To Understand Art as a Practice Do You Need Theory - Term Paper Example

Conceptual Art Conceptual Art Introduction ICA The strategic focus of the ICA was to establish a platform through which artists of all kind could express their social concerns. Therefore, the exhibition “space” presented a conducive forum that saw a crop of new and forceful artists emerge and take centre stage in handling social problems. One of the landmark presentations in the ICA platform is the “nought to sixty” project that saw 60 new artists engage in an interactive exhibition format, through talk show and other forms of interactive artistic frameworks (LeWitt 1967). Other than the exhibition, the ICA provided a timely educative forum dubbed the fox reading room. This venture provided relevant resources, tools and the much needed convenience that motivated people from diverse backgrounds to engage in an open and creatively imaginative programme hence revolutionizing art. Owing to the fact that the ICA idea was initially conceived by critics who included poets, anarchist, historians and artists, the theoretical bit of art and its value in enhancing the practicality, cannot by any means be overlooked. In other words, the ICA literary presented a form of “laboratory” or “playground” for contemporary artists to explore their minds, emotions and ideas. In trying to explore issues affecting human kind in the present world, all the art forms existent under the ICA umbrella use the written references of art forms to counter the emergent uncertainties (Kuspit 1979). Vito Vito Acconci here demonstrates a significant shift to reading from just looking at text based art works of between 1960s and 1970s. Robert Smithson, Joseph Kosuth, Lawrence Weiner among others is in favour of the same. Vito acconci focuses on the topographical operations and the way this design elements aid in moving the art works in contention from a situation of self-preferentiality to an activated engagement with the audience. He explores the juxtapositioning of originality and authorship ideas by putting the two art works in interactive and dynamic contexts for instance in advertising or magazine publishing. Here, those texts that were typeset or reproduced through printing are given priority, as opposed to art works that were painted or hand written. This is meant to trigger an immense discussion about the engagement of these works in relation to their active editing and publishing processes. The picture theory In the picture theory, Mitchell explores and seeks to distinguish metapicture of three different kinds. To begin with, he looks at the picture which explicitly reflects on replicates itself as expressed by Saul steinbagin his vast drawings. In this case, the picture one sees appears to be within itself; it is a double picture in a single protrusion. The most practical and relevant example of such a double exhibition is achieved in the effect of the “mis en abime”, the Quaker oats box which has a picture of the box containing yet another picture of the Quaker Oats box as the first, infinity. Secondly, is a picture containing another, though of a different type hence appearing as a reframe. This thus appears as if there is a smaller picture juxtaposed within a larger [picture which is on the outside. Lastly, there is the picture which is framed within reflection upon itself. Therefore, this arrangement indicates that any simplistic representation of a picture or drawing can be a metapicture; one that can be used for reflection on the nature of other pictorial representations. The potential presence of the metapicture indicates a varied number of implications for any other assumptions that may arise. To start with, it indicates that any pictorial presentation is possibly a type of vortex or black hole which can suck into it the self awareness of the beholder. Consequently it can also spit infinitely a series of reflections. In his own point of view, William Blake observes that infinity is at the definite and determinate identity of the outline which predetermines the chaotic potential through which images come about. This notion is captured in Leonardo da Vinci’s advice to painters to take note of random mud splashes on plain walls brought about by passing carts. Therefore, it is true to note that many pictures pass us by without us necessarily getting to notice their existence. They come as flashy foods for the naked eye and in most cases mainly junk food. However, there are those which dictate a certain degree of attention. Such attributes of attention seeking can be available even in the overlooked pieces, and are always waiting to be tapped. The agenda here is essentially to slow down perception and eventual reception of an image, hence encouraging keen and lengthy contemplation upon the presence of any given image. In this notion, the main objective of the metapicture idea, therefore, is to bring about a critical platform through which images could be functional not only as mere illustrations, but also powerfully as transformative situations, which to some degree might alter the method brought to them. The vastest implication of the metapicture is that pictorial