scholarly journals The Aesthetics of Relations: The Modernist, Contemporary and Post-Contemporary General Conceptualizations of Art

Author(s):  
Kaja Kraner

The article will juxtapose the modernist, contemporary and post-contemporary general conceptualization of art and aesthetic appearance of an artwork. Even though all three conceptualizations can be understood as intertwined because they are largely established in mutual relations, for our purpose they will be analyzed in terms of the basic epistemological terrain on which art enters the Western tradition of knowledge and power: the terrain of aesthetic education. The conceptualization of modernist art/artwork will mainly draw from its link with the autopoietic image of artwork/artistic creativity that can be traced to Romanticism as well as the tradition of the so-called aesthetics of form at the beginning of the 20th century, while conceptualization of contemporary art will be primarily reconstructed on the ground of cultural studies and its reception theory that focused on the analysis of social mediation of cultural texts where the text itself loses the status of an exclusive source of meaning. On the one hand, this article attempts to expose the difference between the two by focusing on conceptualizations of their modes of production of meaning (modernist autopoiesis as producing the artwork’s meaning by, through and of itself versus contextually determined meaning of the artwork within conceptualizations of contemporary art), while on the other, it will expose a general aesthetic appearance of the two based on the differentiation of avant-garde and dialogical aesthetics. From there on, the article will focus on conceptualizations of post-contemporary art in the last ten years that also offered a critique of how contemporary art has been (self)limited to aesthetic experience and by it the present time. In the final part, post-contemporary art will be compared with modernism, for instance in terms of the modernist aim for the transcendent standpoint and its methods of aesthetic alienation in contrast to the post-contemporary aim to eliminate aesthetic experience as such and demonstrate that there can be knowledge without aesthetic experience, or the modernist media research to the post-contemporary media archaeology. Article received: April 30, 2019; Article accepted: June 23, 2019; Published online: September 15, 2019; Review articleHow to cite this article: Kraner, Kaja. "The Aesthetics of Relations: The Modernist, Contemporary and Post-Contemporary General Conceptualizations of Art." AM Journal of Art and Media Studies 19 (2019): 119-126. doi: 10.25038/am.v0i19.312

2007 ◽  
Vol 43 (2) ◽  
pp. 287-303
Author(s):  
Susanne Kogler

That art functions as a corrective to rational-scientific insights is one of the formative thoughts of art philosophy. The fact that artistic expression represents a corrective to linguistically-rationally affected insight also ranks among the constants of art philosophy in the 20th century. “Expression is the opponent of articulating something” can be read, for instance, in Adorno’s Aesthetic Theory with regards to the character of language in art and Jean François Lyotard wrote on aesthetic experience: “What happens to us is by no means something which we would have controlled, programmed or conceptually apprehended beforehand”. The uneducible, conceptually unattainable is also at the centre of current art production of the 21st century. On the basis of Lyotard’s and Adorno’s positions, the article shows that one should acknowledge a constancy of the topos of art as non-conceptual knowledge on the one hand as the continuing function of a tradition defined from the philosophical aesthetics of modernity to post-modernity and orientated on the artistic avant-garde. On the other hand and beyond this a continuous line of tradition of New Music becomes clear, leading to the expressionistic avant-garde of the 20th century which represented the starting point for Adorno’s music philosophy, through Lyotard’s focus on John Cage, up to the avant-garde of New Music in the era of post modernity. Specific features of contemporary art, such as rebellion against linguistic standards, an understanding of expressivity that opposes the traditional language of music and operates on the verge of silence, as well as the utopian vision of a modified reality which aims at transcendency enable a conception of art as non-conceptual knowledge, corresponding with the positions of art philosophy in modernity and post-modernity in important points. The relevance of focusing on this line of tradition for musicology lies in the fact that it sheds new light on the musical avant-garde and its further function and, last but not least, that it opens new perspectives in understanding contemporary artistic productions.


