Acts of Media: The Message of Painting

Can Art be Objective?

Art Critic, Clement Greenburg’s essay “Modernist Painting” examines Modern art’s objective position.  He asserts that Modernist painting is valuable based on the work’s ability to stay true to itself (Greenburg).  There is no patron to appease, or religious authority to impress.  There is only artist, paint, canvas, and freedom of expression.

Can something as reflexive as art ever be truly objective?  

Modernist painting is objective from in and of itself, however it creates a new subjectivity with the artist controlling the subject matter and not just the method of interpretation.

Marshall McLuhan’s essay “The Medium is the Message” gives fascinating insight into the importance of acts of media aiding into the progress of society and human empowerment. He writes, “For the "message" of any medium or technology is the change of scale or pace or pattern that it introduces into human affairs (McLuhan, The Medium is the Message).”

If the medium is the message, the artist is the transmitter. Take a look at the following Jackson Pollock quote found a on the Museum of Modern Art website:

 “When I am in my painting, I’m not aware of what I’m doing. It is only after a sort of ‘get acquainted’ period that I see what I have been about. I have no fear of making changes, destroying the image, etc., because the painting has a life of its own. I try to let it come through. It is only when I lose contact with the painting that the result is a mess. Otherwise there is pure harmony, an easy give and take, and the painting comes out well, (Musuem of Modern Art )."

Lavender Mist: Number 1, 1950 (Pollock)

The idea of being "in" the painting and it "taking on a life of its own" emphasizes the work as on objective entity.   Pollock's own words convey his role in the creative process, as one of a kind of conduit surrendering his own subjective will to this entity.  

In lecture, McLuhan describes the literate mind as being more objective due to its ability to make quick, yet informed decisions (McLuhan). Like the development of perspective, or Impressionism, each movement in art marked a new kind of literacy inside of the act of making art works. The literacy in Modernist art seeks to make decisive statements about art. 

This idea of decisive objectivity in art is juxtaposed with the inherent fluidity of art itself. The ability to adapt art to the purposes or interests of the practitioner, extend to the audience's ability to receive new approaches to traditional forms. Without this reception, the new ideas never grow.

Modernist Art is the result of the changes of cultural perspective of painting.  As Greenburg points out, Realism and Naturalism were central to the truth and value of the work, and served as vehicle to perpetuate the social and religious ideals (Greenburg).  Art continues to perform this function within our contemporary society but its message can be more fluid. New social messages are being transmitted through the medium of painting. 

With elitism no longer limiting the practice of painting, painting begins to mean many things to more people. The message of the medium changed.  I think this was important to the development of Modernist Art. Its reception depended on nurturing the seeds of social inclusion, accessibility, and literacy.

 

 Renaissance to Modern Portraiture

Girl with the Pearl Earring by Johannes Vermeer, 1665

Realism in Renaissance Art

Escaping Criticism by Pere Borrell del Caso, 1874

The burgeoning concept of breaking boundaries in art is clear in both title and the subject of this painting.

Self-Portrait by Pierre-Auguste Renoir,
1899
The move away from the sculptural towards flatness.

Self-Portrait in a Striped T-Shirt by Henri Matisse, 1906

The elements of colour line and perspective are deconstructed to emphasize the flatness of the canvas

Works Cited

Greenburg, Clement. "Greenburg: Modernism." 1960. University of Chicago. 23 September 2013 <http://www.sharecom.ca/greenberg/modernism.html>.

McLuhan, Marshall. "Marshall McLuhan Full lecture: The Medium is the Message." ABC National Radio: Monday Conference. Vol. 1. Comp. mywebcowtube. YouTube, 27 June 1977.

Pollock, Jackson. Lavender Mist: Number 1. National Gallery of Art. WebMuseum, Paris. Washington,, 2002.

Finding Meaning in New Music

In art, I notice there is often a tension between the notion tradition and novelty. Artistic movements like Impressionism, Modernism and the Avant-Garde are responses to this tension.  Some might argue that Post-Modernism seeks to negotiate the conventional and contemporary.  This dialogue exists across disciplines and is communicated across mediums.  In Alex Ross’s article “Why do we hate modern classical music?” (2010) He tackles the issue in a discipline and musical genre that is often associated with the past.  The tenets of classical music (and Opera) are firmly rooted in tradition and history.  He laments the lack of acceptance or tolerance contemporary audiences seem to have for contemporary classical music.

Screenshot of  a "Guess the opera" post from the Facebook Group Page for
"Against Modern Opera Productions"

Exposure is a major factor to embracing new art forms. While I think the human brain is hardwired for simple tonality, it is merely a foundation for growth.  In his article, Mr. Ross fails to address that infants are exposed to many sounds in-utero, the most dominant being that of the mother's heartbeat. All internal bodily functions follow its steady rhythm with only variations in speed. It doesn't get much simpler than that.  As far as the infant's visual preference to representational images, it's a preference that functions as a foundation for further learning about the world visually. 

The fact is people rarely challenge themselves past, the familiar. I think this is why we reject new art forms, at least initially.  If it is not recognized, there can be no connection. The audience is alienated by the assumption that they should embrace something merely because it is new. They too expect, and expectation is a product of recollection. However, exploration through expression is what motivates most artistry.  The person who is concerned with exploration is far less fazed by the new. More poignant is how something new can relate to the old and still be fresh and progressive. People want art works to initiate a visceral response inside themselves that draws them in.  They want to be evoked, or exposed. It is up to the artist to express common points of reference to use these responses as pathways to connect with their audience.  I find this is what is missing from many contemporary music and art forms. Many contemporary artists are more concerned with showing a particular intellectual prowess, than making anyone feel anything. While I understand the overall tone of his article, I disagree with Mr. Ross' final statement that "What must fall away is the notion of classical music as a reliable conduit for consoling beauty – a kind of spa treatment for tired souls." This can be said for countless art forms.  So then, what must be said for art? The beauty lies in exploration, discovery, connection, and collaboration.  Once the work lacks any of these elements, it risks becoming superficial. Whether the subject is introspective and brooding, or light and ebullient, beauty brings us back to that place of childlike transparency where every experience not only informs of material existence, but advances our intellectual and emotional paradigms to help us navigate our relationships and create meaning.  

Works Cited

Ross, Alex. "Why do we hate modern classical music?" 28 November 2010. The Guardian. 18 September 2013 <http://www.theguardian.com/music/2010/nov/28/alex-ross-modern-classical-music>.