This class is a fundamental step stone to understanding art theory and the differing ideologies. I was presented with ideologies that made me question how I view art and why certain artworks appeal to me or not. Understanding how different art movements were created helps me understand modern art's evolution. While it wasn't included on the blog, I found my research paper on Dada to be an interesting and insightful dive into a movement that shaped the beginning of modern art. I discovered how it influenced future art movements such as Surrealist and Pop art. The coursework has inspired me to continue researching some of the theories and movements we focused on. I aim to apply what I learned from this class to the art programs I want to teach and topics I want to write about. It also shapes how I view the world and how visual media is connected to it.
Art has evolved in a digital world.
Information is fast and easier to obtain, allowing for more accessibility to visual
media. In the past, you would have to go to a museum or a gallery to view artwork.
Through the reproduction of art, from the invention of printmaking to
photography and film, it has become more easily distributed to people who
wouldn’t have time and means to see artwork often displayed far from where they
live. The focus has shifted from the bourgeoisie to the common people, allowing
mass visual communication. Then, the shift to the digital age expanded this
dramatically further—the worldwide connection to instant information allowed instant
visual media access. Art can be made digitally and viewed digitally, which
reinvents how art is viewed and understood. Now, with the creation of AI, art
further confronts conventional art norms in terms of how we view and comprehend
these digital art forms.
The rise of AI-generated
art is alarming for artists. The question is whether it is still art if a
computer program creates the art form under the direction of the prompter,
though. While a computer program creates the art form, the human element still
directs the creation. Marshall McLuhan’s theory of “the medium is the message”
reinforces AI art. AI art is a controversial topic, with arguments over the
authenticity and validity of the created content. McLuhan argues that content isn’t
the focus but the medium from which it is derived. AI is a tool that the artist
uses to share a visual message. A static reality becomes alive when information
is input to create a directed image within parameters. AI was created by humans
who also created computers and harnessed power or electricity. A history of
human action, creativity, and experience is put into creating the medium. Using
McLuhan’s argument that the medium is the message, the creation of AI-generated
art relates to the creation of computers and the digital age. AI breaks
traditions of how conventional art is viewed and created. McLuhan states, “the
message” of any medium or technology is the change of scale or pace or pattern
that it introduces into human affairs,” which correlates with AI art at the
speed it has affected human society (1964, p.1). Regardless of the viewer's
feelings about AI art, it is still a medium that reflects a message.
Walter
Benjamin’s theory of the” aura” argues that reproduction causes an art form to
lose some of its “essence,” the element of time and space. Benjamin argues that
art can only be truly appreciated in an intimate setting with one or a few
people. Even the act of showing the artwork in a museum or gallery begins to diminish
the mysticism of the art form. Mechanical reproduction, from printmaking to
film and photography, further diminishes the artwork's aura, making it a common
object. This is incredibly limiting for most of the world, with many people
living in rural areas far from big cities where museums and galleries are
mostly situated. Without reproduction, only a select few, probably rich, would
have access to artwork. Reproduction may diminish the 4th-dimensional aspect of
art, but it allows it to enter the viewer’s personal situation wherever and
whenever the viewer chooses.
Marshall
McLuhan’s theory, “The medium is the message,” argues that the medium, not the
content, is the focus of the art form. The transition from the Industrial
Revolution to the digital age fundamentally changed how art is made and viewed.
Regardless of what is created, the medium used in the creation is the most
important aspect. It is a universal way of viewing art that allows viewers to
view it regardless of gender and socio-political status. It is an extension of
the creator.
Jean Baudrillard's
“Simulacra and Simulation” examines how signs and symbols can transform reality.
He argues that our current society has replaced genuine experiences with
simulations. Simulacra refers to copies or representations that become more
real than the reality they imitate while losing connection to the original
reality (Baudrillard, 1983, p.7). Focusing on the symbols or signs in the
artwork shows how it affects our perception of reality through a blending of
the medium and content. Baudrillard viewed pop art as the start of simulation
in art, focusing on symbols and the end of the representational form.
Baudrillard stated, “ Art can become a reproducing machine ( Andy Warhol) without
ceasing to be art, since the machine is only a sign” ( 1983, p.116).
