The Constant Debate.

History documents the invention of the camera as the demise of realistic artwork, for art's sake that is, tossing the classical ideals that so many years of art had been founded on.  This drastic change in the art movement generates questions regarding what is seen as art in modern times, and my mind is constantly debating the need versus choice of realistic artwork; are we currently experiencing the imminent fall of human culture?

The necessity for realistic artwork is only obsolete if you view the sole purpose of realistic art as documentary.  The ability to produce convincing realism still marks a talented visual artist.  Imagine a realist painter and a photographer who both try to capture the beauty of a scene by portraying it as truly possible.  Each uses a different medium.  The painter is no more likely to abandon his art in favor of photography than the photographer is to put down his still camera for a medium that would yield more accurate documentation.

Perhaps the viewer of art will chose the more realistic medium, and so the painter will lose an audience to photography, and in this evolutionary way the traditional artists will thin out and eventually be extinguished.  But to accept such a viewpoint would be cynical of the audience.  I do not think those who view are and love are are more attracted to one medium because it promises a truer interpretation of the world.  Even before the camera was invented there existed varying levels of realism in art.  Realist and trompe l'oeil works were able to coexist with sculpture throughout history.  Arguable, sculpture is more useful as a documenting tool though the value of realistic painting as an art never lost significant ground to sculpture.

Art is not about documentation, it is about truth.  One may equate most accurate and most true, but that would be a travesty.  Capturing the truth of a scene isn't necessarily about capturing how it looks--more importantly it is translating the emotions that are evoked by some subject matter, and that is not always done by portraying a scene accurately.  In fact the artist's job is often to highlight an emotional part of the subject matter--something that would be absent if the subject were to be exactly replicated.

Prosaic Images of a Manifested Culture.

Tagged as presenting a predictably bleak view of America's realization of it's Manifest Destiny, "Into the Sunset: Photography's Image of the American West" generates provocative and amusing conversations between the images throughout.  The medium of photography is seen as incidental, reflecting the coincidence between the invention and development of photography and the rise of the west, a highly fantasized, but real, industrialized area.  Photography of the west served as empirical documentation and a visionary expression of a world unexplored, opening the doors to a world offering seemingly infinite possibilities, allowing transcontinental expansion.  Some argue that the photography following World War II transforms into cliche documentation of the understated indictments of modern civilization, producing images only good enough for the tourism and real estate industries.  Equivalently, the images of people subsequent to World War II are less admirable than those preceding the war, for the photographs degrade the subjects into pathetic, disadvantageous men and women of a place that should be portrayed in the light of unprecedented freedom for individual expression and experimental behavior.  The stark contrast between the images of people dated before the war and those that are dated after comes from the heroic nature required to endure and persevere in a newly established area.  The problem that arises is whether contemporary photography should capture something better, leaving failure and disappointment in the shadows. 

The veracity is that the quandary falls with the lack of meritorious subject matter to be captured; photographers are only failing because critics are looking for the awe-inspiring image that the viewer diagnosed with stendhal syndrome.  Until the public provides artists with subjects that are valuable, we are stuck celebrating the lackluster American culture.

"Into the Sunset: Photography's Image of the American West" is a resonant exhibition at the Museum of Modern Art in New York.

Neo-Pop?

Understanding the inner workings of culture has been raised to a higher level; no longer can we merely accept the face value of societies mores.  Artist and professor turned medical student, Satre Stuelke has delved into a new project involving the sans of cultural icons, such as the Big Mac, the Barbie, and the iPhone.  Through these images, Stuelke aims to allow the public a diagnosis of these objects, finding ominous or surprising details within them.  In the end, Stuelke states, he aims to create images that are simply arresting.

Stuelke draws his inspiration from the work of photographer Robert Heineken, who was known for his whimsical images of food.  However, this dissection of cultural icons only leads me to think of the work created by Andy Warhol.  Granted, Warhol's statement revolved around the idea that culture causes people to be machines, resulting in the development of a generic idea by the mass public, Stuelke aims to delve further into the immortalization of popular culture by allowing the public to glance at the inner workings. Warhol dehumanizes his subject matter, denying the viewer any understanding of the inner workings of these icons, granting these symbols an impenetrable facade,  Cultural icons have mass, and Stuelke allows the public to see that deeper visualization of the items that hold unique cultural importance in modern society.  Has Satre Stuelke started the neo-pop era? To view more of Stuelke's scans, follow this link.

TAKE A MOMENT.

Graphic tees are a big commodity in the "scene" world, and there is no doubt that there are a multitude of design companies trying to make a name for themselves, but not all of them are worth looking into. I am not being harsh when saying that; in every aspect of life there are a multitude of syndicates that do not deserve to be in the running, by claiming repeat design elements and unoriginal subject matter as their own, hoping that things flourish without any hard work or dedication.  It is painful to see associations that suffer because of these factors.  Granted, there must always be a beginning with some sort of inspiration, and something to grow from.  Regardless, the companies that do provide original ideas backed by wholeheartedness should be showcased, especially in the visual realm, with a spotlight on (for now) graphic tee design.  Fashion is as important to many as a heartbeat is for survival, and the reality is culture is unable to suppress this importance.  More times than not, attire is the first thing we see about people, the first thing we examine, and the first thing that generates our opinions.  The delineated nature of graphic tees proves impossible to ignore, especially.  That is why I am taking to time to point the spotlight on Applicant Apparel, a graphic design company who's ideas are original, and the designer, Jan Powers, is the epitome of adherence and devotion in moving the company forward with innovative ideas and a growing knowledge of form.  Applicant Apparel also sponsors and supports developing bands, making a point to introduce new music to the public, and also offers design services outside of tshirts.  This is a bright, young business worth checking out.

