Literature:
- Realism and Naturalism: American writers shifted towards portraying real-life scenarios, often delving into social and economic issues affecting their society.
- Modernist Innovations: Modernist techniques, such as stream of consciousness, fragmented narrative, and experimentation with language, became prominent. Authors like F. Scott Fitzgerald, Ernest Hemingway, and William Faulkner challenged conventional storytelling.
Music:
- Jazz: Jazz, a distinctly African American musical form, gained widespread popularity and came to represent the cultural vitality of the era. Jazz musicians improvised, experimented with polyrhythms, and blended musical influences from various sources.
- R&B: Rhythm and Blues emerged as a vital musical force, fusing African American musical styles with blues, jazz, and spirituals. Artists like Bessie Smith and Duke Ellington were prominent figures.
Art:
- The Ashcan School: This group of artists, including George Bellows and John Sloan, depicted urban life realistically and often captured the rougher sides of cities like New York.
- Modernist Art: American artists began exploring abstract and non-representational art. Wassily Kandinsky, a Russian artist who taught in the United States, influenced a generation of American artists.
- Harlem Renaissance: The flourishing of African American art, literature, music, and dance during this period celebrated African American identity and culture, breaking away from predominantly white European influences.
- Mexican Muralism: Mexican muralists, such as Diego Rivera and José Clemente Orozco, created public artworks that expressed social, political, and cultural themes, inspiring American artists to consider the relationship between art and social change.
In summary, American writers, composers, and artists forged their own distinct paths during the 1920s, embracing themes of modernity, social realism, and cultural diversity, while shedding the shackles of European influences that had long dominated the American cultural landscape.