Reference
Baudrillard, J. (1983). Simulations. Semiotexte. https://urup.or.id/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/Foreign-Agents-Series-Jean-Baudrillard-Simulations-Semiotexte-1983.pdf
McLuhan, M. (1964). The Medium is the Message. From Understanding Media: The Extensions of Man.
It
can be argued that a significant difference exists between an original piece of
art and mechanical reproductions. Water Benjamin argues in his theory of the
aura that creating original pieces of art is a spiritual and ritualistic
experience that embodies the fourth dimension of time and space. Creating and
seeing a piece of art in person is a multi-sensory experience. This reflects an
aura of its being. It is strongest in person when being able to see the
original artwork. The earliest artworks were used for ritualistic purposes,
which created a cult value for the piece. The mystification of art adds to the
aura of the artwork. It is like energy pulsating from combining materials, creative
thought, time, and space. It is a testament to its authenticity and historical
and artistic tradition. The authenticity of a thing is the “quintessence of all
that is transmissible in it from its origin on, ranging from its physical
duration to the historical testimony relating to it,” and reproduction
threatens the historical testimony that gives authority to the object (Benjamin,
2008, p.21).
Art reproduction isn’t new.
Since the creation of printmaking, such as woodblock prints and lithography,
artists have been creating prints of the original. Then, through photography
and film, the distance increases from ritual into a new existence. Benjamin
argues that the reproduction of work changes the context of the artwork. It diminishes
ritualism and replaces it with a subject meant for reproduction. Benjamin
believes that this cheapens artwork and turns it into a distraction and a form
of entertainment. There is little magic and destruction of tradition. With
photography and film, they destroy traditions but reinvent a way to examine the
world. The camera can capture details that our eyes miss down to milliseconds.
This creates a “zero-aura artwork: artwork for, by, and of the masses” (Zair, 2010,
p.3). Photography and film are a strange mix that still has traces of aura.
In the article “Aura, Auteurism, And the Key to
Reserva” by Kartik Nair, he uses the Martin Scorsese film “The Key to Reserva”
as an example of aura in film. “The Key to Reserva” is Alfred Hitchcock's
three-and-a-half-page unfilmed and unfinished script that Scorsese wanted to
film to channel Hitchcock into the work.Nair states that the “script
resonates with the ‘complex temporality’ of aura: a belatedly discovered
message from a lost time, a kind of revelation before the plunge into oblivion”
(2010, p.14). The reinvention of a dead and iconic film director ties into the
mystification of the aura. To add to the effect, Scorsese directs it but tries
to eliminate any of his persona from the film. Still, in the end, it is his
film, but the combination creates an aura of mystique and allure.
[Everything is Cinema]. (2021, January 1). The Key To Reserva | Martin Scorsese's Tribute to Alfred Hitchcock | Rare Moments Of Martin Scorsese [Video]. Youtube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MjQrDn1IR0Q
Nair, K. (2010). Aura, Auteurism and the Key to
Reserva. Wide Screen, 1(2), 1–19.
There is a
certain weight to a name that bestows authenticity and accountability to art.
As Foucault argues in “ What is an Author?”, a name is more than a mere gesture;
it is a form of description. This concept is particularly relevant in the realm
of visual arts, where artists communicate through images, creating a visual
narrative. Art movements are often associated with names, as these artists
craft a distinct visual discourse in their imagery. A name, in this context,
serves as a form of classification, allowing art to be compared, contrasted,
and ultimately, given credibility.
Salvador Dali, a figure of immense renown, was born in
1904 in Catalonia, Spain, and played a pivotal role in the Surrealist movement.
His expulsion from the group in 1934, far from diminishing his influence,
served to further intertwine his name with the movement. The Surrealist
movement, ignited by André Breton’s “ Manifesto of Surrealism,” sought to blur
the boundaries between reality and the subconscious. Surrealism, akin to
Freudian psychology, shared a fascination with the unconscious mind and the
erotic, and 'readily accepted the sexual connotations Freud saw in everyday
objects and incorporated such ideas into their own art' (Lutz, 2023). This
underscores the profound influence an artist's name can have on an entire
artistic movement.
