“Most painting in the European tradition was painting the mask. Modern art rejected all that. Our subject matter was the person behind the mask.”, Robert Motherwell. Modern art is a complex subject. When you start talking about modern art, you will meet two different types of people: ones who hate modern art, and those who will defend Modern Art no matter what. For me I don’t hate modern art. It is definitely not my favorite art, but I will always defend modern art. I will defend Modern Art because of the reason that it exists, because of the risks that were taken, and because I know that even though it might not seem like it, modern art is and always will be art.
Modern Art, like most other types of art after the 1800’s, was inspired by Impressionism. I have another story on Impressionism if you would like to get more into the reasons why this happened. Impressionism was the first era of art to really show that art is whatever the artist wants it to be. Impressionism allowed art to be more abstract instead of a very clean, sharp painting. The Dada movement, 1916, later pushed the limits of art much further. According to one source, Dadaism happened because of World War I, it was a revolt of the logic and reasoning that was happening in capitalism at the time. Dada had pushed the limits of what art is more than anyone thought it could. To really understand just how far this went you need to know the art. One of the most famous pieces is The Fountain. The Fountain is an art piece by Marcel Duchamp, and it is an upside-down urinal. In any of the years before this would not be art, many still don’t think that it is, but this is one of the defining works from the Dada movement. There were many more art movements and eras in the 20 century, one every couple of years. All of these works allowed Modern Art to be the way that it is now.
Like I said before, many people hate Modern art. One of the reasons that they hate Modern Art is because of minimalism. Modern Art has a reputation for having as little paint on the canvas as possible, and it’s true Modern Art is a very minimalist style of art. It makes the impression for some people that anything can be art. When I asked my classmates they said that this minimalism doesn’t show the passion and the emotion that they feel art should express. It can also feel unfair that artists can paint a white canvas white and be able to make a $20 million off of a seemingly blank canvas. But the thing that you have to understand, is that in art connections to others can make or break an artist. Modern artists are famous because they have connections, or because they are able to make a political point even using this minimalist style. I do find it unfair that to be considered a famous artist you have to have to be friends with someone that already has a lot of influence in the art world or someone who is really rich, but this is the way that it has been for all of history and this way of fame is present in many other professions. The other way of becoming famous is by being able to make a political statement. Making a political statement using art is hard even in a different art style, but take the piece “Can’t Help Myself”. While not a traditional painting, this robot is used to show obsession of life while on the border of violence. This piece conveys the sorrow of a machine stuck doing the same thing over and over. “Can’t Help Myself” while changing meaning over time has made many think about their life doing the same thing over and over, and many relate to the robot. Artworks like this one are why many Modern artists are famous and have been featured in exhibits. And “Can’t Help Myself” is just one example of Modern Art making a statement on our world.
Modern Art has lasted many years spanning from the 1960’s to the 1990’s. That is just what I am considering Modern art; others may have different time definitions and because this type of art has lasted so many years there has been many different styles within this type of art all of which I am considering Modern Art. As stated earlier in this paper, I don’t hate Modern Art, and I believe that one of the main contributors for me not hating Modern Art is because of my dad. I have spent many, many nights learning about art history with my dad. I have been taught just how important every piece of art is. While Modern Art might not seem like it will make a difference in the grand scheme of art, it will. Modern Art will affect the way that art is made for the rest of time just like Impressionism, The Renaissance, and The Dada Movement did. All types of art will have an impact for at least someone, and for this I will never hate an art style. I will dislike some but I could never hate an art style.
There are many unique qualities of Modern Art, from the intricate web of styles that has led to the confusing abstraction of Modern art, to the passionate hatred that many share for this era of art. Modern art has changed the lives of many artists and allowed them to express themselves in a new way. Even though many hate this type of art, I do believe that it is important to our history and the future of art and expression of all kinds. Just like all art, it changed. Through the many styles, Modern Art evolved into a new kind of art that has allowed us to continue our ever-changing eras of art. After reading this, I hope you will learn that even though you might not like a type of art it is still important to respect it and understand that it is important to the development of art as a whole.
