An artist in captivity: mythological scenarios of creative freedom in a global conflict

Abstract

The article presents a new perspective on the process of personal creative evolution of an artist in the context of a sociocultural cataclysm. It examines two patterns of behavior in a person who finds themselves in a complex and traumatic situation. The author draws parallels with characters from ancient Greek literature, folk folklore, and the context of folk tales, and describes the details and process of unfolding a mythological narrative in accordance with the chosen role in a situation of existential choice. The article is relevant in light of current sociocultural and political events in the country and society. Attention is paid to the description of the social, ritual, and mystical aspects of the individual's acceptance of the social role of a warrior. The example of two prominent artists of the early twentieth century, Paul Klee and André Derain, demonstrates the path of individual creative evolution and its alignment with the proposed classification mechanism. During the First World War, the German and Swiss artist and graphic artist Paul Klee found his way to popularity among the public by distancing himself from the events of the war and the social crisis, moving towards more abstract forms of visual art. At the same time, the Fauvist artist André Derain changed his "optics" under the pressure of his life circumstances, turning in the opposite direction to his original artistic method, towards a cold and detached observation of reality in the spirit of neoclassicism. This argument is supported by art historical analysis of the artists' works and unique documentary sources. The purpose of this research is to trace the transformation of the artist's consciousness, optics, and artistic means of expression in the context of a profound cultural and societal crisis, and to identify the connection with the hidden mechanisms of mythological narratives.