15/2/2016 0 Comments To Engage or Not to EngageEssay on Social Engagement in Art with regards to my PracticeFrom early paintings such as Gustav Courbet’s ‘Stonebreakers’ 1849, to interactive works of Joseph Beuys (1921-1986) or the modern day graffiti of Banksy; creatives have been using art to give unappreciated sectors of society a public voice and sense of worth for a substantial share of art history. A theme that’s exponential growth can be proved simply by overviewing last year’s Venice Biennale (2015) which contributed it’s most socially engaged collection yet. Ascertaining that this genre in its many forms not only holds an important place in the current art world, but can be expected to continue expanding in the way that we view and value art. Many reasons can be connected to this increased production such as freedom of speech and equality or increased awareness of world-wide issues. Socially engaged art can do many things including fighting for essential political or social debates. However, it is this hope as seen in Courbet’s painting, caused by publicised support and instilled on an individual level that interests me the most.
“It is a kind of teasing rebellion; it is not a violent revolution.” –Grayson Perry
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11/2/2016 0 Comments Art Rotterdam
However, I wasn't here as a tourist. I had one thing in mind: Art Rotterdam. The sixteenth edition of one of the most famous art fairs in Europe and stated to be "the most important place to discover young art" by director of the show, Fons Hof. Not only does the fair hold a refreshing interest in up-coming artists with a section dedicated to 'New Art', it also houses a huge range of works from painting to photography to sculpture to projection. Supported by oversized sandwiches, wine and tasty muffins it was an entire days adventure with more left over to see. The art begins before you even enter the building with installations by Leonard van Munster (a golden hill rising from the waters of the lake) and Ryan Mendoza (an entire house uprooted and reassigned to guard the entrance of the event with eerie tones emerging from the video hidden inside). Not to mention the building itself: a surreal white factory that appears to be all windows with Dali-esque legs reaching across to join the neighbouring building. Couple that with a line of vintage buses hopping back and forth to other Art Week events and you have an anxious buzz of creativity hit you before you even set foot in the door. As for the Fair itself a day simply wasn't enough to see everything for a careful thinker like me. But I thoroughly enjoyed the mix of talents, colour, ideas, arguments and humour all thrown about in one place. If you are looking for traditional aesthetics you're in the wrong place but if you want a vibrant clash of skill and modern concept you'll feel at home. Despite the term 'Fair', Art Rotterdam did well to seem without bias despite the split between young artist and students (aka. The poor) and elderly enthusiasts (aka. The Rich). The clear line between ages and intentions were laughably blatant but all were welcomed equally by the fair, galleries and artists. The collection followed no single theme unlike the Venice Biennale of 2015 which received so much grief for its direct social and political content, but served something for everyone from traditional Japanese puppeteer work to a ball wrapped in a hose pipe, from skilful photography to a smashed mirror with a legal document to void the buyer of any bad luck.
The playful collection was segregated into gallery spaces which provided the visiting artist not only a factory of inspiration but an overview of a huge selection of both Dutch and International galleries - leaving me with a list of artists to research but also of galleries which could one day support my work - one can always hope. 6/2/2016 0 Comments The Philosophy of BeautyA research essay discussing 'beauty' with regards to philosophical theory, art movements and modern media in relation to my own artistic practice..I. ‘American Beauty’ 1999 film Disinterested beauty On discovering that Angela Hayes is a virgin, Lester Burnham illustrates a transition from the effect of Eros to a platonic love displaying disinterested satisfaction as theorised by philosopher Kant. Realising that Angela is pure and recognising her innocence, Lester reacts to the beauty of truth as discussed by the theories of Plato, relying on moral judgement to find ‘good’ the highest reality rather than the aesthetic judgement that had previously led to his lust. This is shown by him no longer wanting to have sex with Angela; still finding her beautiful but finding contentment without the need to use her for physical pleasure. Aesthetic Enjoyment Kant believed beauty to be reliant on feeling and imagination more than the geometric or scientific qualities sought during the Renaissance. Lester Burnham’s first sight of Angela Hayes during her cheerleading routine is a clear example of this theory. Without knowing her morally or understanding any scientific conclusion of beauty, Lester experiences a sudden emotion of ecstasy due to his aesthetic judgement of her. This leads him to imagine her in a sexual situation that shows his lust for physical pleasure from beauty. Extra Observation: Rick Grimes’ Beauty Rick Grimes follows an evident disinterested satisfaction for the beauty in life. He films moments with no intention of adapting or using the footage. However, his aesthetic judgement whilst also fulfilling ‘purposiveness without purpose (for example, finding beauty in a useless plastic bag) seems void of common sense as described by Kant. His ideals of beauty remain unaffected by the opinions of others despite often being harshly evident. Neither does he need or expect them to understand or agree with his interpretation of beauty.
These reasons make my idea of beauty relatable to others through both geometric theories and classical philosophies of beauty. However, whilst these are theoretically relatable, I believe our judgement of beauty is a friction between the inbuilt aesthetic ‘common sense’ that Kant believed to be universal and the nurture debate. For example, when comparing this tropical beach to the tree-lined road I would describe both as beautiful but my preference lies with the chosen image because it is relatable to landscapes I have witnessed. This leads me to trust the image, removing any sense of uncanny as I know the beauty is realistic from personal experience. A further example would be my reaction to this image of a new design for a BMW motorbike. Having owned my own motorbike and having friends in automotive design I have a learned appreciation for motorbikes and their aesthetics. Upon finding this model on the internet I gained pleasure simply from viewing it. To many others this would simply be a motorbike and lead to no emotional reaction as the interest relies on a specific interest. This supports the theory of Kant and David Hume that whilst there are inherent standards, ones subjective view of beauty is a trainable quality through experience. |