Changes in Art Over the Last 150 Years - Essay Example

Fountain Over the last one-hundred and fifty years the definition of art has experienced significant change. Tracking the historical changes is highly significant as it providers the researcher or art-historian both artistic and cultural perspectives. In this way, as the definition of change so do the cultural trends that the art was created in. Additionally, there is the recognition that changes in art reflect a similar innovative environment that espoused in scientific creation. Of course, there are many complex considerations within such developments. In examining these complex considerations, this essay examines changes in the definition of art over the last 150 years. Additionally, the essay examines Marcel Duchamps fountain and Bruce Naumens fountain.” Finally, the essay meditates on the notion ‘aesthetic’. Art in the 19th century was greatly influenced by the surrounding cultural climate. While early in the century neo-classicism and romanticism were the dominant styles, but the 1860s realism had become the most prominent mode of artistic expression (Adams, p. 521). Realism attempted to capture the environment in its most realistic state. Realism defined art as working to capture reality in as accurate a way as possible. In this way artists implemented all the techniques at their disposal, including perspective and careful observation of the surrounding environment, to create works of art that directly reflected the world. Among the prominent realist painters include Jean-Baptiste-Camille Corot. Corot’s works included in-depth portraits, such as ‘Woman with a Pearl’ (Adams, p. 525). Rather than using artistic flourishes, these works explored themes of everyday existence. The 19th century realist movement was not merely restricted to painting, but would also expand into literature (Adams, p. 520). The realist movement can perhaps be regarded as the end of pre-modern art. After the realist movement modernism emerged and redefined the definition of art. Rather than viewing art as an expression of observable reality, modernism styles increasingly viewed the goal of art as capturing the changing nature of human perception. This is a significant development in art as it marked a willingness to break from traditional reflection of the world to a more experimental emphasis. Impressionism is perhaps the first modernist style. While today impressionism appears a highly traditional style, during the late 19th century it was regarded as avant-garde. Undoubtedly the artist that most prominent exemplified the impressionist movement was Vincent Van Gogh. Van Gogh’s work includes the ‘Bedroom in Arles’ as well as a variety of other work that reveals his stark vision of reality (Britt, p. 209). Monet was also an impressionist; however his works took on more light-hearted themes. Pointillism was another style that emerged during this time period. Georges Seurat would foreground pointillism after experimenting with color theory. Pointillism, specifically, is a style of art where the artist creates images through using tiny dots which form a whole. Among the most prominent pointillist works include Seurat’s ‘The Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte.’ Created over two years, over 1884-1886, this work is today regarded as a classic of late 19th century art (Britt, p. 212). The 20th century continued the late 19th century’s modernist explorations of form and style. Perhaps this century’s first major art movement was expressionism. Expressionists adopted many techniques from impressionism; however, this style attempted to articulate the artist’s internal emotional state. Edvard Munch’s ‘the Scream’ is perhaps the seminal expressionist work. Following the expressionist movement, cubism against worked to redefine the notion of art. Cubism viewed human existence as necessarily splintered and attempted to recreate the complex reality of existence through works that juxtaposed different planes. To an extent then cubism can be viewed as falling under the auspices of the modernist definition of art. During this period the definition of art was also redefined by surrealist. Surrealist, such as Salvador Dali, were highly influenced by psychologist Sigmund Freud who argued for the prominence of the human sub-conscious. For surrealists the definition of art then became capturing these sub-conscious elements (Britt, p. 240). With artists such as Marcel Duchamp and Andy Warhol the definition of art experienced perhaps what can be considered a full-scale revolution. Duchamp signed his name to a urinal and called it art. This act called into question the very nature of aesthetics and artistic production. No longer was a work of art significant because of the skill of the artists; instead a work of art gained significance for its conceptual meaning. While Duchamp was considered a modernist, he could just as easily been recognized as the progenitor of the conceptualist art movement. This art movement redefined art in terms of concepts, shifting the emphasis of aesthetic appreciation to intellectual reasoning. To an extent Andy Warhol can be viewed as a conceptual artist. Still, Warhol is more aptly positioned as a post-modern pop artist. Warhol and other pop artists such as Roy Lichtenstein would again redefine art. Borrowing conceptualist principles, this movement viewed art as a partial social critique and adopted aestheticized many forms of low culture. Ultimately this is a highly significant disruption as art became redefined from one of high-culture modernist emphasis, to something where both high and low cultures are intertwined. This post-modern conceptualism would come to function as the most prominent definition of art throughout the rest of the 20th century. I have strong feelings about Marcel Duchamps fountain and Bruce Naumens fountain.” The first features a urinal that Duchamp changed. The second is a portrait that of Nauman. I recognized the change in these works as the difference means of expressing a definition of art. While many people deride Duchamp’s ‘fountain’ as ridiculous I fully recognize its importance. At the time Duchamp was an accomplished artist and fully in-tune with trends in the art world. His fountain then constituted the perfect conceptual response to artist developments. Additionally, I believe the referential irony inherent in Nauman’s ‘fountain’ occupies a similar form of artist expression. The important recognition in both these instances is that these artists were already well established and as such these artist productions must be considered within the context of their work and social perspectives. When considering these fountain pieces, as well as much contemporary art, the meta-critical consideration of the notion of ‘aesthetic’ becomes an important area of examination. While traditional notions of Greek the beautiful included a variety of aesthetic elements, it’s clear that in the last one-hundred years the notion of aesthetic shifted from this perspective. Instead of classic notions of beauty, aesthetics increasingly became aligned with experimental and conceptual design practices. In this way something wasn’t simply beautiful because it used specific colors, but it was beautiful for it ingenuity or fresh character. It seems that while the traditional Greek notion of beauty defined a form of beauty, it was too simplistic in its nature. Instead, contemporary art recognizes that aesthetics must accompany a broad range of human sensor and intellectual experience. For instance, the conceptual ingenuity inherent in Duchamp’s ‘fountain’ can be aesthetically appreciated just as someone appreciates the powerful realism and intensity inherent in a mid-19th century work. Ultimately, the evolution of the definition of art has demonstrated significant differences in the way humans recognize their complex reality. In conclusion, this essay has examined changes in art over the last 150 years. Within this spectrum of understanding the essay has demonstrated that the mid-19th century perspective of art held that art was linked to constructing realistic depictions of the objective world. With impressionism, modernism redefined art to reflect the increasing complex perspectives on human existence. Modernism would subsequently work to redefine the forms of artistic expression. Duchamp would call into question the definition of art through introducing his conceptual ‘fountain’. The mid-20th century again redefined art by breaking down the division between high and low culture. Ultimately, the changing definitions of art demonstrate the considerable cultural change that has occurred in the nation. Works Cited Adams, Laurie. A History of Western Art. New York: McGraw-Hill. 2010. Britt, David. Modern Art Impression to Post-Modernism. Thames & Hudson. 2008. Read More