Modernism – A Fatally Misunderstood Movement
On the PBS website, it is said that O’Keeffe’s paintings represent the beginning of a new American art form, “free from the irony and cynicism of the late 20th century”.
However, from one point of view, her art is not new at all, but has its roots in the deepest traditions of humans, whether European or American or any other kind.
Where does Georgia O’Keeffe’s art stand when measured against modernism, and the concept of art for art’s sake.
And why is it that the concept of art for life’s sake has been ignored?
The Central Purpose of Modernism
In an article from 1995, Hilton Kramer criticizes modern art history, for doing nothing more than naming a succession of styles, or fashions, that have more to do with the history of taste, than its being able to speak about conditions within the human life experience. He claims that Kandinsky’s book On the Spiritual in Art, was a turning point for Modernism, and that the origins and purpose of abstract art is surrounded by foggy thinking and a lack of understanding.
The central purpose of modernism was to redefine our relationship to the Universe.
If we understood the consequences of their early thoughts, it would come as a shock, he says.
Bram Djikstra, in an article from 1998, makes the claim as well, that Modernism – as it is now generally known – is a misunderstanding and that it was Duchamp who pushed Art away and into the intellectual spheres, with its “laconic nihilism”, instead of getting its inspiration in a coop with Mother Nature. He further claims that Picasso is to blame too, through his “misunderstanding of the primarily organical intentions of Cézanne’.
Winds of Change
Debating American Modernism: Stieglitz, Duchamp, and the New York Avant-Garde was part of MODERN MATTERS, a series of exhibitions and programs spanning summer 2003 through fall 2004 at the Terra Museum of American Art. From its website:
Within a few months of arriving in the United States, Duchamp publicly expressed his disappointment with American art that presented predominantly nature-based abstraction (often considered a defining characteristic of the art produced by Stieglitz’s coterie of artists). He proclaimed in newspapers and magazines that American artists were too dependent on outmoded European traditions and had overlooked far greater subjects such as the skyscraper and the machine. Duchamp’s comment generated a critical discussion that lasted through 1929, prompting Stieglitz and his circle to define what made their work innovative, original and American.
Readymades by Duchamp:
And then this:
Duchamp explains his art in 1961:
A point that I want very much to establish is that the choice of these “Readymades” was never dictated by aesthetic delectation. The choice was based on a reaction of visual indifference with at the same time a total absence of good or bad taste…in fact a complete anaesthesia. At another time, wanting to expose the basic antinomy between art and “Readymades,” I imagined a “Reciprocal Readymade”: use a Rembrandt as an ironing board! I realized very soon the danger of repeating indiscriminately this form of expression and decided to limit the production of “Readymades” to a small number yearly.So was he a genius of satire, making fun of the critics, mirroring something in society, or…?
…or are we beginning to get it?
From the mid 1990-ies and on, several people in the United States are beginning to view Modernism as a misunderstanding. Djikstra’s opinion about Picasso and Duchamp is radical, but without disdaining them as artists, their names have nevertheless been used by art history and promoted by critics as two important impulses for art in the 20th century.
Republished by Old Post Promoter
Related Websites - I Know That I Can't Take It No More ... It Ain't No Lie Bye, Bye, Bayh. No, itâs not the NâSync song Iâm talking about. Itâs Evan Bayh, the rarely buzzed about Senator from Indiana. Bayh announced on February 15 (coincidently just days before his filing deadline) that he wouldnât be seeking reelection to the Senate. First, Kennedy in the House and now......
- The American Dream Didn't Mention Anything About Student Loan Debt As sad as it is to say, many 20s Something college graduates have no clue what's in store for them when it comes to repaying their student loan debt. As this formerly clueless, now cognizant, college grad with $275,000 in student loan debt so aptly puts it: The American Dream......
- What Not To Tell Your Insurer. Here's an article from CNN Money about the 5 Things you should never say to your insurer that's both humorous and at times enlightening. Here's the list along with some thoughts on each. 1. "I Think ..." I found this one to be enlightening because I could easily see myself......
-
Fearless I was so excited to be accepted by Thomas Nelson to review their books. I signed up for one right away and then was offered to review Fearless by Max Lucado. I love reading books before they get launched to the public. Here's my thoughts for Max's latest book. Each...... -
Stay Mad for Life Review Jim Cramer, host of CNBC’s “Mad Money,” follows up his popular book Mad Money with his latest offering, Stay Mad for Life. As he puts it, this is his “401k book” and Mad Money was his “how-to-pick-stocks book.” Cramer is responding to criticism that in the past he has only......