presentations can themselves be grounds of theoretical discourse and not just as passive items awaiting elaboration, by non pictorial representations. The Metapicture thus helps one in explaining the often observable un-canniness of a picture, their spectrality stare back tendency or to elaborate further on the availability of a beholder in what do pictures want, Mitchell stresses on the inhuman desires of pictures. His main aim is thus not to indicate personhood within images but to engage with the real breath within pictures. Conceptual art Conceptual art can be said to be the form of art that involves ideas and concepts which take superiority over traditional material and aesthetic apprehensions. It puts first the immaterial concepts that describe its artistic ideas putting its production method and object status secondary. According to Sol Le Witt, the most vital aspect in a work of art is the concept or idea. This means that when an artist uses conceptual forms of art, then the decisions and planning ought to be made and done in advance as the execution is an obligatory issue. The idea in this case becomes the engine that builds the art. It may represent an extension of the desire for character reflection and criticism in modern art. For long there has been questioning over a number of aspects in this form of art; the material support, character of the audience as well as the institutions that deliberated value upon it. However, this has just pushed further the dropping of traditional media initially used. When the conceptual art movement started in the 1960’s, the artists involved were encouraged to challenge the then present conventional assumptions about art like quality, beauty and above all the notable difference between an art work and a document. However, Sol Le Witt’s theory of conceptualizing arts fails due to its inconsiderate nature in relation to its physical and technical aspects when it comes to architectural art. A theoretical project may never be built; it should at least take into account the issue of structural organization. In other words, projects should not end at their critical thinking at either conceptual or schematic level. On the other hand, conceptual art has been criticised to have continued with “dematerialisation” of art through the removal of the need for objects conceptual art saw a radical break with formalist modernism by Greenberg. As a movement, conceptual art came as a reaction against modern formalism as articulated by the then influential art critic by name Clement Greenberg. Greenberg’s ideology was that Modern art trailed a progressive reduction procedure and modification towards the aim of defining the necessary, formal nature of every medium. Those elements that opposed this nature were to be minimised or eradicated. The undertaking of painting, for instance, was to define exactly what kind of item a painting actually is, to answer the question; what qualifies it to be a painting and not something else? As paintings, by nature, as commonly flat objects covered with canvas surfaces where coloured pigments are applied; for example, three dimensional perspective illusion, imagery and reference to exteriorly, the main topics of discussion were viewed as extraneous to the sense behind painting, and ought to be eliminated. Modernism Greenberg describes modernism as the use of a discipline’s characteristic methods to critique the same discipline not to undermine but engrain it more strongly in its position more competently. He enlightens and develops on the observations of the nature of pictures and their history. If, in any case, the theory might be weak at any point, then it is within the centrality of the pictorial art that seems to concur with modernism perfectly. Modernism is not only about art and literature, but it has its roots in everything that has a sense of livelihood in our culture. One can associate Modernism with the strengthening of this critical tendency pioneered by philosopher Kant. He criticized the means and used logic to institute the bounds of logic. Unlike enlightenment which does its criticism from the outside, modernism does its criticism from the inside using the procedures of what is being criticised. At a glance, arts might have been in the same circumstance a religion. Having been deprived of all duties by enlightenment that they took seriously, it appeared as though arts were going to be blended in entertainment simple and pure. Arts could only save themselves from being flattened down by demonstrating that they provide available experience in their own right which cannot be acquired from another type of activity It quickly came out that the exceptional and appropriate area of effectiveness of each art matched with all that appeared unique according to the nature of its medium. The duty of self-criticism turned to the elimination of all effect that could be borrowed from the medium of any other kind of art. Thus, rendering each art “pure” and we find that its quality standards and independence are guaranteed in its "purity". In Numbers “In numbers”, revised for a majority, the word “artistic” alludes to something which brings about questions or