In this philosophical lecture I discuss how and why the art of today is not a real art and how there are no standards anymore at all. I chose to give this lecture because I feel that if we understand why art today is not a real art, we will be able to change it and our conceptions for the future. This paper is an elaboration of the lecture and discusses how the heroic artists in Modernism were mistakenly taken as the examples and leaders for creating that which is seen as art in and after the post-modern era today.
Table of Contents
1. The Development of art through time (briefly)
2. In the 20th Century all of this didn’t fade out- it was pushed out
2.1 When and why it went wrong: The excellence didn’t die out…instead it was kicked out
Objectives & Core Themes
The primary objective of this text is to critically examine the decline of aesthetic standards in contemporary art by tracing the historical shift from traditional notions of beauty and craftsmanship toward postmodern conceptualism, which the author argues has reduced art to a rootless, commercialized commodity.
- The historical connection between art, beauty, and moral order from Antiquity to the Renaissance.
- The pivotal role of Marcel Duchamp and Dadaism in challenging traditional aesthetic frameworks.
- The influence of postmodernism and "social justice" discourse on the degradation of artistic merit.
- The impact of institutional structures and commercialization on the definition and validation of art.
Excerpt from the Book
When and why it went wrong: The excellence didn’t die out…instead it was kicked out
Yet, in the second half of the twentieth century, artists refused to accept traditional definitions of art and chose to align themselves with new theories of language. (It all started with the Impressionists who rebelled against the Académie des Beaux Arts Classicism which had kept the classical standards alive.) Breaking powerfully with tradition had been Duchamp. Marcel Duchamp’s ready-mades from 1913, would help to raise new questions for an art practice that would undermine the validity of formal philosophical aesthetic positions and the criteria that would surround them relating to conventional beauty, truth and religion. Coupled with Duchamp’s artistic statement that anything can be art if the artist says so, in the early twentieth century, Malevich in fact, would avoid representing anything in his paintings from the outside world altogether.
In many ways, this new course for art from the early twentieth century had also been able to develop because of a capitalising on the new space made for it by the Cubist artists, who had abstracted away from their paintings the depiction of reality from the world outside. (Wood 2002, 11-12) Operating as a kind of “visual manifesto,” (Wood 2002, 11) this would move art towards becoming a fully abstract art ‘purified’ of narrative or any descriptive features which would be meant to act on the spectator like a ‘visual music.’ (Wood 2002, 10-11)
Summary of Chapters
The Development of art through time (briefly): This chapter establishes the historical foundation of art as an pursuit of beauty, perfection, and moral truth, spanning from Ancient Greece through the Middle Ages to the Enlightenment.
In the 20th Century all of this didn’t fade out- it was pushed out: This chapter analyzes the transformation of art in the 20th century, focusing on how Duchamp, the avant-garde, and later conceptual artists systematically dismantled traditional aesthetic standards in favor of ideas and shock value.
When and why it went wrong: The excellence didn’t die out…instead it was kicked out: This section details the specific transition during the mid-20th century, arguing that the shift toward abstract and conceptual art undermined the validity of formal philosophical aesthetics.
Keywords
Aesthetics, Traditional Beauty, Postmodernism, Conceptual Art, Dadaism, Marcel Duchamp, Art History, Cultural Industry, Avant-Garde, Visual Culture, Philosophy of Art, Modernism, Social Justice, Institutionalized Art, Commercialization
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the central premise of this work?
The work argues that contemporary art has suffered a significant decline in quality and substance because it has abandoned traditional aesthetic standards, such as beauty and craftsmanship, in favor of conceptualism and marketability.
Which historical periods are contrasted in the text?
The text contrasts the traditional periods—characterized by the pursuit of beauty, order, and morality (Antiquity, Renaissance, Enlightenment)—with the postmodern era, which is described as lacking roots and aesthetic rigor.
What is the author's primary research question?
The author seeks to understand why contemporary art has lost its "real" status and whether it is possible to reclaim the conceptions of beauty and excellence for the future.
What scientific or philosophical methods are applied?
The author employs a historical-analytical method, utilizing art history, aesthetics, and philosophical discourse to critique the evolution of art practice from the 20th century onward.
What is the focus of the main body of the text?
The main body examines the transition from classical art traditions to modernism and eventually to a postmodern "muddle," specifically analyzing the influence of Dadaism and the commercialization of the art world.
Which keywords best characterize this publication?
The publication is defined by terms such as Aesthetics, Conceptual Art, Postmodernism, Traditional Beauty, and the critique of the modern art industry.
Why does the author cite Plato in relation to contemporary art?
The author uses Plato’s historical distrust of popular entertainment to draw a parallel with how contemporary art is often produced primarily as a commodity for mass consumption rather than as an pursuit of truth or beauty.
How does the text interpret the role of Marcel Duchamp?
Duchamp is identified as a pivotal, yet often misunderstood figure, whose "ready-mades" and conceptual challenges provided the foundation for the subsequent dismantling of traditional aesthetic boundaries in the 20th century.
What critique does the author level against current art institutions?
The author criticizes institutions like MoMA for utilizing a "white cube" display logic that facilitates the validation of almost anything as art, thereby stripping it of objective quality standards.
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- Professor Cyrus Manasseh (Autor:in), 2019, Why Art After The Postmodern Era Is Not Real Art, München, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/704481
