High Culture/ Low Culture
Defining the Avant Garde
Art Culture - HighGraphic Design/ Popular/ Mass Culture - Low
Avant-Gardeidea of doing art/design work that is progressive, innovatingalso refers to a group of people being innovative
Being avant- grade in the work you do- challenging innovatingbeing a part of a group being a member of the avant-garde
Used now for many contexts almost has become meaningless.
The Avant-Garde came from modernity , rebellion challenge radicalMarcel DuchampR.Mutt 1917
Fauves, Wild beasts- Fauvism In comparison with a piece from the same year...
Visual Communication
‘The second level aims to let you experiment within you chosen range of disciplines’ ‘Our aim is to encourage students to take a radical approach to communication’'To be a student on the course you need to enjoy:-‘Challenging conventions’
Printed Textiles& Surface Pattern DesignOur aim is to provide an environment which allows you to discover, develop, and express your personal creative identity through your work’‘Level one studies concentrate on ‘… experimentation’\
Interior Design‘We encourage students to challenge conventional thinking ’
Furniture
‘Throughout the course you will be encouraged to form a personal vision and direction based upon critical self –analysis
Fashion/ClothingWe encourage you to develop your individual creativity to the highest level . . . ‘Level one studies concentrate on . . . .experimentation’
Art and Design (Interdisciplinary)‘What will unite all your creative output will be the ability to apply your creative and technical skills in innovative ways, which are not limited to traditional subject boundaries’
The above show Art / Design Myths
1. Innovation Should always create new things, and always are.2. Experimentation process involved in order to achieve new stuff3. Originality to copy is bad, to be original is good4. Creative genius to bring out a hidden creative depth held deep within the student
If you are Module led and graded does that make you all the above ? And if everyone is doing it than does it make anything innovative ?
Before an educational system, You would be assigned to a master and you would copy them for years, until you could do it perfectly.Then you would paint for them Then you would be able to be called a painter e.c.t Learning one technique or styleNot like the above myths
Only innovate and new was introduced mid C18th in the era of the RomanticsChatterton
Couldn't sell any of his poetry. Because its too clever, Kills himself as he believes he doesn't fit in , Cruel world doesn't understand him Artists are better, more creative than everyday people. No one will ever understand them.e.g. Rock stars now.Ultimately a myth
Art is separated from all the other disciplinesIndividual is Superior. Leader. Separate.
Avant-Garde relies on this concept.from the french term Van Guard- elite army, the people who are leading everyone.This idea follows through to the Avant- GardeAny one who has claimed this believes they are individual, Genius, Superior
Corbett Painted the broken peasants, poor . In the modern era, where all paintings where now of the cities and the middle/ high classes.Political .
So for those members of the ‘left wing’ [interested in social change] there was a tendency to have to rely on academic techniques in order to appeal to the ‘public
Fine Art- Fine Art
Jeff Koons Michael Jackson & Bubbles the Monkey (1988) worth over 6 figures
Replicated on a figure he found in an old shop. Referencing Kitsch but in a gallery
Thomas Kinkade
"Painter of Light"
Calls himself this
Worth Millions , sells on QVC prints/ mugs/ plates - Kitsch
Multi - Millionaire
Vetriano
Sells prints
Tate won't display his work as they say it isn't art
Carl Andre ‘Equivalent VIII'
People being told what it is , being described to them
Supporting Elitism
Doesn't communicate
Avant-Garde vs Avant- Garde Tracey Emin's 'Bed'
K-Foundation award, 1994
Art Terrorists
Avant- Garde Actions
Turner Prize judged by elite , K-Foundation voted the worst the public voted, same choices as the turner prize
Rachel Whiteread won both
Damien Hirst
'Shark' - Created when he was in a private members club. In Soho. Curator of the Royal Academy asked Hirst if he add any ideas , he said I want to put a shark in a tank. However he had no part in making it. Shark hunter caught the shark e.c.t
Buying for the Brand/ Status Symbol
'Dots'
Whistler Nocturne in Black and Gold: The Falling Rocket (1875)
Aesthetically experimental, no political motivation.
'All the Knowledge he'd learnt in a lifetime' a critic described it a throwing yellow paint around.
end of the C19-20th
two approaches to avant-garde art
art that is socially committed, pushing society forwards, political objectives
art that seeks only to expand/ progress what art is in itself. ( art for arts sake)
Whistler- Brought lots of Critics
But people began writing/ documenting why the avant-garde is needed
Master Piece- Significant Form-
The relations and combinations of lines and colours, which when organised give the power to move someone aesthetically.
Clive Bell
Cezanne Mount St. Victoire 1900
If you don't feel anything , then you are uneducated or intellectual capabilities
An argument can never be won.
Art has began to drift away from society and they have began to not care whether society understands their work , as another will write about it and explain.
Pollock Lavender Mist 1950 , Clement Greenberg justifies this
More distance
Russia- Stalin, didn't like avant-garde and said it was elitist and only liked conservative art that people could understand
However this could be seen as the other end of the scale.
A major problem for the avant-garde is that it seems to necessitate ‘ELITISM’
To be Avant- Garde you have to recognise you won't be understood
So to be understood you have to be less radical
Kitsch
Commercial Art, Mass, Popular
Sometimes mean bad taste
The term comes from art critics who wanted to define what was high culture and low culture
However art has to be sold swell ?
Low Culture that tries to be High Culture - Judgement
Constable Haywain (1821)
When its reproduced as a print then does it become Kitsch.
Plate defiantly Kitsch
Kitsch -
Durer Praying Hands (1508)
Leonardo Da Vinci Last Supper
Simplification of style – repainted masterpieces for the modern eye
Aesthetically experimental, no political motivation.
'All the Knowledge he'd learnt in a lifetime' a critic described it a throwing yellow paint around.
end of the C19-20th
two approaches to avant-garde art
art that is socially committed, pushing society forwards, political objectives
art that seeks only to expand/ progress what art is in itself. ( art for arts sake)
Whistler- Brought lots of Critics
But people began writing/ documenting why the avant-garde is needed
Master Piece- Significant Form-
The relations and combinations of lines and colours, which when organised give the power to move someone aesthetically.
Clive Bell
Cezanne Mount St. Victoire 1900
If you don't feel anything , then you are uneducated or intellectual capabilities
An argument can never be won.
Art has began to drift away from society and they have began to not care whether society understands their work , as another will write about it and explain.
Pollock Lavender Mist 1950 , Clement Greenberg justifies this
More distance
Russia- Stalin, didn't like avant-garde and said it was elitist and only liked conservative art that people could understand
However this could be seen as the other end of the scale.
A major problem for the avant-garde is that it seems to necessitate ‘ELITISM’
To be Avant- Garde you have to recognise you won't be understood
So to be understood you have to be less radical
Kitsch
Commercial Art, Mass, Popular
Sometimes mean bad taste
The term comes from art critics who wanted to define what was high culture and low culture
However art has to be sold swell ?
Low Culture that tries to be High Culture - Judgement
Constable Haywain (1821)
When its reproduced as a print then does it become Kitsch.
Plate defiantly Kitsch
Kitsch -
Durer Praying Hands (1508)
Simplification of style – repainted masterpieces for the modern eye
Damien Hirst (2007) ‘For the Love Of God’
Not Avant- Garde
Not made by Hirst
Is it even Kitsch
No Political / Social agenda
Not Avant- Garde
Not made by Hirst
Is it even Kitsch
No Political / Social agenda
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