Salvador Dali’s “Persistence of Memory” (1931) is one
of the most famous artworks in the world. It can be argued that it is one of
the first artworks that comes to mind when one thinks of surrealism. The
painting is a dreamlike beach landscape with water and mountains in the
distance. Fashioned after Dali’s Catalonia beaches in Spain. There are limp
watches draped about the composition, filled with organic shapes reminiscent of
figurative forms. Ants, a common theme in Dali’s work, represent decay
clustered around the composition as if attacking the watches. Time has no
meaning, and we are victim to it. The artwork has Dali’s reoccurring themes of
ants as a symbol of decay and even imagery of his homeland, giving credibility
to the artist. The melting clocks are iconic imagery associated with Dali and
the Surrealist movement. If another artist created melting clocks, it would be
compared and contrasted to Salvador Dali’s artwork in its value and credibility
as an art form. Dali’s imagery is deeply associated with his name and credibility
as an artist. Knowing his background and fascination with psychopathy and the unconscious
affects how the viewer views the artwork in association with the artist.
Hearing the name Salvador Dali brings an expectation of surrealist elements in
the artwork. Dali’s name and the surrealist movement and visual elements are
intimately entwined.
The Persistence of Memory (1931) Salvador Dali
References
Foucault, M. (1969).
What is an Author?
Lutz, R. C. (2023). Surrealism Is Born. Salem Press Encyclopedia.
For centuries, countless art critics
and historians have theorized and analyzed the question of what makes art art. Leo
Tolstoy, a revolutionary of his time, argued in his” What is Art” that true art
could only be created as a shared emotional and moralistic experience between
the artist and the viewer ( Tolstoy, 2021). Art is universal
and transcends from canvas and sculpture to anything that conveys a deep
emotional connection between people. Art is to be a sincere and authentic shared
human experience. Tolstoy argued that art didn’t exist for its own sake but is
measured by its service to humanity.Tolstoy dismissed elite
art as visual fodder and argued that it was not universal art and that only a
select few understood and appreciated it. True art dismisses It is exclusive
and elusive and enforces a gap between the rich and poor. The poor must focus
on survival and must work, and little time left over is spent with family. The rich
have the time and space for leisure matters and to focus on art and theories.
Emotion connects humans beyond class and gender. Through infectious emotion, Tolstoy
argued that art is an intentional visual representation that infects the view
with the artist's emotions. Tolstoy states:
And universal art, by uniting the most
different people in one common feeling, by destroying separation, will educate
people to union, will show them, not by reason but by life itself, the joy of
universal union reaching beyond the bounds set by life (Tolstoy,2021).
Tolstoy’s
theory has merit in examining how art can titter in obscurity and symbolism
that only a select few, usually the rich and elite, can understand and appreciate.
Art should be accessible to everyone regardless of socioeconomic status, gender,
and color. Emotion adds richness to the artwork and elevates the work. The goal
of art is to create a connection between the viewer and the artist’s artistic
vision, and inciting emotions can bridge that gap. Tolstoy, with his view that
art had a moralistic obligation of service to humanity, has a connection with
his Christian religious background. He tied art to church worship to incite the
same feeling. The issue with this is that many different people have different beliefs
and ideas about morals. Morality is fluid, and the human race isn’t perfect. Emotions
are an integral part of art, as are thoughts and ideas. In “ Art Theory: A Very
Short Introduction,” Cynthia Freeland writes that critics argue that “The
expressiveness is in work, not the artist.” a work of art may take many weeks
or months to complete, which the artist feels many emotions during this time (2003,
p.43).
Looking
at Judy Chicago’s “ Dinner Party” with Tolstoy’s view of art, one would see
that this artwork lacks a universal emotional connection. The large triangular table
is dedicated to 1,038 women and has thirty-nine place settings, each commemorating an
important woman from history.The elaborate
setting hosts golden chalices, utensils, and porcelain plates with raised
vulvar and butterfly forms created in the style of the honored individual women.
