Perception of modern visual art through the prism of the past
“The purpose of art is not to present the outward appearance of things, but to personify their inner world” Aristotle
This article is translated from the Russian language. I apologise for grammatical and lexical errors in the text. If you would like to read the original. Go to the writer’s page.
Art changes under the influence of political and social factors, under the influence of religion and economics. Art contains emotions, beliefs and concepts: about beauty, about love, about death, about truth. Art is a reflection of an era. It is therefore important to understand its developmental history, its aims and the time in which the work was created. Just as in literature we analyse the protagonists and examine their actions and thoughts, so in art we must examine the work.
The problem of perception of modern art has always been topical. As we all know, people are wary of new things. As a consequence, there are problems and prejudices. How often have you heard or said the following phrase?
I don’t understand modern art
Modern art is perceived by many people through comparisons between the visual arts of the past and the present. But the fact is that the perception of modern art differs from classical art in cultural ethics and in psychology. There are thoughts, ideas and influences that affect art in every era. It’s important to be aware of the directions and ideas that were at the time the work was created. And then you will (probably) understand the picture.
Short on trends in art
The problem in experiencing modern art is not only a lack of understanding of works, but also a lack of differentiation between works. In other words, the viewer is limited to one or two movements and ignores what is interesting in others.
There are specific styles in art which are typical of a certain period of history. Some are named after many years after they emerged, such as the Renaissance and the Baroque; others borrowed the name of artistic associations, such as Futurism and Surrealism.
Sometimes the movements were named after written critics who christened an entire era with a name (Impressionism, Cubism). There were movements which were named after the general principles of the artists — Dadaism.
Some tendencies (movements) were a conscious reaction to modern art, like Pop Art in the 1960s in the United States (it was a response to Abstract Expressionism).
This distinction in time can create the illusion that there was no connection between the directions. However, each new direction flowed from the previous one, in a sense. Imitating earlier periods allowed the style of painting to improve. For example, the early Baroque ideal was the art of the High Renaissance.
I’m going to take you on a little tour of styles and movements. We’ll start with the Renaissance and end with 20th century art.
The Renaissance
This period revives ancient ideals and adapts them to “modern” ideas. Renaissance culture has the specific characteristics of a transitional period from the Middle Ages to the New Age, in which the old and the new, intertwined, form a peculiar, qualitatively new fusion.
Main ideas of the Renaissance: Humanism, Anthropocentrism, Image of an Ideal World (Utopia)
Baroque
The term is used to define the ever-renewing trends of a restless, romantic worldview, thinking in expressive, dynamic forms. They emerged as a result of historical turmoil. The ancient view of the world as intelligible and reasonable has changed, and the ‘Renaissance’ view of the human being as the centre of the world has changed to a ‘I am something in between’ state.
The main ideas of the Baroque: The highest sensuality, The tragic contradictions of the age, The overabundance of the new provokes excitement in art and architecture.
Classicism
Appealed to the ancient heritage as an ideal to follow. It manifested itself in architecture, sculpture, painting and decorative and applied art. Classical artists considered antiquity to be the highest achievement and made it their own etalon in art which they strove to imitate.
Main ideas of Classicism: Equality of all men before the law and humanity, Reason, not feelings, Reason is the source of beauty, Rationalism
Romanticism
The Romanticists highlighted individuality and contrasted ‘imperfect’ reality with the ideal beauty of Classicism. The artists were attracted to bright, rare, unusual phenomena as well as images of a fantastical nature. Individual perception and the soul became the main idea of this trend. During this period the industrial revolution was underway, which set the tone for the mood. Constant change provoked people to withdraw into themselves, to search for their “self”.
The main ideas of Romanticism are: The idea of discarding everything “outmoded and obsolete”, a return to the simple, an appeal to the self.
Realism
The movement in art that seeks to portray both the outward form and the essence of phenomena and things with the greatest truthfulness and authenticity. There is a rejection of idealisation of the world around us in favour of portraying people in ‘real’ life. There is an emphasis on the person, on their true emotions and on their deeds. In realism you don’t see romanticised images of a lonely and lost person, in realism there is only life without any glamour. Realism emerged in response to society’s demand for a break with the tradition of portraying the world in an ideal light.