Muzealnictwo ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 59 ◽  
pp. 198-202
Author(s):  
Andrzej Szczerski

The establishment of new independent states in Central and Eastern Europe after 1918 not only brought changes in European geopolitical reality, but also initiated many cultural processes, stimulated by the need for modernisation of the region. They aimed at strengthening the identity of individual states based on their civilizational advancement. It was possible thanks to political independence, which many central European nations gained for the first time in their history. Their expected growth was not only to confirm their right of existence, but also of being among the leading states in Europe. Within the Old Continent the central and eastern part of Europe turned out to be a domain of modernisation par excellence. Here its progression, on the one hand, was most awaited, on the other – raised the greatest controversy. Arts and artists had their particular role in this process; it was their mission to spread the new ideas, calling for a change of the status quo. Instead of simply adopting the already existing patterns of modernity they tried, however, to work out their original concepts of reforms, based on an attempt to reconcile modernity with traditional values, which were found worth preserving within individual cultures. These processes were supported by representatives of both the avant-garde and the more moderate modernisation, which resulted in peaceful coexistence of radical programmes and endeavours to find conservative definitions of modernism. “New Europe” in the years 1918–1939 was in favour of modernity, pursuing consistently civilizational advancement, with the good use of tools brought about by the new political reality and, first and foremost, the national independence gained by many states in the aftermath of World War I.


2019 ◽  
Vol 26 (26) ◽  
pp. 74-83
Author(s):  
Andrzej Kostołowski

The text concerns two major concepts in the art of the last half of this century: conceptual art and performance. Conceptual art, which crystallized in the 1960s, has become one of the fundamentally seminal movements in contemporary art. Performance – a phenomenon with long history, since 1970s has been treated as an independent art genre. These two phenomena happen to be merged in various context; both feature an approach directed against the commoditization of art. However, in other areas and contexts crucial differences between these concepts can be perceived. Conceptual artists have adopted an analytical-index relation to objects in their approach. During performances objects often play a major (also emotional) role, being left behind as documentation. Conceptual art, distancing itself from the so called “retinal art”, i.e. the one that pleases the eye, has adopted utilization of texts or other linguistic materials as an important method of expression. For performance artists (except for performance lecturers), texts and descriptions are located on the outskirts, i.e. as plans preceding actions and descriptions following them. The discussed disciplines of art differ in their approach to media, as well: conceptual art treats them purely functionally, in performances they are of bigger importance, for example combined with multimedia. The conclusion attracts attention to the complicated relations between the two concepts: conceptualism and performance art, taking into account related activities in the 1970s and the difference in approach in the successive years.


2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (46) ◽  
pp. 11218-11222
Author(s):  
Ranjeev Kumar ◽  
Indu Prabha

In the sphere of drama, the name of Vijay Tendulkar does not require any introduction. In the galaxy of Indo-Anglo playwrights, Tendulkar is one of the most shining stars. Marathi Theatre is incomplete without the contribution made by Vijay Tendulkar. This Marathi literary figure is a multifaceted personality. He is the one who brought revolution in Marathi Theatre. An avant-garde playwright, Tendulkar has shown versatility by writing several works including one-act plays, children’s plays, short stories, essay collections etc. Vijay Tendulkar is the mouthpiece of the oppressed women in male dominant society. He has deep insight into human nature. He has proved in his plays that it is the male dominant society that does not allow woman to rise from the status of man’s foot. They are exploited, tortured, taunted both physically and emotionally. They are considered inferior to male human beings as male human beings are victims of their superiority complex. Even in some of the societies they are treated as bane while the male child is hailed as boon. His plays depict that women are treated as mere commodities. He has shown how the voice of women is suppressed when they try to voice their concerns against the cruelties. He makes a psychological study of human characters in his plays. An analytical approach to his plays reveals that women are deprived of the life they wish to live. The present research paper focuses on his four plays, to bring to light the enslaved and exploited position of women in society. In ‘Sakharam Binder’ and ‘Kamala’ he brings to light how women are enslaved and exploited. In ‘Silence! The Court is in Session’ and ‘Kanaydaan’ he ascertains the fact that it is male human being who is responsible for the exploitation of women.


