Lenses Through Which to Consider Modern Art

Artists respond to and participate in the intellectual, social, and cultural contexts of their time. By studying modern art we create a dialogue between the established and the experimental, the past and the present, making connections that bring a greater sense of depth and understanding of the issues and ideas that shape our world. The following are lenses through which we can consider modern art. 
  • Places & Spaces -  artists represent place and use materials from their environment. 
  • Art & Identity - artists make work to express, explore, and/or question ideas about identity. 
  • Transforming Every Day Objects - artists use everyday objects (called ready-mades) to challenge assumptions about what constitutes art and how it should be made. Designers develop useful objects considering form, function, and, often, beauty. 
  • Art & Society - artists create work in response to the social, cultural, and political issues of their time, encouraging the viewer to think critically about world events and how they are depicted. 

Notes from the MoMA course Modern Art & Ideas. 

Location: Lancaster, PA 17603, USA

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Lenses Through Which to Consider Photographs

Since its invention in 1839, photography has helped us document, understand and interpret the world. It has been reinvented continually through technological advancements and by the diverse ways in which artists and professionals have used it. Today, taking, sharing, and viewing photographs has become second nature for many of us. The following are lenses through which we can consider photographs:  One Subject, Many Perspectives - Photography is rooted in both art and science and, over time, photographers have used diverse ways to capture a single subject. Photographers have been limited by the materials and technology available.  Documentary  - Photographers use their cameras to to record, remember, or bear witness to the world around them, often in service to social issues.  Multiplicity - Photography is a mechanical process. One consequence of this is that multiple images have been essential to the medium from its earliest days. Photographers can make multiple pr...
Read more

Notes from The School of Life, “Why You Should Never say ‘Beauty Lies in the Eye of the Beholder’"

Image
Relativism The phrase 'beauty lies in the eye of the beholder' supports the belief that since notions of beauty lie outside of scientific proof, that means beauty is entirely relative. But this is not true. Not all tastes are equal. We accept that there are legitimate tastes within a spectrum, but we don't actually think all tastes are equal. Is a garbage dump as beautiful as flower garden? We have background aesthetic principles, even if we don't articulate them.  Lack of Confidence The phrase originally came about to protect ordinary people against snobbery and intolerance. but the freedom to think and feel as we like is now enshrined in modern society. Yet, the phrase is perpetuated because many people lack confidence about our own tastes. A neutral stance on aesthetics is more a symptom of tentative taste than a true commitment to relativism.  Beauty Matters Beauty matters, but the phrase trivializes it. The phrase allows property developers to be cash-c...
Read more

Notes from The School of Life, “The Secret of Beauty: Order and Complexity”

Image
TOO LITTLE ORDER <----------> MID-POINT <----------> TOO MUCH ORDER (CHAOS) <----------> (INTERESTING) <----------> (BORING)   The brain is always trying to find pattern. With too little order, the brain is frustrated/confused, with too much order the brain finds it dull and tedious. The goal is the midpoint.  STRATEGY: A strong simple pattern with plenty of variation in the details.  Article Link: https://www.theschooloflife.com/article/the-secret-of-beauty-order-and-complexity/?/ (PAYWALL)
Read more