Art as a Form of Expressing Uniqueness - Essay Example

10 May Argumentative Essay: Art as a Form of Expressing Uniqueness Introduction Art is difficult to define. In the age of postmodernism which promotes the openness of self-expression and the increasing relativity of arts and forms, more and more individuals and talented artists seek to breach the conventional boundaries of classical art. Postmodern art is characterized by the growing sophistication of forms. The more unusual the creation looks, the better is seems to fit the expectations of the postmodern society. Yet, that does not mean that art is no longer subject to norms and standards of artistic expression. Rather, the new reality creates new norms and new standards which artists, especially professional artists must follow. For example, postmodern art creations should be designed in ways which do not disrupt the harmony of the public landscape but, on the contrary, enhances this landscape and meets the most sophisticated needs of the local population. Given the growing variety of tastes and preferences and the growing role of art as the instrument of promoting self-expression and uniqueness, it would be fair to assume that art is a form of using artistic skills and imagination to create objects and experiences that can be shared with the public and that does not violate the stability and harmony of the public landscape: Walt Disney Concert Hall is a harmonic continuation of the public landscape which reflects the variety of experiences, is the product of the artistic skills and imagination and is shared with the public – therefore, Wall Disney Concert Hall is an excellent representation of ideal public art. Postmodern Reality The postmodern reality provides talented artists and architects with unlimited self-expression opportunities. Postmodern artistic creations seem to go against the conventional norms of classical art but fit perfectly well into the growing complexity of the postmodern daily life. Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles is the bright example of how art and reality work together: Walt Disney Concert Hall is the bright example of how art combines with public landscapes and how it harmonizes the postmodern reality. Art is always about the variety of tastes and experiences. “The great variety of taste, as well as of opinion, which prevails in the world, is too obvious not to have fallen under every one’s observation” (Hume). However, never before has this variety of tastes in art been more observable and more effective than it is now. Just take a look at Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles: despite its unusualness which seems to deny all norms of classical art, the aesthetics of the object is difficult to deny. Moreover, it is difficult to underestimate. The curves made of stainless steel create an unusual and artistically unique picture of the exterior which, nevertheless, fits perfectly well into the extremely energetic atmosphere of the city itself. Los Angeles is well-known for its creativity and art and the Concert Hall serves a unique supplement and a reliable support of its musical self-expression. The unique exterior gradually transforms into a new form of interior, which makes the concert hall look like a living room in a large manson, which guests use to listen to quality music. Apart from the excellent acoustic capabilities, the concert hall is extremely convenient to the audience. The seats are designed so that a person can observe the full image of the stage from any point and from any seat – to some visitors, they resemble a large stadium with more than 2,000 maximum capacity (Russell). The semiotics of the concert hall is equally simple and complex. The building seems to send a double message, with one sent by the exterior and the other one sent to the audience as soon as it enters the hall itself. The stainless steel stripes create an impression of creativity and as if prepare visitors to perceive the seriousness of the musical inventions they will hear inside. The interior, however, is much complex in its semiotics. It is both nonexclusive and challenging. The interior is increasingly relaxing and provides both the orchestra and the people a kind of psychological relief. The openness of the architectural design uniquely combines with the “home” atmosphere which adds to the amazing sound and the grandeur of the soaring silver panels outside. The hall is both aesthetic and public and proves an assumption that art is the use of skills and imagination to create aesthetic objects that are shared with the public. The hall is both aesthetic and public. It proves an assumption that art is the use of skills and imagination to create aesthetic objects that are shared with the public. However, aesthetics alone cannot suffice to make postmodern art desirable and justified. Although the relativity of norms and the variety of tastes matter, postmodern reality imposes its own standards and norms and limits artistic expression to the extent, which does not violate the harmony of the public landscape. Artists’ self-expression and variety of tastes Beuys is correct, saying that in art, “first of