Art, Industry and Identity. Nativism and Applied Arts in Argentina During the First Half of the xxth Century

Abstract

The first decades of the twentieth century in Argentina saw the confluence of two processes that marked the field of plastic arts: the question about the characteristics of a “national art” and the inclusion of the applied arts in local aesthetic debates. Although independent, both had a fruitful dialogue; we believe that this confluence boosted their development, since it enabled a productive review of an available past to create a “national art” and, at the same time, expanded the visibility of applied arts from which to build a “native ornamental style”. This paper aims to trace the debates and critical texts, the decorative arts manuals and exhibited works, in a scenario where modernity and tradition approached each other in a unique way.