"Why, it's miraculous! It's so intricate! It symbolizes everything we know to be true!"
It's splatter paint.
It's literally a piece of cloth with splattered paint on it.
Splattered paint, really? That's miraculous? Do you mean to tell me that splatter paint, something I could honestly create at the next paintball tournament, is more impressive than "The Creation of Adam" by Michelangelo, the biblical painting of how man was created? I'm glad I understand our priorities here.
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| This photo provided by Anton Kudris. |
As we discuss paradigm shifts currently occurring and over the course of history, I plan to discuss the drastic changes in the art world that have ultimately led to the adoption of such abstract, contemporary pieces that audiences can barely interpret if at all. I hope to incorporate comparisons between artwork created up to the 1940's and artwork from the late 20th to 21st century.
To give a proposition for a thesis: In observing artwork before the 1940's and from the late 1900's to present day, an extreme paradigm shift is evident through the styles of art and artistic representation due to a common expressive ideology and artists' need to abruptly alter the artistic norms of society.
As we look in depth at this shift in the artistic realm, I plan to detail on the major contrasts between the visual perceptions and interpretations of art as well as some of the past themes expressed before the 1930's that could relate to the current artistic creations we see in modern day society such as abstract artwork, to give one example. I also plan to reference the historical connections paintings prior to the 1940's possess and express in contrast to some of the less interpretable stories behind the paintings of contemporary artwork.
The particular pieces of artwork chosen for this presentation and essay will range from different continents including our own to provide an overall melting pot of art, providing a wide variety of cultural artists and their works.
Below is a list of sources for supporting evidence in the upcoming presentation and essay.
Kurtz, Bruce D. Contemporary Art: 1965-1990. Prentice-Hall, 1992.
Kuspit, Donald B. The End of Art. Cambridge University Press, 2004.
Lambert, Rosemary. The Twentieth Century. Cambridge University Press, 1981.
Lewis, Wyndham. The Demon of Progress in the Arts. H. Regnery Co., 1955.
Lippard, Lucy R., et al. Pop Art. Thames and Hudson, 2004.
McCurdy, Charles, editor. Modern Art: a Pictorial Anthology. MacMillan, 1985.
The scope of your essay should be slightly more narrow; right now, it just seems to be examining art from 1900 to today. What kind of art would you examine? Would it cover all of art in this broad time frame, or would it just be comparing pre- and post-1940 art.
ReplyDeleteArt is one of the many form of self expression without using any word. It also represents a certain time and space the artist is when they are painting it. Perhaps drawings from different decades can uncover the social or political aspect at that time era besides the artist's own interpretation of how they see the world.
ReplyDeleteMy first thought is that the timeline may be too broad, but I am not sure how much art has changed between these time periods. However, you mention that the artwork will span different continents. This definitely seems to broad. There is a lot of historical relevance to paintings. I think that each continent or simply each country would see shifts in their art based on their society. So I think focusing on one country would help narrow you focus to something manageable in a 7-10 page paper.
ReplyDeleteWhile Louis is right about the many shifts that take place in the art world alone in the century from 1900, I think that gives you plenty to work with and narrowing it down more would simply be a matter of preference for you. I think this is a great topic and I am currently taking an art class that focuses on African American art but this class spans the change over time in the art industry so this is something I'm familiar with. An artist i recently learned about and was fascinated by was Jean Micheal Basquiat. I think he would be fitting to some of your research if you'd like to look into him. But overall, I'd say you have good points and are going in the right direction, good luck!
ReplyDeleteCarly, I think your classmates pointed out some helpful areas where you might want to tighten your approach. I have a few lingering questions:
ReplyDelete1) Are you specifically referring to painting, not any other style of art?
2) The timeline in your thesis is slightly confusing: "before the 1940's and from the late 1900's to present day." How "before" the 1940's is "before"? It seems broad and the wording makes it seem more ambiguous than I think you mean.
3) This is more of a stylistic note, but I encourage you not to use the words "paradigm shift" in your thesis. Get at the essence of what's shifting without specifically saying that it's a paradigm.
4) This is a question that every writer will need to address, but why does this matter? What are the larger implications if art is more abstract now than it once was? Does it have any bearing on life, culture, appreciation, etc. beyond the realm of art criticism specifically? This is vital to consider, because if you can't identify the significance, there's no real substance to discuss.
5) Does this mean that no realistic art is produced now? You don't say this directly, but it seems to be suggested somewhat.
Lots to think about. Hope this helps as you're considering your approach, Carly!