2019 ◽  
Vol 26 (26) ◽  
pp. 74-83
Author(s):  
Andrzej Kostołowski

The text concerns two major concepts in the art of the last half of this century: conceptual art and performance. Conceptual art, which crystallized in the 1960s, has become one of the fundamentally seminal movements in contemporary art. Performance – a phenomenon with long history, since 1970s has been treated as an independent art genre. These two phenomena happen to be merged in various context; both feature an approach directed against the commoditization of art. However, in other areas and contexts crucial differences between these concepts can be perceived. Conceptual artists have adopted an analytical-index relation to objects in their approach. During performances objects often play a major (also emotional) role, being left behind as documentation. Conceptual art, distancing itself from the so called “retinal art”, i.e. the one that pleases the eye, has adopted utilization of texts or other linguistic materials as an important method of expression. For performance artists (except for performance lecturers), texts and descriptions are located on the outskirts, i.e. as plans preceding actions and descriptions following them. The discussed disciplines of art differ in their approach to media, as well: conceptual art treats them purely functionally, in performances they are of bigger importance, for example combined with multimedia. The conclusion attracts attention to the complicated relations between the two concepts: conceptualism and performance art, taking into account related activities in the 1970s and the difference in approach in the successive years.


2019 ◽  
Vol 1 (XIX) ◽  
pp. 233-255
Author(s):  
Dariusz Rozmus

The pursuit of independence is deeply rooted in the soul of the inhabitants of Greenland. The difference in the approach to this problem amounts to the establishment of the time and the conditions on the basis of which Greenland is supposed to become independent. The island, which is the greatest island in the world, has huge deposits of minerals, including metals of rare-earth metals and uranium. On the one hand, complete independence may be an opportunity for the development for the inhabitants but on the other hand, independence may also become a source of numerous dangers. Is Greenland, a country with a slight native population, able to cope – in terms of organisation and the available staff – with the expansion of foreign capital, including the great numbers of foreign workers who are engaged in the development of industrial infrastructure? Is it not better to continue the status quo – a relationship (even a loose one) with Denmark, and thus a relationship with the European Union? A close relationship with the EU and the NATO may, in the future, be consistent with the interests of Greenlanders. In the remote and in the most recent past, Greenland was colonised by the peoples of the Far North (paleo-Eskimo and Eskimo peoples) and Scandinavians. Both Scandinavians – in the early Middle Ages – and subsequently the Inuit populated abandoned lands, lands which belonged to no one. To put it explicitly, no one stole land from anyone. Therefore it is important that in the discussion about the problem of independence which continues between Greenlanders and Danes one should not place historical problems as questions which render dialogue difficult.


Arts ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (4) ◽  
pp. 114
Author(s):  
Léa Saint-Raymond

In 1928, some young artists living in Bordeaux decided to create a local market for contemporary art, as an alternative to the Salon des Amis des Arts of their own city, on the one hand, which they considered retrograde and conservative, and to the centralized and centripetal Parisian world on the other. They joined forces to create the group of the “Artistes indépendants bordelais” (AIB) and they organized an annual exhibition in which they could sell their works, in Bordeaux. This article aims to understand the functioning of this so-called “provincial” alternative to Paris and to measure its potential success, both as a market and as an arbiter of taste. The analysis proves that the AIB exhibitions happened to be a semi-failure, since this local initiative could not detach itself from Paris. In order to gain legitimacy, the AIB invited avant-garde painters and sculptors and they left the door open to Parisian dealers and art critics but all these actors, in turn, overshadowed the artists from Bordeaux. This economic and symbolic domination stemmed from the lack of a strong artistic identity for this group, the absence of domestic galleries specializing in contemporary art and the low demographics of Bordeaux collectors.