Chicago's artwork often focuses on feminist topics and gender equality. Important
topics that affect women’s lives. Chicago must have been through a flux of
emotions while undertaking this time-consuming project. The creative thought process
and insight into women’s issues and confrontation of the art world is reflected
in the “ Dinner Party.” People may not understand or care about it, but it is
still created with the creative intention to bring awareness to these great women
and their impact on the world.
Dinner party (1974-79) Judy Chicago
References
Freeland, C. (2003). Art Theory: A Very Short Introduction. Oxford University Press Academic UK. https://tiffin-bookshelf.vitalsource.com/books/9780191579325
Tolstoy, L. (2021). What is Art. Project Gutenberg. https://www.gutenberg.org/files/64908/64908-h/64908-h.htm
The modern art
world is crowded with male artists, predominantly white hetero-normative male
artists, leaving little room for women. By deconstructing the art world’s power
structure, feminist artists are reinventing the way the public views gender and
how women are represented in the art world. Cindy Sherman and Barabara Kruger
are two powerful contemporary American feminist artists who confronted and
subverted traditional notions of representation, gender, and power within the
art world. Sherman and Kruger analyze and deconstruct modern art theory and
practices while creating powerful visual narratives by exploring new media art
forms such as photography, film, and installation work. Both artists, growing
up in a media, advertising, and consumerism landscape, confront and explore
through appropriating images for their art show how these affect socially
constructed ideas on identity and gender (Gaylord, 2016). Both are associated
with the Pictures Generation, a group of Conceptual artists concerned with the
critical analysis and dissemination of mass-media culture
Cindy Sherman was
born in 1954 in Glen Ridge, New Jersey. When she was a child, she moved to Long
Island, New York, with her family to be closer to her father's work. Later, she
attended SUNY Buffalo and received her BFA in photography in 1976. It was also
during this time that she was introduced to conceptual art, which she found
both liberating and inspiring” (Minichiello, 2023). She moved to New York City
and began her most famous art series called the “Untitled Film Stills”
(1977-1988). These 70 film stills were based on old Hollywood b films where it
showed Sherman in a variety of roles in different situations, often based on female
stereotypes. The photographs were taken from the perspective of a lustful gaze
in uncomfortable situations to create conversations on female representation,
feminism, and postmodernism (Gaylord, 2016). She often used theatrical elements
in her photography to amplify her visual narrative. Transforming herself using makeup
and prosthetics, which were often disheveled, peeling shows “the artificiality of
these fabrications, a metaphor for the artificiality of all identity construction”
(Gaylord, 2016).
How mass media representations shape us | Cindy
Sherman (2021) MoMA
Barbara Kruger, a
New Jersey native, was born in 1945 in Newark. She was born to a working-class
Jewish family, and her family often experienced discrimination for their
belief. She attended Syracuse University, the School of Visual Arts, in 1964. She
entered the Parsons School of Design in New York City in 1966. There, she
gained art connections and was introduced to Richard Avedon and other
photographers. Kruger was hired by Condé Nast Publications as a second designer
for Mademoiselle magazine and promoted to chief designer in 1967. She worked at
Mademoiselle for four years, then left to pursue work as a freelance picture
editor and graphic designer at Aperture, House and Garden, and other magazines
(Myers, 2022). She began focusing on creating artwork in 1969, combining
traditional female art forms and contemporary but would be unsatisfied and
would eventually take a hiatus from creating work and focus on academia and
writing. In the late 70s, Kruger would cycle back to art and begin developing”
her trademark style of black-and-white photographs of cultural images from
mainstream sources that were juxtaposed unexpectedly with familiar phrases or
slogans typeset in the Futura Bold Italic font against a red background” (Myers,
2022). Kruger went beyond the museum and gallery setting to use large-scale
public areas as you would use for advertising. Her work was displayed on
billboards, subway posters, bus placards, and display windows. Also, using new media such as film would allow
for a multisensory tool for exploring social, economic, political, and cultural
issues. Kruger's commercial art and advertising background gives her fundamental
insight into images' circulation and cultural impact(Hernandez,2022).
Reappropriating tools designed for consumer consumption allows for a wider
range of accessibility to her art. She integrates it into everyday social life,
therefore confronting the contemporary art world structure.
