06/08/2005: "The Art We Like. But Why?"

Throughout the history art changed as much as our lifestyles. Human concepts about the world, life and meaning while remaining as important as ever, acquired new images. Technological innovations somewhere along the way managed to strip few outer layers of visual art. The shell that was rigidly tied to certain skills that an artist had to posses before he/she tackled any conceptual work has disappeared. Those skills sometimes could dominate the whole work of art. With every step of advancing technology artists had to dig deeper and wider to express true emotion, to reflect life in a new, different way. This process inevitably brought to life the use of new tools, creating powerful new language of expression. In a sense modern art of the day is the art created on that day, reflecting latest technologies available to the mankind on that day and expressing the ideas and emotions of that time.

A creative person – an artist is able to pick up the fragmented ideas that exist in society as a whole or in different groups of it. He/she works on visual expression, articulating and projecting them back to the public. It all seems to happen very much at a somewhat unconscious indescribable level. The public which in most cases has been only vaguely aware of new emerging trends makes decision on the images that have clearly formulated ideas that they can comprehend or intuitively recognise. And that’s where it gets tricky. Different people like and recognise different emotions and images. In other words, they like different art.

People will adopt a work of art, style or image which in their view represents the emotion/idea they long and search for. Usually it starts with a very small following which eventually could grow into millions or more. At that point we say that the artist became popular and well known. The galleries, auction houses, etc trip over themselves in a hurry to purchase or to be associated with the artist’s work. With a bit of luck the artist is still alive to enjoy his/hers popularity. As history shows, some artists do work well ahead of their time.

So what is it all about? As we know, some images that were well accepted hundreds years ago still move contemporary viewer. While others - hardly last few years or so. Prediction of future trends is turning into fine science. Gigantic publicity machines turn their wheels to prove that somebody’s decision was right at any cost. While some artists just get it right. How do they do it? Just by sitting in their studio? The answer probably would be somewhere along the lines: by being truthful to oneself, by believing in oneself, by shedding known formulas. By experiencing surrounding life with an open heart and open eyes, by feeling not only for oneself but for everyone around, by living the life of the day.

Replies: 14 Comments

on Monday, June 13th, 101 said

How about if you learn to do it for yourself!

on Monday, June 13th, paul said

English thanks for tidiying up my post,I give you permission to always do that where you see fit.

on Sunday, June 12th, English 101 said

Mike,I think your the one with blinders on, for not being able to accept or see someone else's point of view. That's probably why you are getting tired, as you say, of this forum which is here to provide a place of conflicting or agreeing views.

Concerning Your point about Da Vinci, well, Im absolutely sure that all of those ideas about flight,weapons, etc, were around in his time. He certainly was not the only one to have had them. He was the originator of those ideas to some extent.

Also, I dont agree with your ideas about newness. Your ideas seem quite the opposite of the salon of newness we seem to be living in these days. People are hungry for anything new. The trouble is of course, most of us arent doing anything really new. There is the danger that artists of undeniable value can get overlooked. There are always fads and fashions in art as anything else.

You say Warhol's pop movement blocked other good artists,who? Artists who are any good these days will for the most part, find a market place for their work. If they dont, then they arent promoting it properly or it doesnt appeal in a popular sense. These artists often find someone who does appreciate them if they are getting their work out there enough.

Clarity is bliss!

on Sunday, June 12th, paul said

Mike,I think your the one with blinders on,not to be able to accept or see someone elses point of veiw or veiws ,probably why you are getting tired as you say of this forum,its here to provide that place of conflicting or agreeing veiws,your point about da vinci,well Im absoloutley sure that all of those ideas about flight,weapons ect were around in his time,he being certainley not the only one to have had them,but to be sure the one with the originality to come up with a realization of them,to some extent,also I dont agree atall about your ideas about newness,it seems to me quite the opposite and that we are these days living in the salon of newness,they are hungry for anything new,the trouble is of course most of us arent doing anything really new,or the danger with that is artists of undeniable value can get overlooked,but there are always fads and fashions in art as anything else.You say Warhol's pop movement blocked other good artists,who? Artists who are any good these days will for the most part find a market place for their work,if they dont then they arent promoting it properley,or it doesnt appeal in a popular sense,but these people often find someone who does appreciate them,if they are getting their work out there enough.

on Saturday, June 11th, Mike said

Oh come on now, Paul! Haven't you ever heard of visionary artists? Or how about the inventions of DaVinci? Surely you can see how ahead of his time he was!

I'm getting tired of this site. Everyone has blinders on. There are artists who reflect life and there are artists whose work precedes life! Warhols pop movement was a major blow to those whose work is ahead of their time. Pop culture, consumerism, and comercialization fails to even tolerate what is new for the demographics of the market can not support it. In other words, few people buy what they don't understand or what doesn't have mass apeal.

(what words depict the sound of my head banging the wall ???!!!!)

on Saturday, June 11th, paul said

I dont think that artists see trends and future stuff atall,or even anticipate anything,they just do their work,and its other people who come along and hang theories on them,they might think a peice of work they do is a bit special,but thats about it,an artist is far too busy being 'in the feild'and lives very much in the present.Art historians and the like are the ones who foster such theories by putting art from the various times into stylistic categories to establish artistic timelines ,to give the impession that its all a smooth transition from one artist to the next in a kind of anticipatory handing down of one or many styles,and then back it all up with padding and footnotes.Artists cannot help but to be working within his or her own times and to be influenced by that time.Its conveniant to use long dead artists to support current ideas ,that he or she had absoloutley no inkling of whatsoever.