The main ideas of Realism are: Truthfulness, Moving away from the idealised to the real, Concentration on human life
Symbolism
Symbolists radically changed not only the content and forms in different types of art, but also the very attitude to the meaning of artistic creation. They strove for innovation and used symbolic images, mythology and magical imagery. In symbolism, there is often an understatement that immerses the viewer in the depth of the painting. Symbols in a painting can be anything: a cloth, a bowl or a flower that symbolises impending doom or refers us to a particular subject. Symbolists see the symbol as the only possible tool to express their thoughts and feelings.
Main ideas of Symbolism: Cult of beauty and mystery, Non-acceptance of reality, Search for a new language to express complex symbolic meaning, Multiple meanings
XX century
Impressionism
It is the quintessence of painting that is mannered and focused on superficiality, fluidity of the moment, mood, illumination or angle of vision. As the art of the Renaissance, impressionism is based on the peculiarities and skills of perception of perspective. Impressionist paintings do not carry social criticism, do not touch upon social problems such as hunger, disease, death, representing only the positive aspects of life. The new trend differed from academic painting both technically and ideologically. The style of writing is to overlay one paint on another, no one has done so yet. In impressionism, it is important to catch the moment, to convey the emotions of this moment.
Main ideas of Impressionism: Specificity of place and time of action, Momentary, Everyday life of plots (in landscape and in scenes of real life)
Pointillism
Stylistic direction in neo-impressionism. Characterized by the refusal to physically mix paints for the sake of an optical effect.
Continues the ideas of impressionism.
Post-impressionism
Art direction, a collective designation of a heterogeneous set of main directions in European painting. Post-impressionists abandoned the desire for momentary impressions, and began to comprehend the long states of the world around them, sought to capture the long, essential states of life, both material and spiritual.
Main ideas of Post-impressionism: Avoidance of reality, Special subtlety and coloring, Emphasis on sensual
Modern
Unlike other styles, paintings and panels of Art Nouveau were considered as elements of interior, giving it a new emotional color. Therefore, decorativeness has become one of the main qualities of Art Nouveau painting. Symbolism brought to Art Nouveau painting the symbolism of line and color; the themes of world grief, death, eroticism were widely presented; the artists’ appeal to the world of mystery, dream, legend, fairy tales, etc. became widespread. Art Nouveau graphics had its own expressive means: brightness, lithography. The appearance of posters and posters helped to develop modern graphics.
Modern’s main ideas: The desire to discover new methods, styles, forms, synthesis of various sources. Merging of different types and genres of art
Proto, Mono, Hyper, Fast, Neo. . . What’s next?
After the beginning of the 20th century, a huge number of trends and styles began to appear in the fine arts at the same time. Some were connected, others were opposed to each other.
There are directions that repeat the ideas of the art of the past. Such as: moving away from reality, striving to discover new methods of drawing, the idea of discarding everything outdated. And there are directions that arise from the rejection of all existing ideas of the past and present.
When we look at a painting or an artist through the prism of the past, we analyze what motivated the artist to draw like this. What’s going on with art now? Malevich’s famous “Black Square” is perceived by us in a completely different way. We will not be able to draw a parallel between the past and the present. This is one of the problems of perception of contemporary art. We can’t easily compare the past and the present. This leads to a misunderstanding.
What should I do about it? First of all, do not perceive the work through a comparative characteristic. There is no need to compare the picture of the Renaissance and the picture of the 21st century. They were created by different artists at different times. Secondly, to look at the picture through the prism of the past (not comparing, but understanding how and why the style has changed).
The theme of classical and contemporary art is firmly bonded by a chain of history. All kinds of art was once modern and sometimes shocked the public. But gradually a lot of things become familiar, and now quite other artistic trends are called modern ones. What we are now seeing in galleries around the world, in 30–40 years, will be replaced by new styles and new milestones. Directions are created under the influence of ideas that thrive at a certain point in history. Ideas fascinated authors, they united and became “classics” in the future. Directions can originate in one place, or can simultaneously in different parts of the world. It is worth noting that the paintings loved by many were a kind of rebellion against tradition. Most artistic movements began with the fact that a non-standard thinking artist (author) goes against the established tradition and creates new things. Studying the history of fine arts, we can notice that many works of artists and sculptors were perceived as bayonets. Many were not understood, many were rejected.
Paul Cézanne said: “The most attractive thing about art is the personality of the artist.”
And sometimes it is necessary to remember that a contemporary artist is very similar to the artists of the “past”.
How is the concept of “art” formed?