Barbara Kruger – Consumerism, Power and the
Everyday (2017) Tate
Minichiello, M.
(2023). Cindy Sherman. Salem Press Biographical Encyclopedia.
[MoMA]. (2021,
January 1). How mass media representations shape us | Cindy Sherman | UNIQLO
ARTSPEAKS [Video]. Youtube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=239_BLVToB8
Myers, A. (2022).
Barbara Kruger. Salem Press Biographical Encyclopedia.
[Tate]. (2017,
January 1). Barbara Kruger – Consumerism, Power and the Everyday
[Video]. Youtube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bVxtKcDOHYc
Art has long been
associated with white cis-hetero normative male artists and art theory and
practices that enforce their status, often leaving out women artists. The rise
of feminism confronts the art establishment and is used as a tool to tear down
socio-political structures. Feminism began in the early 1900s and, over the
span of 120-plus years, would challenge and protest for political rights for
all and further extend the focus on all areas of socio-political life, the inclusion
of women of color and minorities, and trans-genderism. While much has changed,
there is still a large contrast in representation, exhibition, and sales
between men and women artists. “The highest price paid for a painting was $91
million by a male artist; in contrast, the highest price achieved by a
contemporary female artist is $12.4 million " (Chambers, 2023, p.5). Modern
art history textbooks are often lacking in women artists, and H. W. Janson’s
History of Art, a textbook still used today, didn’t mention women until the 5th
edition in 1995 (Freeland, 2003, p.38). There are successful women artists like Georgia
O'Keeffe, who has a museum dedicated to her, and the National Museum of Women
Artists in Washington D.C, but still the gulf remains.
Modern feminist artists have
argued that building on preexisting art structures is still rooted in colonialist
and white hetero norms. Modern education is more accessible and accommodating
to female artists, with 70% of female art students, but exhibitions and sales
are male-dominated. In 1984, The Museum of Modern Art had an exhibition of over
200 artists, of whom only 17 were women and even fewer artists of color (Tate,
2018, 01:05). With most art school students being female, why is there a huge
disparity between representation and opportunity between the sexes? When the
art establishments are confronted, it is often met with the reply that the
women were just not good enough and that women’s art doesn’t sell, and the art
collector responds that they would buy women’s art if it were available, which
creates a catch-22. Trying to reinvent and create a place for women artists in the
preexisting white hetero-male art model has issues, and modern feminists are
reevaluating and challenging the structures through forms of artivism, social media,
and education.
Feminist artists often
use new media to deconstruct art structures and confront the male gaze with
mediums such as photography. The artist Cindy Sherman used this medium in a series of photographs called the " Untitled Filmstills," in which she posed in different situations reminiscent of old Hollywood movies. The photographs were heavy with tension and dread, with
Sherman objectifying the spectator, turning the male gaze upside down. She has
no “essence” but is a construct of the camera that alludes to mystery and
suspense, which controls the image and confronts the viewer with the social
expectations of gender. Groups like the Guerrilla Girls have adopted various
strategies to confront the lack of equality and representation for women in the
arts. They use humor, numbers, and facts to bring attention to these issues and
challenge the male-dominated Western canon. Their efforts are not just about
raising awareness but also about deconstructing the contemporary art model that
is centered on white male heterosexual normative. Modern feminist artists focus
on this deconstruction, which examines gender identity and its social role in art.
By dismantling the “historical “image of women and its associated gender roles,
they demonstrate that gender is a performative cultural act that is learned and
performed (Butler, 1988, p.522). This shift in perspective on the performative
roles of gender reveals the fluidity of gender and the liberation from
constructed cultural gender norms. To build a new system, it is necessary to
change how artists are viewed, recognizing that they range across a spectrum of
gender identities. This allows for creating an environment
where the artist is truly based on their artwork and not their constructed
gender performances.