raises queries in the eyes of the world, its ideologies about real existence, normal existence and even the onlooker’s own sense of oneself or self being. Art thus has since grown from just being categorical in depictions of aesthetics, social being or the past for all of those are stretchily mutable and are subject to manipulation into something oddly tangible. Whether the designs are from well established artists trying to find their way back into the market place or from young and upcoming artists seeking their way around mainstreams of art culture’s peripheries, a single fact remains common to all the publications. Both camps distrust and detest the ideals of the mainstream. The ICA takes pride in the type of art which views things from an out of the box angle and secondly: publications in series or serially by artists as from the year 1955 and Lis Rhodes; Dissonance and Disturbance, are a practical assurance to this. In numbers, therefore, is a practical survey exhibition which is after paying homage to serially published works and the producing of postcards and magazines? The collective features of a bout sixty pieces of work from artists globally starting from 1955 to date. Mark Blower’s photos are principally a reiteration to the point that; Whether the designs are from well established artists trying to trace their footprints back into the market place or from young and upcoming artists seeking their way around mainstreams of art culture’s peripheries, a single fact remains common to all publications; both camps distrust and detest the ideals of the mainstream (Kosuth 1991). The ICA exhibition in itself is established on the grounds of waist-height white box cabinets consisting of diversely set publications. Onlookers are made to walk round in circles within the bounds of the boxes, as the contents within are deliberately positioned so as somebody cannot see them completely when stationed somewhere. The impact is that someone creates their own movement patterns as he or she edges off, shuffling and circulating, mimicry of the repeated movements in print and general production. As the highlights of the exhibition indicate, the lines between the curatorial practice and the traditional notions of artistic practice are blurred by serials. In order to remain as informative as possible without necessarily including overwhelmingly exhaustive number of items, the exhibition helps in making it easy to eliminate the memory of a personal publication. Buster Cleveland’s work; Art for Um, employs the use of collage which invoke the power of advertisement icons, which are familiar, people such as Elton john, Sid vicious, Bugs Bunny Princess Diana and Marilyn Monroe, as well as art-world celebrities and motifs of the lucky strike logo that have been repeated. Conclusion Art and theory are intertwined together, and none works on its own. According to Sol Le Witt, ideas and concepts take superiority over traditional material and aesthetic apprehensions where the actual art comes later. However, art cannot be described as art unless it is physical visible and subject to criticism at least according to Greenberg who believes in using a discipline’s characteristic methods to critique the same discipline not to undermine but engrain it more strongly in its position more competently. Thus, one can say that it will be practically impossible to criticize an art that is not yet created. Theory, on the other hand, helps critics like Greenberg to criticize an art. Firstly theories facilitate the understanding of the four forms of art ranging from painting to sculpture and from drawing, to building. Theory helps one to look beyond or through a piece of art in relation to the subject matter for instance history, the social contextual of the object, the artist behind the art or that particular period. Theory also supports or helps an individual to understand how the stylistic or formal qualities unfold, in relation to the time that art was done and how these qualities affect the time. At the same time, theory can help in Identifying the relationship between the object and arising issues like gender, culture, and politics in association with that time, class or the artistic creation. They also help in understanding the connection and relationships of different theories by different people towards certain arts, for example, Surrealist Salvador’s painting and its connection to Freud’s dream analyses. Theories give us different approaches or perspectives towards an art for instance from a naturalistic or realistic to a completely abstract. Representation of the same art emphasizes on both or either the paint or the flatness of that canvas over the content or the narrative. Thus, I can conclude by saying that art may lose its intended meaning if left on its own without theory, and theory is as good as useless if it cannot be used to understand and help in criticizing art. References Kuspit, D 1979, Clement Greenberg, Art Critic. Madison, University of Wisconsin Press. Kosuth, J 1991, Art after Philosophy: Collected Writings, MIT Press, Cambridge. LeWitt, S (1967). Paragraphs on Conceptual Art, Artforum, vol. 5, no 10, Pp. 79-83. Read More