Boiled Beauty.

Contemporary Russian artist Andrei Molodkin has discovered a way to boil corpses into crude oil, from which he plans to turn into memorial sculptures.  These models follow in the line of the final taboo revolving around the idea of death common in todays art realm.

This form of art cannot truly be considered new because artists have been using human splinters to create works, such as Marc Quinn did when he created a study of his head from his frozen blood.  Is this the new direction that art is taking in contemporary times?  It really comments on the statement that art is life and life is art, but is there a necessity to actually involve human fractions to create meaningful and moving artwork?

There has not been much criticism on the art of boiled bodies, so the verdict is still up in the air on whether this is considered art or not by notable critics, but to read more on the process, you can follow this link.

Boom From Crisis.

Flowingdata.com has put together a brief look at the use of graphic design in order to explain the current economic plight.  Who knew that art, specifically graphic design, could flourish for the sole purpose of helping americans to understand our nation?  I find it rather comical, actually.  It comments on the need for visual stimulation, as opposed to written verification, in order to grasp a concept.  Or, in other's eyes, it comments on the lack of dedication to learning about contemporary culture and news, using graphics as an easy scapegoat.  Regardless of the reason for this influx, the graphics work.  You can view twenty-seven examples by following this link.

Modest Hide and Seek.

The Brooklyn Museum is facing criticism for the exhibition of work done by Hernan Bas, with many of the arguments surrounding the idea that the museum has lost intellectual and ethical credibility.  Bas's work chiefly draws on erotic nostalgia and adolescent fantasy, such as David Hockney and Elizabeth Peyton do in their works, Bas's images resemble old-time boys' adventure novels, yet his work fails to profess aesthetic or psychological ground.  This blast against the Brooklyn Museum has not to do with Bas's work itself, but rather the accordance of the Rubell family, the owners of most of Bas's work, to curate and execute the show.  The main reason for such an attack against the museum is the immaturity seen in Bas's work, strongly questioning his importance in the art world, primarily because Bas has not found himself as an artist.

The job of an artist is to explore their creative ability, constantly changing their style, to perfectly express the constant motion of the mind, at least, that is how I have understood the actions of an artist.  It allows a viewer to witness the progression and impact of culture upon the artist; a timeline, if you will, no dates required.  The argument that Bas's work is of less importance that critics pose holds no water in my mind.  Examining art for what it could be strips away the importance of a work, and a conclusive connotation made from question what the work could be if the artist had progressed any further should be considered trash.

Bas's work itself is quite interesting, leaving the viewer often question the story leading up to the frame captured. The colors are too garish to personally enjoy the work, in this exhibition specifically.  If Bas had utilized one or two of the vibrant colors he seems to favor with more subtle hues, I would be able to appreciate the subject matter more.  All in all, the works are overpowering, but still worth checking out.

You can view selections from the exhibition by following this link.

Back To Brandeis Boards.

The primary benefactors of the Rose Art Museum have released a statement sharply criticizing university officials at Brandeis University for the first time in the debate regarding the auctioning of works of art to help raise money. The benefactors are worried that the Rose name would receive a negative connotation due to the auctioning of art pieces, for the museum was created as a public museum, and the works were donated for the sole purpose of public display. If the museum is to close and the works to be sold, it shatters the dream and intention of the founders.

You can follow the argument through this link.

Rebel Yell Repeat.

Shepard Fairey, the guerrilla artist who gained his high status in the art world for the creation of Obama's campaign poster, has moved away from illegal guerrilla strikes on the streets and into galleries and department store displays. Fairey has begun his permanent movement into the notable art world by designing a shopping bag for Saks Fifth Avenue, as well as his first museum retrospective at the Institute of Contemporary Art in Boston. Fairey has stayed faithful to his recycled imagery, bold words, and use of reds, blacks, and off-whites in his artwork, providing legibility integrated with vertiginous complexity.

Despite the initial impact that Fairey's work douses on the viewer, a feeling of dismay surpasses this primary rousing excitement, for his work leaves the viewer with a sense of devolution from a certain avant-garde dream into a kind of visual easy listening for the college-educated masses. His initial experimental imagery was successful when he first entered the scene, but truthfully, there is no reason for new, surprising reactions from critics and viewers alike. Fairey's method utilizes images and words that catch the public's attention, but strays from the propaganda of the media, delivering contradictory, menacing messages. This tenor aspires to provide an epiphany about alternative social realities. But Fairey was not the first artist to approach a possible epiphany through recycled imagery and provocative design. Artists such as Adrian Piper, Stephan Kaltenbach, Jean-Michel Basquiat, and most praised, Barbara Kruger, paved the way for this popularity of being subversive through art, which Fairey seems to be cheerfully oblivious and naive too.

While Fairey has indubitably mastered aestheticism for the masses, spawning controversy, his work lacks a personal, less predictable formulaic dimension, leaving his work to simply be a canny illustration of common knowledge.

Fairey's work is worth viewing, but not elevating above the next guerrilla artist.