Broken myths

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Precisionism is generally regarded as an artistic style that does notindulge in social or political themes, being committed instead toaestheticism. Addressing the role of human beings under increasedautomation and mechanization, Andrea Diederichs includes the socialdimension of the machine age in her investigations. In this way, sheundertakes a fundamental revision of the prevailing, one-dimensionalreading of Precisionism. It becomes clear that Charles Sheeler's, GeorgeAult's or Niles Spencer's industrial subjects are characterized byambivalence and ideology-critical tendencies relating to the newconditions of labor under the dictates of the machine, and document theresultant physical and psychological consequences. Re-evaluation of the workof Charles Sheeler and his contemporaries First investigation intothe industrial depictions of Precisionism in an industrial- psychologicalcontext