All Kinds of Glass

Modern Art

Why I Hate Modern Art

The timeline of art history

The history of art can be traced back to cave paintings of about 15000 BC.

The nature of paintings changed little until around 1450 AD, when the Renaissance brought-about naturalistic styles and formal rules of composition, such as perspective (Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci, etc).

Following the Renaissance, new styles emerged every 50 to 100 years, but nothing significantly changed (e.g. the rules of perspective were still applied).

In 1874, Impressionism was born (Auguste Renoir, Edgar Degas, etc). The term was originally used to make fun of Claude Monet's painting "Impression: Sunrise", but was adopted by artists to describe their style of work. Most people are familiar with Impressionism, so I will not waste words describing the style, and move on.

At the end of the 1800s, Impressionism spawned Post Impressionism (Vincent van Gogh, Paul Gauguin, etc). While Impressionism had remained faithful to nature, Post Impressionism favoured brighter and more unnatural colours.

Next we had Abstraction, where artists (Modigliani, Picasso, etc) changed the appearance of their subject so it no longer looked realistic, by shifting the point of view, exaggeration, simplification, etc.

At the risk of over simplifying things myself - Fauvism, Cubism, Futurism, and
Dada
all quickly followed, and were variations on Abstraction. It’s the Dada artists that I want to write about.

In 1916, the Dada movement was formed amidst despair and revulsion arising from the horrors of World War I. Dada art was intentionally anti-aesthetic, and sought to reject all rules and conventions. Many Dada artists considered their work to be anti-art, and to have the purpose of enraging their audiences.

The single most influential Dada artist was arguably
Marcel Duchamp
.

Conceptual Art springs from the “Fountain”

As a young boy, Duchamp aspired to become an artist, and took classes in academic drawing. He worked in the styles of the time (Post Impressionism, Cubism, etc), but failed to achieve recognition, until 1917, when his notorious ‘Fountain’ changed the face of art.

“Fountain” was a signed urinal. Duchamp claimed it to be a work of art that he had created, because; he chose it, he gave it a name, he placed it in a different context, and created a new thought for that object.

In December 2004, Duchamp's Fountain was voted the most influential artwork of the 20th century by 500 selected British art world professionals. The Independent noted in a February 2008 article that with this single work, Duchamp invented conceptual art and "
severed forever the traditional link between art and merit
".

Each person has to draw his or her own conclusions, but these are mine

Duchamp was taking the "p" (urinal!).

He was an art anarchist, and his aim was to damage the art establishment. Unfortunately the art establishment evolved to embrace his prank, and allowed Duchamp to achieve his goal.

Perhaps this happened because Duchamp presented an opportunity for those similarly without skill to enter a world previously closed to them? Whatever, more than 90 years later, our art galleries, art awards, and media coverage are all full of "fountains", and the objective of our most notorious present day "artists" still appears to be enraging their audiences. Modern art has become a very weary joke.

Reasoning that anything can be art is no different to saying that everything is everything. History has even been rewritten, and the cave paintings now often given a new conceptual twist: they were not decoration, but an early form of communication.

Detractors of modern art are often shot down. When we voice our views we are usually patronisingly told that we don’t like it because we don’t understand it. I do understand … I honestly do!

The point I am trying to make is that conceptual art is one very tiny and polarised viewpoint. It does not render all other points of view invalid.

Isn't it time for a change soon?

Portraits by John Burton
About the Author

Portrait artist working mainly from clients' own photographs.

Buying Modern Art Paintings For Your House

Buying paintings for your home is the first step in adding your personal touch to an interior decoration. Decorating your personal living space is a vital need; we all want to live in a space that makes us feel good and relaxed. Our homes are small havens and sanctuaries; therefore displaying art in your home is a way to personalize and mark the space you live in. Modern art paintings are a great way to make your space breathe artistic creation and style.

Modern art paintings have been the most popular art pieces the last few years, either displayed in art galleries for random visitors and enthusiasts, or as part of the decoration in our living or working space. There are thousands of avid collectors of Modern art paintings all over the world, who are willing to spend some serious amounts of money in order to buy the objects of their desire. Whether you see them as an investment or as art pieces for personal pleasure, original modern paintings are an absolute must have.

Displaying modern art pieces and paintings on the walls of your living or working space, can be a significant move in order to completely change the tone in the room or enhance some of its features : a landscape painting can automatically create a more serene and peaceful atmosphere, a painting that depicts water and sea can add to your desire for travelling or help your mind escape; artworks featuring animals or trees can be the perfect complement of furniture in a rural house or help you create a more informal and lodging ambience, always in a very sophisticated way.

No matter what their subject might be, modern art pieces and paintings can have a quite soothing effect; they can also be perfect decorative pieces. Even if you have never been a savvy art person and lover you cannot help it but value their uniqueness.

Modern art paintings are considered to be the most essential pieces of decoration since they can differentiate and enhance the atmosphere in your space, helping you personalize it according to your particular artistic orientation, style and taste.

Oil, for example, compared to all other painting media, has the ability to add warmth and liveliness in any room: every modern art painting, no matter what the subject is, features a rather unique way of depicting reality, which is always eloquent and lucid, communicating their message in a rather life like and unique way.

It comes as no surprise that most people have been intrigued, at least once in their life by an art painting; this media is known to intrigue the viewer and lead him in their atmosphere and particular world, due to its liveliness and aesthetics. Especially when referring to authentic and modern pieces of art, the result can be even more beguiling.

Modern art painters and artists have been creating pieces already characterized classic and timeless; just think of artists like Warhol, who created modern art paintings so many years ago, but still today they are modern and stylish, although considered some sort of classic pieces. Modern art doesn't need to be extravagant.

About the Author

Al Smitty is a writer who loves to discuss many topics ranging from pop art paintings to American football. Thanks for reading!