Should art become an intellectual exercise without involving any emotional traces to it? What is the significance of emotional value in art today? is form and feeling no longer subject of validity and considered outdated today? Why trends in art become so important that individuals graduate from art schools start observing and follow trends sooner or later? What is the role of an individual in this dictation of few controllers of the so called trends? What do people identify as contemporary art? Why even call it by such names? is material alone validates as contemporary art today? Is technology alone make music? Have we started to look down upon the spirit or the content beneath material appearances?
Even today, Re-presenting ‘likeness’ of the outside world through art, excites and entertains everyone inspite of changing trends throughout the global history. The other worldly becomes absurd and disoriented. The absurdity infused in a limited context is still welcomed but not as a concrete entity. Other worldly visions are not created everyday by everyone. Their identity, apprehensions and validation becomes extremely subjective and difficult however ‘naturalistic’ is palpable and convenient for the common.
There are ideas such as the traditional mediums are archaic and bound to create only eye pleasing or decorative art with limitations of dextrous skill, inappropriate representation of time due to lack of material knowledge and implementation or awareness about growing technology (in the context of today), so on so forth. The stance here, is not necessarily based on aesthetic, emotional nor subjective value of art but only of the shift from the conventional with respect to time.
This tosses up another question as to what makes this trend valid; that anyone can make art with whatever material or non material used as a medium of art? How does one define art experience up against the movement of the masses to produce art as an industry to cater innumerable spaces and people within the conformity of the so called art system? Is art experience less important today that the material alone takes the centre stage? Or the sensual or visual experience of witnessing art is perceived existent, only at the face of an unconventional or non traditional medium?
Insinuate a different material out of its actual functional purposes, modify its material value and present in a cube or out in the public as ‘liberating from the outdated cube’ consider the longevity of material and craft as high value artistic product, makes majority of the art today.
Let's consider adapting new material as the primary eligibility for a high value art, the initial stage for this would be to find an alternative material against learnt and practiced traditional ones like Acrylic colours or oil paints. (Now, for majority of self taught artists, it is almost near to impossible to sustain in the art system albeit few opportunities and acceptance (this indirectly reinforces the need for artistic skills acquired through art education). A struggle to cope with material limitations and knowledge, A constant tussle to find new material consistently and adapt in a short time (it is to be observed here that even with great exposure to traditional art mediums today, like pencil or water colour, an individual needs enough time to absorb and execute technicalities related to any medium).
Is it possible to keep finding new materials and switch consistently as well as create artistic projects efficiently? Even if you are able to do that successfully over a period of time, one arrives at a format/ a template, what we popularly and inappropriately label as ‘process’. The template that works for an individual becomes his/her mode of expression. At this point, introduction of any new material becomes only a surface, a mere appearance. Everything else fits into an identifiable, accepted, anticipated and valid convenient pattern- with this pattern developed, there’s hardly any difference remains between the usage of conventional and non conventional art medium. The very idea of using non conventional material remains valid only as ‘new object’ than adding up any artistic value. If everything has to be expressed in a certain predictable way, the material makes no great difference until unless shock of the new settles in. Surprise factor still holds the mighty power than the actual artistic experience.
Today creating a piece of music or art is much easier than before. But in reality art is difficult because it takes a lot of effort and time. Art is about reflecting and representing the self in a specific time, at least for an individual. Our technological advancements should have taken us toward progress inwards than external appearances. Perhaps art is the scale to gauge our progress in future.
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