Art is created to share the human experience, but the irony
is it has been exclusive to female artists. How can art be judged as the best
or worth the most if it focuses mostly on white male artists? It has only been
a few hundred years since women were allowed to attend art academies and in a
very diminished capacity. They were barred from nude figure studies essential
for historical paintings, limiting their art education. Women artists were
expected to depict scenes of domestic life with submissive females. With the limitations
on women artists, it can be argued this is why there haven’t been any women's
art canons. They weren’t given the same opportunities as men were. Many male
artists came from wealthy families or had a financial benefactor who provided
funding to support their careers. Men were encouraged to pursue the arts, while
women were confined to domestic life. Men were mostly likely to receive
patronage. The art theories were created mainly by white men for white men. Carving
a space out for women enforces visual narratives that confront the male gaze
and social gender role constructs. Feminists criticize canons because they
almost always exclude women and hold traditional ideas about what makes “greatness
in art” (Freeland,2003, p.37). Providing equal art education and representation
would allow women artists more opportunities and recognition.
The representation of women artists has gotten slightly
better in modern times, but there is a stark contrast. The start of the women’s
rights movement in the early 20th century would influence how the
public viewed women artists. Social conditions have drastically changed to foster
a social environment encouraging more female participation in the arts and
greater recognition of women artists’ achievements (Freeland, 2003, p.37). Artists such as Georgia O’Keefe, Judy Chicago,
and Cindy Sherman have gained national and international fame and prestige from
their artwork. Georgia O’Keefe has her own museum in Santa Fe, New Mexico. The National
Museum of Women Artists in Washington, D.C., was created in 1990. Despite these
achievements and recognitions, there is a wide gap in art sales and museum and
gallery exhibitions. Eddie Chambers discusses in his article “Who Can Do
Something, Do What They Can” the BBC Radio 4 documentary “Recalculating Art,”
which explores the differences in how women are undervalued in art compared to their
male counterparts. Chambers states, “The highest price achieved by a contemporary
female artist is $12.4 million, while it is $91 million for a man” (Chambers,
2023, p.5). A positive change is that 70% of art students are women, but even
so, it is predominantly men in galleries, museum collections, and auction
houses (Chambers, 2023, p.7). Education is more accessible for modern women,
but few opportunities are available without recognition and representation. The
fight for gender equality in the arts is ongoing with women like the Guerrilla
Girls who, through “artivism,” challenge contemporary art establishments on the
disparity between female and male artists through often humorous acts of artistic
vandalism such as wheat pasting statistics and numbers showing the lack of
female representation on the outside of museums. They are anonymous and wear guerilla
masks. Their “artivism” challenges art establishments and brings the public's
attention to the issues. Things are much better now than in the past for women
artists, but there is still an uphill battle to achieve gender equality in the
arts.
Guerrilla Girls-" You Have To Question What You See" ( Artist Interview)
Freeland, C. (2003). Art Theory: A Very Short Introduction.
Oxford University Press Academic UK.
https://tiffin-bookshelf.vitalsource.com/books/9780191579325
[Tate]. (2018, October 5). Guerrilla Girls-" You have to Question What You See" [Video]. Youtube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8uKg7hb2yoo
The appreciation of art often takes
conditioning to understand “high art,” which requires time, which is often in short supply for most of the world. With the introduction of the Industrial Revolution, a shift in art appeared that would appeal to the poor and working
class. These aesthetically pleasing but lacking substance artworks were created
to be easily appreciated by anyone. The birth of Kitsch, which means trash in
German, spread throughout the world. Kitsch is a visual art genre derived from popular and commercial culture that ranges from comics, magazines,
advertisements, movies, and commercial characters (Campbell, 2023). Kitsch is
the opposite of Avante-Garde, with the latter often associated with the elite
and rich who focus on new ideas that push boundaries and explore the human
condition. Clement Greenberg wrote in “Avante-Garde and Kitsch” that “Kitsch is
a product of the industrial revolution which urbanized the masses of Western
Europe and America and established what is called universal literacy” (1939,
p.10). Universal literacy was based on bypassing the focus on refined culture
that was privy to the elite and rich to a more uniform approach that appealed
to the majority, the poor. This creates a watered-down and easily digestible art
that doesn’t require much deep thought and often follows formulas and themes. Greenberg
states that:
All kitsch is academic, and
conversely, all that's academic is kitsch. For what is called the academic, as such, no longer has an independent existence but has become the stuffed-shirt "front" for kitsch. The methods of industrialism displace handicrafts
(1939, p.11).
