The Industrial Modern August 10, 2011

The rapid changes precipitated by the Industrial Revolution transformed the physical, economic, and socio-political landscape of Europe and the United States. These changes, including mechanization, regimented labor, urbanization, coincided with a growing interest among Western artists in visually representing the rhythms and realities of everyday life. Presenting artists' conflicted responses to industry, labor, and the urban environment from the middle of the nineteenth century to contemporary times, The Industrial Modern explores the tensions inherent in the "culture of progress." Drawn from the Madison Museum of Contemporary Art's permanent collection, 'The Industrial Modern' features works by William Gropper, William Klein, Kathe Kollwitz, Ferdinand Leger, Louis Lozowick, Joseph Pennell, and Ben Shahn, among others. Each of these artists takes a unique approach to the questions and challenges surrounding the nature of industrial labor, the dynamism of the urban metropolis, and the power of the machine.