode: Otto Dix, Max Beckmann, Ernst Ludwig Kirchner, Emil Nolde, and Conrad Felixmüller. Explore their work in this special companion gallery I put together: https://mjdorian.com/dangerous/

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If you'd like to become a supporter of CREATIVE CODEX, and obtain access to all the exclusive content, such as the Kurt Cobain series and all the Creativity Tip episodes, head on over to: https://www.patreon.com/mjdorian

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All music in this episode was produced & composed by MJDorian.

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Creative Codex is written and produced by MJDorian.

More info here: https://mjdorian.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mjdorian/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/mjdorian

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/creativecodex

Visit the companion gallery for this episode here: https://mjdorian.com/dangerous/

The celebrated 1800's German poet, Heinrich Heine, wrote: "where books are burned, there too, people will burn."

---------

All music in this episode was produced & composed by MJDorian.

---------

Creative Codex is written and produced by MJDorian.

More info here: https://mjdorian.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mjdorian/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/mjdorian

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/creativecodex

Previous Episode

28: Carl Jung • Seven Sermons to the Dead (Part II)

In 1916, Dr. Carl Jung wrote his most mystifying work: The Seven Sermons to the Dead. In this episode, we continue our quest to understand it the way Jung understood it, exploring Sermons 3 & 4. We will attempt to answer these questions: Who is Abraxas? Why is he a god above gods? Who is Basilides? Why does Jung credit him as the writer of the Seven Sermons? And what leads Jung to have this creative breakthrough? Does it come from a point of inner turmoil or inspired grace? It’s time we find out.

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Cover Artwork: Abraxas Exegesis by MJDorian. More illustrations & art here: https://mjdorian.com/art/

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Listen to the new Limited Release series episode: 'Kurt Cobain • I'm Not Like Them' on my Patreon https://www.patreon.com/mjdorian

Hear a preview of the episode in the mid-point intermission of episode 28, Seven Sermons (Part II).

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A full transcript of this episode is available here: https://mjdorian.com/transcripts/

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Big Thank you to my Patreon supporters!

Shout out to the Shadow Fam: AKD, Aneudy Valerio, Anna Wolff, Barak Talker, Corey, Clark Price, Dallas Okelly, DVM, Glen QuiltSwissy, Hamed Iranmehr, Hilde, Jay, John Bergmans, Jye Marchant, Kristina Lamour Sansone, Michael Lloyd, Owen McAteer, Rebecca, Ruben Corona, Sowmya Harigaran, Stephanie Neal, Tess Callahan, Viggs Verikas, Yadie Cisneros, and Zuko's World. Thank you for your support!

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Creative Codex YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/CreativeCodex

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mjdorian/

Want to buy me coffee? Head over to Venmo and search @creativecodex in businesses. This show runs on 100% Arabica beans. Thank you for your support! Also accepting crypto donations, just reach out to me on Instagram: @mjdorian Thank you!

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Resources:

The Red Book: by Carl Jung Memories, Dreams, Reflections: by Carl Jung and Aniella Jaffe

The Gnostic Scriptures: by Bentley Layton

The Gnostic Jung: Stephan Hoeller

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Creative Codex is written & produced by MJDorian.

All music written by MJDorian.

Next Episode

29: Carl Jung • Seven Sermons to the Dead (Part III)

On this episode, we will conclusively answer this question: why was Gnosticism so important to Dr. Carl Jung?

Along the way, we will dive deep into Sermons 5 thru 7 to answer these questions: what is the relationship between spirituality and sexuality? How does Jung's libido theory differ from Freud's libido theory? What is the significance of the dove and the serpent in religious symbolism? According to the Seven Sermons to the Dead: what is the goal of life?

As mentioned in the episode–here is Jung's mysterious anagram–which is found on the bottom of the final page of the Seven Sermons to the Dead:

NAHTRIHECCUNDE

GAHINNEVERAHTUNIN

ZEHGESSURKLACH

ZUNNUS.

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Become a supporter of Creative Codex and gain access to all the exclusive episodes, including the Kurt Cobain series, on my Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/mjdorian

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A full transcript of this episode is available here: https://mjdorian.com/transcripts/

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Cover Art: Dove & Serpent by MJDorian. Follow more of my art here: Instagram: @mjdorian

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Books used as sources for this episode:

Memories, Dreams, Reflections by Dr. Carl Jung & Anielle Jaffe

The Red Book by Dr. Carl Jung

The Gnostic Scriptures by Bentley Layton

The Gnostic Jung by Stephan Hoeller

The Gnostic Jung by Robert A. Segal

and Psychology of the Unconscious by Dr. Carl Jung

For a practical application of Jungian Psychology, the author, Robert Johnson, has written numerous books. The one mentioned in the conclusion of this episode: Inner Work.

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Follow my work & see updates about future episodes on my social media:

Instagram: @mjdorian

Twitter: @mjdorian

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Thank you to all of my Patreon supporters. And shout-outs to the Shadow Fam:

AKD, Anna Wolff, Aranea Push, Barak Talker, Corey, Clark Price, Clinton King, Dallas Okelly, Diana, DVM, Glen QuiltSwissy, Hamed Iranmehr, Hilde, Jay, Jen The Atelierista, Jye Marchant, Kayla Dawson, Keith, Kristina Lamour Sansone, Michael Lloyd, Owen McAteer, Rebecca, Ruben Corona, Simon Bonanno, Sowmya Harigaran, Stephanie Neal, Viggs Verikas, and Yadie Cisneros. Thank you for your support!

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Creative Codex is written & produced by MJDorian.