With academic art and Kitsch being the same, it would imply
that academic art lacks originality.
Another
issue with Kitsch that Greenberg argues is the effect that kitsch art has on
native cultures. Production of kitsch art can be quicker and will sell native cultural arts out. Kitsch creates a universal culture that is based on Western
industrialism (1939, p.12). This creates a loss of cultural identity and replaces
it with a watered-down version of it. The attraction to Kitsch transcends
socio-economic class and focuses on the image rather than context, which can be attractive to viewers who have not been educated in art. The images catch the
eye but not the mind.
Noelani and Friends (Unknown date) Margaret Keane
An
example of a Kitsch artist is Margaret Keane, known for her big-eyed figures and animals. Her husband took credit for much of her work, which resulted in divorce and a fierce legal battle in which it was proved that the artwork was indeed hers. Her work is famous, and even the director Tim Burton created a
movie after her life. Her work is visually pleasing, with large-eyed figures that resonate with a sense of sadness. The painting “Noelani and Friends” shows a young girl with big dark eyes in the foreground, a parrot to her left, and
a cat with large blue eyes peeking from behind. There is foliage and flora surrounding
the figures. The image is aesthetically pleasing with a vibrant color scheme
and the “cute” young girl and animals. It is all superficial appreciation, with
the image having little context. However, pleasing the image is to view it doesn’t
push boundaries but follows an artistic formula. Keane’s images may explore on
a base level a sense of sadness that may have coincided with her life and
marriage but fail at a deeper narrative. Even so, with the lack of context, she
was a well sought out and successful artist who appealed to the masses
regardless of socio-economic status.
Margaret Keane, Painter Behind Tim Burton's 'Big Eyes'
Interview with the Artist
References
Campbell, J. (2023). Kitsch (visual art genre). Salem Press
Encyclopedia.
Art patronage and collections isn’t a new thing. Royalty
and the wealthy have long funded and sponsored art often to add to their prestige
and power. The duality between the art collector and the artists can be vastly
different. The term ‘starving artist’ has often been associated with artists in
relation to how many artists were poor and destitute. Many artists such as
Vincent Van Gogh, one of the most famous artists in the world, didn’t become
famous until after his death. He only sold a few paintings during his lifetime
and was a victim of poverty and mental illness. His paintings now are some of
the most expensive in the world. The irony does not go unnoticed.
It can be argued that art collectors are capitalists
and view art as a means of power and capital. The bidding wars between
collectors at auctions determine the artwork’s worth. Collectors also can
directly affect a piece of artwork and its legacy. When the collector purchases
the artwork, they have control over it. They can hide it away from the public,
which can drive up the price. They can dismantle and sell pieces of artwork to
make a higher profit. They can also have positive effects on society. A famous
example would be when in 1994, Bill Gates spent 30.8 million dollars on Leonardo
da Vinci’s Codex Leicester. This journal is filled with Leonardo’s writings,
more than 360 drawings and diagrams and is the only one still in private hands
(Tindera, 2021). The rest of Leonardo da Vinci’s journals are in museum
possession. Gates could have chosen to sell each page individually which would
raise the price, but he chose to keep it whole. Gates also loaned out the Codex
Leicester to museums and has digitalized portions of the Codex to allow for accessibility
for people to experience it through windows screen savers and wallpapers. Gates
loaned the Codex Leicester to Uffizi Gallery in Florence, Italy in 2019 for the
500th anniversary of its creation. Besides the purchase of the Codex
Leicester, Gates spent over 100 million dollars for image rights from the louvre,
Hermitage, London’s National Gallery, and the Detroit Institute of Art and
scanned one million images into digital form to provide more accessibility for
viewers to experience artwork (Freeland, 2023, p.32).It is great that Bill Gate’s
choses to share his art collection with the public, but it is still owned by
him and he has power over how it is shared and displayed. He could decide one
day to sell off pages or hoard it away from the public. He is still a capitalist,
and his expensive purchases of these artworks deem their worth and symbolize his
power and success. Art collectors are a mixed bag, and not everyone is like Bill
Gates. He is part of a system where art
is viewed as revenue. Purchases like his can be very helpful and will hopefully
influence other wealthy collectors.
