Art?? What is it??

Well, I am going to start off with the question, ‘What is Art’, I find this question exciting and the answer somewhat intriguing.

Well the answer is; well, we struggle with the answer! We struggle with the visual side of art which grows from symbolic creativity. Although some people would like to define art with what they think should be an actual definition, take the Wikipedia for example, it gives the definition as follows; "the use of skill and imagination in the creation of aesthetic objects, environments, or experiences that can be shared with others.”

First time in modern art, our feelings in represent and capture what and how people feel, for example, emotional when looking at it.

I think differently to this definition, I feel that art can be something that we can experience through every day meaning. It’s just a thought!

Marcel Duchamp is known for his found objects which he has portrayed in such a way that some view them as art. Take the case where Duchamp used a urinal and which he signed “R.Mutt” on it and named it Fountain. This falls into to part of the Dada Movement (anti-art movement.) His art faced the questioning and rejection from what others like to call ‘art’. It challenges what people think to be the meaninglessness of the world today. The exhibition of art has been refined; they are now looked at as the repercussions of fine art.  

But how do we exhibit art? How do we experience art? Can we connect with it, get close with it? I feel a good example on how to explain my point is the Projector, Tate Modern in held in the Turbine Hall in London. Artists have to create a spectacular piece of art work to fill the hall and to make those visiting the exhibition to feel overwhelmed by the experience. In my opinion I feel this is far better than visiting a bland exhibition not being able to interact with the artwork or feel the texture. Will people begin to question if we need a gallery at all?

Are some of us more attracted to site specific art for example? The concept lies within a place, and what if we were to put a gallery in this place; will the art concept have no meaning? It does today in the 21^st century. We re big fans of conceptual art in today’s society, we like decisions and planning, perhaps it’s got to do with all the modern technology. In a way it all dates back to Dunchamp. Dunchamp made a statement; he stood up to the so called ‘definition of art’ and started a new generation of ‘anti-art’ artists. We will take Jem Finer as a prime example, who discovered a underground river in the well, (80ft underground).  In order for it to work Jem uses a high brass trumpet and chimes played by falling water, to create music. this again it contributing to the rise in conceptual art. I feel anti-art is the way to go! 

PoMo V's Modernism!

Why is it that you can put a date on Modernism? This date goes back to around the nineteen hundreds to nineteen fifty. Everything that has happened and developed within these years has helped define a meaning for Modernism. New theories based on psychology made modernism rocket. These theories were very controversial but also somewhat influential. They made people take a self-examination of themselves and also examine their beliefs. The society soon developed a set of ideas (Thesis) which ‘Marxism’ explains. These ideas were put to the test by ‘anti ideas’ to repeat this progress. Is there a grand narrative? The bible shows purpose of life.  Marxism progresses until equals.

Within the space of 1900 and 1950 there were two wars. This brought the coming of a new era in rock music which stayed around World War One and World War Two. This had a huge impact within the music industry (technology) and also civilisation.

What is culture?  There are explanations of both high culture and low culture. High culture lies within the theatre, opera / classical and ballet. Low culture within these years is somewhat defined under pop culture. Richard Hamilton produced a painting called “Just what is it that makes today's homes so different, so appealing?” this is recognised as one of many to the beginning of pop art, as he is trying to portray what life was like in 1960. This indeed was the moment when modernism turned into postmodernism. Richard Florida introduced pop art, creating postmodern and pop culture. Bauhaus brought in new technology for design; he believed function should always follow form.

Postmodernism took place in the time of the revolution.  Society wanted to break away from what we call modernism and the same old everyday life. People wanted to become individual’s and were just looking and longing for something different; from here on in people began to question things. Soon after, in the 1960’s a new era began, an era of love, culture and politics. Key examples of this were hippies, style, drugs and of course; music!

Postmodernism is most defiantly alive within the world today. One example of this would be the old mini car, on the first occasion it was the first car of its type to be able to purchase. In today’s society, there are several different types of new minis which have been created and which are available to buy.

A second example of this is the leather jacket. The leather jacket was used in modernism as a fashion statement. Again, it is brought back into today’s postmodern society and the idea of this ‘fashion statement’ is used again and again. I could also take the television for example, once made to watch but now, such gadgets as the ipad may eventually take over modernism. I guess what I’m trying to say is not always will the old and new ideas come together; one could eventually win over the other. 

The Importance of Album Artwork.

An album cover today is the packaging of a recorded product by an artist. In today’s society is has become unclear what is more important, the importance of an album or the importance of the music? There are several different ways to listen to music, we can download music or we can buy the artists album. The question is why buy the download and why buy the album?

 In the 1920s, record albums consisted of empty sleeves with a plain paperboard or leather cover, similar to a photograph album, by the late 1940s,some  record albums consisted of bright and colourful paper covers and others had the decoration of classic art and original designs.

In each album today, the front cover of the CD package is designed with an image to represent the artist. Inside the packaging there is a digital download of the album. Long before the development of digital music, one of the most significant parts of music buying was indeed the album cover. People sometimes decide on whether the album cover grabs their attention, or whether it is creative and cool.

In the past, music was produced onto vinyl records. As time goes by, more is thought of in the artwork on these album covers and it is thought that many fans like to have the visual object in their hand. Records are of a limited nature today, their unique appearance is highly sought after by collectors and fans. Carrying and holding the object today seems to become more and more important as we view them as historic objects.

Raymond Williams is a man who came up with the Theory of Emergent. This theory is made up of three phases:

1.       Emergent Phase. (People involved in a movement.)

2.       Appropriation Phase. (Businesses’ take over emergent phase.)

3.       Historicization Phase. (Historical Artefact.)

These are indeed the way the industry works today through the expression of socio economic times using both media and education.

Take Radiohead for example, the band decided to release a digital download “In Rainbows” that customers could order for whatever price they wished. They then decided not to release album cover for this digital release of the album so they held it back for the "discbox" release. This consists of the album, a book of lyrics, and additional Artwork. This is proof that still, in today’s society we are paying for the visual object and that yes, it is still very important.

I would like to end on the point that I think music is truly worthless if it can be digitised in today’s society. Inventions such as the ipod, I feel are taking its toll on the album cover world. The album cover which is nothing only an thumbnail and icon on an ipod. You cannot carry the object or view it in its finest detail. Peter Saville is an album cover designer at “New Order” and “Roxy Music”; he has suggested that the album cover was dead. This is what makes me ask the question, could album covers be a lost art? I think so!