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.
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.
Greenberg, C. (1939). Avante-Garde and Kitsch (1st ed., pp.
3-36). Beacon Press Books. https://cpb-us-e2.wpmucdn.com/sites.uci.edu/dist/d/1838/files/2015/01/Greenberg-Clement-Avant-Garde-and-Kitsch-copy.pdf
[KQED Arts]. (2015, January 1). Margaret Keane, Painter
Behind Tim Burton’s ‘Big Eyes’ [Video]. Youtube.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OMKnuhNe3Pc
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