Muzealnictwo ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 61 ◽  
pp. 96-105
Author(s):  
Aldona Tołysz

The debate on the museum definition undertaken at the 2019 Kyoto ICOM General Conference points to the role played contemporarily by museums and the expectations they have to meet. It also results as a consequence of changes happening in museums beginning as of the 19th century until today. Extremely important processes took place in the past century. Initially, the changes covered the museum operating methods, mainly within museum education and display, however, they also had an impact on the status of objects in museum collections in the context of artistic and ethnographic collections. One of the most interesting ideas for museum’s redefinition was that proposed in the 1st half of the 20th c. in the formula of Museums of Artistic Culture. However, the departure from the traditionally conceived museum towards a ‘laboratory of modernity’ proposed by the Russian Avant-garde was still too revolutionary for its times. Beginning as of the 1960s, next to the reflection on museums’ operating modes, there increased the emphasis on the role they played and the one they should play in modern society. It was phenomena of political, social or economic character that had a direct impact on the transformation of the shape of museums, these phenomena appearing under the banners of globalization, liberalization, democratization, glocalization. Criticism of museums and their up-to-then praxes drew attention to the essential character of the relation between the institution and its public. The turn towards society allowed for such formats to appear as an ecomuseum, participatory museum, open museum. The solutions derived from the New Museology not only point to the necessity to move the level of the relationship between museum and society, but first and foremost to reflect on museum’s activity which is assumed to create an institution maximally transparent and ethical. It is for various reasons that not all the solutions proposed by museums meet the criteria. Museums continue to face numerous challenges, yet they boast potential to face them.


2018 ◽  
Vol 26 (54) ◽  
Author(s):  
Juliane Rebentisch

The essay discusses the logic of distinction under the sign of the contemporary culture of difference and proposes a discussion of the relationship between taste and contemporary art. The recent trend toward greater individualization might have rendered social codes more permeable. But this state of affairs is neither the opposite of the standardization nor does it imply that the social logic of distinction has been suspended. It has merely undergone further differentiation, but without abolishing the signifiers of status. On the one hand art as a commodity partakes in the respective developments, on the other, certain strands in contemporary art can also be read as opposing the subject of aesthetic experience to the subject of consumerist taste.


Author(s):  
E.V. Orlova

The article is devoted to the founding of the Museum Ludwig in Cologne and presents an analysis of the process of building this museum of contemporary art in dynamics — from the beginning of the collection within the walls of the Wallraf-Richartz Museum to gaining the status of an independent exhibition giant. The study provides an overview of the collection and its sources, identifies individual significant works of art, accompanied by art history descriptions, and sets out the reasons and the chronicle of the separation of the Museum Ludwig from the Wallraf-Richartz Museum. The museum, established in 1976, presents German art from the first half of the 20th century, American and British pop art of the 1960s, Russian avant-garde, photorealism and contemporary art from the last third of the 20th century. It has departments of painting, sculpture, graphics and art photography. The role of the famous German patrons and collectors of Peter and Irene Ludwig in the formation and replenishment of the museum's funds is noted. Статья посвящена основанию Музея Людвига в Кёльне и представляет анализ процесса построения этого музея современного искусства в динамике — от начала формирования коллекции в стенах Музея Вальрафа-Рихарца до обретения статуса самостоятельного экспозиционного гиганта. В исследовании даны обзор коллекции и источники ее формирования, указаны отдельные крупные произведения искусства, сопровожденные искусствоведческим описанием, а также изложены причины и хроника выделения Музея Людвига из состава Музея Вальрафа-Рихарца. Вновь образованный в 1976 году музей представляет искусство Германии с первой половины XX века, американский и британский поп-арт 1960-х годов, русский авангард, фотореализм и актуальное искусство последней трети ХХ века. В нем созданы отделы живописи, скульптуры, графики и художественной фотографии. Отмечена роль известных немецких меценатов и собирателей Петера и Ирены Людвиг в формировании и пополнении фондов музея.


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