Tindera, M. (2012, January 1). Bill Gates Owns One Of
Leonardo Da Vinci’s Manuscripts. Here’s How Much It’s Worth. Forbes. Retrieved
April 4, 2024, from
https://www.forbes.com/sites/michelatindera/2021/11/21/bill-gates-owns-one-of-leonardo-da-vincis-manuscripts-heres-how-much-its-worth/?sh=231823d940c7
The first public art museum
was created in France in 1753 when the French nationalized the Louvre following
the French Revolutionary War. Since its creation, countless others have sprung
forth across the world. Not every museum is the same and reflects different
goals. Some museums stem from nationalistic institutes, to being focused on
important archeological digs, science, medical, and more. The museum is a
symbol of power and prosperity. It started with being nationalistic tokens of
power. It created a status for a nation to have museums showing that they are
“champions of culture” (Freeland, 2023, p.30). The creation of public museums allowed for different socio-economic classes to view the artworks, which, in hope, allowed for a more civilized man. It is argued that the museum is outdated, and a new museum
model is needed. Exploring the legacy and issues that museums present allows
for new ideas on how to better art institutions.
Museums have been controversial in that they
are viewed as colonialist institutes that have looted art and promoted racial stereotypes.
The context of the cultural items is often diminished into obscurity. This can create discord in the visual narrative, such as in the example that many African masks are used for ceremonies and masquerades. This adds to the function and form of
the mask, which is lost when it is displayed in a museum. With the protests against museums' colonial past, museums are relooking their own collections and
starting to return looted artifacts. For instance, the Musée du Quai Branly in
Paris recently returned 26 artifacts to Benin, the first act of restitution by
a former colonial power in Africa (Oltermann,2024). Some people say this isn’t enough when the Musée du Quai Branly has thousands of pieces of
artwork from Benin and only returned 26. While this is a small start to repatriation, it is hoped it will influence other museums to take accountability for their role in colonialism and return looted artifacts. The British Museum begs to defer its stance in calling itself an “international museum” where it shows art from diverse cultures and refuses to return looted artifacts (Palmer, 2024, p.58). It could be argued that the British Museum symbolizes England’s
colonial and imperialistic past. A past that they resist dismantling even with the rising pressure from countries and protestors asking for looted artifacts to be returned.
In addition to this effect, museums
have been argued to be capitalist in nature. The irony of the artists who
created the artwork is that it is poor and desolate, while later, the artworks are sold
for millions of dollars to the highest bidders. While museums were partially
created to foster an environment to promote civilized men, the pressure from
corporations funding exhibitions creates a power struggle with what and how art
is displayed, which can cause censorship (Freeland, 2023, p.32). Corporate
backing of “blockbuster’ exhibits like the Treasures of Tutankhamun and Pompeii
appeals to broad public and middle-class taste. This does allow for a broader reach
in patrons but arguably influences how they view and understand art.
Tutanhamon Exhibit (2020) London
Museums have made changes
to be more inclusive and accessible. An example is the “Art/artifact”
exhibition curated in 1988 by Susan Vogel of the Center for African Art in New
York, which created an exhibit using varied display techniques to showcase African
masks in a typical backlit modern museum setting to then in contrast an anthropological
human diorama showing the masks on models of human figures ( Freeland, 2023,
p.32) This exhibition allows for the viewer to see the context behind the masks
in both representations of their culture and in a typical museum setting. Creating
environments like “ Art/Artifact” decolonizes the museum model, allowing for the
reclamation of culture and creating introspection in the viewer on what and how
they view art.
Palmer, G. L.
(2023). Looted artifacts and museums' perpetuation of imperialism and racism:
Implications for the importance of preserving cultural heritage. American
Journal of Community Psychology, 73(1-2).
https://doi.org/https://doi-org.tu.opal-libraries.org/10.1002/ajcp.12653
[TRT World]. (2022, January 1). France displays Benin artefacts before returning them [Video]. Youtube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vYoTUIZmvsw