all you have to distinguish between things that have a certain, how shall I put it, thematic intention. […] One could only assess each thing by identifying what element is still missing” (28). In the same way, in his search for self-expression, the artist must understand, recognize, and accept the priority of the surrounding landscape and the public which lives in and near it. The public value and the public opinion are, probably, the two most important features which postmodern art must follow to be considered art (Beuys). Only art that does not disrupt the public landscape deserves to be called art. Kletzky, whom Lynell George describes in his article, supports this idea. People are growing intolerant toward public art and cling to gallery art, which seems more systematic and more organized (Fleming & Goldman). That, however, does not mean that public art does not have the right to exist. Rather, in the process of creating a new artistic invention, artists should be open to the public opinions and must account for the public preferences and tastes in art. Surely, taking into account the artistic tastes of ALL individuals is virtually impossible, because the variety of tastes is too complex to satisfy everyone. That is why public artists will tend to confuse tastes and opinions with the criticism of their work (Fleming & Goldman). Simultaneously, artists and architects should remember that public art involves public money, and taxpayers are willing to participate in the process of creating a building or a public sculpture which they themselves choose to fund. Gallery and public art There should be no disconnect between the viewing public and the artist working in a public space (Fleming & Goldman). The divide between gallery and public art must be recognized, because such recognition will contribute to better accountability of the artists that create in public spaces. Walt Disney Concert Hall looks like an excellent example of how public art works for the benefit of the public and enhances the public landscape (Beuys). The architecture creates an impression of the utmost artistic harmony, which the public recognizes and respects. Moreover, the Concert Hall fits perfectly well into the discussed definition of art in that it meets sophisticated artistic needs of the public: Los Angeles residents have a unique opportunity to satisfy their needs for music and quality leisure. Today, art must be useful. That does not mean that it must satisfy tangible public needs like the need to have a good concert hall or the need to have a good music school. These needs may equally be intangible, i.e. aesthetic. The object of public art can be considered useful as long as it harmonically fits into the surrounding landscape and meets the basic aesthetic needs of the public. Art is always the use of skills and imagination to create aesthetic objects that do not disrupt but, on the contrary, enhance the public landscape and meet the aesthetic needs of the public (Beuys). Conclusion “The great variety of taste, as well as of opinion, which prevails in the world, is too obvious not to have fallen under every one’s observation” (Hume). Nevertheless, never before has this variety of tastes in art been more observable and more effective than it is now. Art is the use of skills and imagination to create aesthetic objects that harmonize and enhance the public landscape and satisfy the aesthetic needs of the public. The more unusual the creation looks, the better is seems to fit the expectations of the postmodern society. People are becoming intolerant toward public art and cling to gallery art, which seems more systematic and more organized. Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles is the bright example of how postmodern art fits the postmodern reality. The architecture makes an impression of the greatest artistic harmony, recognized by the people. The variety of tastes and artistic impulses uniquely combines with the norms and standards which artists must follow in the process of creative a piece of public art. The concert hall reflects the energetic atmosphere of Los Angeles and its residents. It is designed to meet the aesthetic needs of Los Angeles residents and provides them with quality leisure. The unique exterior breaks the boundaries of classical art and reflects the complexity of the postmodern reality. The concert hall proves an assumption that art deserves to be called art as long as it is does not violate the stability and harmony of the public landscape. Works Cited Beuys, J. What Is Art? Conversation with Joseph Beuys. Clairview Books, 2004. Fleming, R.L. & Goldman, M. “Public Art for the Public”, The Economy Publications. Find Articles, Spring 2005. Web. 10 May 2010. George, L. “Against the Flow”, Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles Times, 11 May 2008. Web. 10 May 2010. Hume, D. “Of The Standard of Taste”, California State University. California State University, 2000. Web. 10 May 2010. Russell, J. “How Frank Gehry’s Design and Lillian Disney’s Dream Were Rescued to Create the Masterful Walt Disney Concert Hall”, James Russell. James Russell, November 2003. Web. 10 May 2010. Read More