When I was looking for information, I came across an interesting work with the unusual title “Art is art is art”. According to the author, the concept of art was formed by the domestic viewer by the textbook “Native Speech”. It was dominated by landscapes and paintings of limited topics. For many, “Levitans and Shishkins have long been imposed in their teeth.” The school studied “classic” paintings, which formed the concept of art. The author notes that for people art has become something good, kind, calm, something that does not disturb people’s minds. For such viewers, contemporary art (Impressionism, Art Nouveau, Fauvism, Primitivism, Cubism, Orphism, Arte Pover) will not be art, as their perception of art is limited to the Soviet textbook and school curriculum.
Problems in the perception of contemporary art
The problem of perception of contemporary art is to focus only on the art of the “past”. The viewer does not give the “new” art a chance to open its doors to it.
That’s really true. We watched the “classics” and decided that this is art. And it can’t be different. The picture should be filled with different motives, clear images and easy-to-read meaning. This painting is about love, this painting reveals the artist’s childhood, etc. What is modern art of the 20th-21st centuries? Squares and paint splashes?
The problem of perception of contemporary art lies in the minds of people who have drawn a rigid line between “classical” and “non-classical” art.
However, there is no “non-classical art”. As world history shows, what was not understood before later became a “classic”. For example, Malevich’s painting “Black Square” is now considered a great work that opened the doors to a new era of fine arts. Although at the very beginning, his picture was uncompromisingly criticized. Art has been, is and will be forever” regardless of its understanding.
The problem of perception of contemporary art arises from the comparison of works of the past and the present. Direct comparative characteristic “blurs” the eyes and does not allow you to see the picture in the true light.
How do you understand him? It’s modern art…
You can often hear that contemporary art is separate from everything: “how can you compare Malevich’s “Black Square” and Rafael Santi’s “Athenian School?” This is one of the problems of perception of contemporary art. Man looks not through the prism of the past, but through a comparison of past and present. This is what art historians should do when studying material for scientific work, but not the viewer.
Freddie Mercury said, “Modern art is like women, you can’t enjoy it if you try to understand it.”
Modern “non-classical” art should not be compared and analyzed, but felt. Of course, the art of the Renaissance, Rococo and Baroque should also be felt, but understanding is more important. If you know the myth or plot depicted, you can understand the feelings conveyed in the picture.
Modern works should be perceived as they are now. The connection between epochs in art is strong. There is no need to oppose them to each other, as this leads to bad consequences. The need to have an endless dialogue with the art of the past (including the recent one) is manifested in the postmodern practice of citation, including direct “appropriation” (assignment of famous images and symbolic statements).
Will it become a classic?
Self-commentation of art has lasted since time immemorial. In my opinion, the most interesting question that arises in the Museum of Modern Art, will it become a classic? Of course, there are paintings that will not be understood and perceived by anyone. There are mediocre artists and mediocre works. But it’s not only inherent in the 20th and 20th centuries. In the Renaissance, Realism, Impressionism, there were also paintings “about nothing”.
Look at these three pictures:
Cubism, Abstractionism, Metalarism
These three paintings represent three modern movements: Cubism, Abstractionism, Meta-realism. Agree that these works are understandable and pleasing to the eye. As I said before, the problem of perception can be a deliberate rejection of contemporary art. If you look at different kinds of art or at different artists, you’ll be able to find what’s right for you. Something that touches you.
To sum up
I want to say that the perception of contemporary art and the art of the “past” should not only be based on past experiences, but also on the ideas of the era in which the work was created. Now the world is living with absolutist ideas, ideas of freedom and endless possibilities, while in the 18th century (Enlightenment) the main idea was humanism. Artists in the 21st century are tired of the Shishkins, they want something new and unexplored. I believe art is a huge part of our lives and should not be rejected or viewed in bits and pieces. Sometimes it’s worth abstracting everything to perceive a painting, and sometimes it’s worth looking at it through the prism of the past.
Appealing to “amateurs”:
1. If you walk into a contemporary art gallery and don’t understand anything there. Get out. Then you weren’t moved.
2. Look online for artists and styles that you might like and go and see them specifically.
3. Do a search for your art and study the art of the past, so you can trace the changes that have taken place in art.
4. explore or feel the ideas of your time, this way you can understand your contemporaries.
5. The past and the present are directly connected. Ask yourself the question: why is it painted this way?
6. Try to understand or feel the picture. Don’t look for hidden meanings and plots. Just look at the work.
P.S. I am an amateur like you. Join the club of art lovers)
