The Philosophy of Kitsch - Essay Example

The Philosophy of Kitsch Contents Introduction 3 Discussion 3 Conclusion 7 References 9 Introduction The philosophy of Kitsch is based on the painting of Kitsch. It is an international movement of the classical painter which took place in 1998 based on the philosophy told by Old Nerdrum. Latter on the philosophy of Old Nerdrum was written and clarified in his book named as “On Kitsch”. The philosophy of the author is explained in the book with the help of narrative style which highlighted emotion and romanticism. The movement of Kitsch is associated with the art of Greek and Rome. The painters of Kitsch accepted the philosophy and emphasized on its positive aspects. The philosophy of Kitsch is not against art. It focused on the establishment of its own independent structure. For this reason the painters of Kitsch highlight that Kitsch is not a movement for art rather it is considered as philosophy. Those painters believed that the art and Kitsch painting are separated from each other. Discussion Kitsch philosophy is developed by Nerdrum and he first popularized the philosophy among his student circle. Nerdrum got strong support from his student and they played significant role in popularizing the philosophy of Kitsch1. The philosophy of Kitsch is considered as a type of indirect criticism on art world. But many painters who believed in Kitsch philosophy do not want to criticize the contemporary art world. Kitsch philosophy states that fine art or art is a sole concept. This philosophy does not support the use of fine art or art in physical manifestation. In 18th century, Immanuel Kant, the German philosopher, highlighted the concept of the using fine art for doing physical manifestation. During 1998, the philosophy of Kitsch became very popular and the Kitsch painter gave huge effort in separating art from craft2. The art theorists Hermann Broch, Clement Greenberg and Theodor Adorno popularized the word Kitsch from 1930s. These theorists were against the philosophy of Kitsch. The huge popularity of Kitsch philosophy became a threat for the art world. The culture of the art world was getting changed by the philosophy. Various people contradict the philosophy of Kitsch and place their views against the philosophy. The philosophy of Kitsch emphasizes on the antithesis of modern art3. The philosophy of Kitsch is related to human nature, senses etc. In the book “On Kitsch” the philosophy of the author was highlighted by paintings. The philosophy of Kitsch is closely associated with the idea of art in the modern times. Earlier in Greece, the word “art” means beauty and skill. In the modern era, art became a form of expression thoughts4. Kant was considered as most influential person who developed the modern and post modern philosophy of art. The philosopher, Hegel supported the theory of Kant. Earlier it was thought that art must be developed by true man who does not have skills. These ideas and concepts are opposed in Kitsch philosophy. Expression is considered as a vital part of art. The philosophy of Kitsch is a passion which supports the expression of art at various levels. According to this philosophy, art is not the way of expressing truth or the servant of truth5. The philosophy of Kitsch also emphasized on the issue that art must be developed by a skilled person. For developing paintings, a painter needs to have various skills and qualities. Therefore these are some significant factors of art. As per the old norms, art was considered as the process of revealing self. Kitsch philosophy created high standards in the history of art. The nature of Kitsch philosophy is humanist. It emphasized on objectivism, aesthetics and empiricism6. The base of this philosophy was developed on the knowledge of experience. Through the concepts of Kitsch philosophy the philosopher Odd Nerdrum opposed the views and claims of Kant. According to Kitsch, philosophy art must be related to the sprite of age or time. Kitsch philosophy highlights that art can be related with ideologies, reasoning and social perspectives but it should also focus on liberty and individualism7. Art is not related with politics. Kitsch philosophy focuses on the issue that art should always be free from politics. The exhibition in Florence Academy in 2009 focused on the philosophy of Kitsch movement. The exhibition was named as “Immortal Works” where the Kitsch painters displayed their paintings based on Kitsch philosophy. Kitsch paradigm consists of timeless state, composition, wants for eternal and beauty. All of these factors played significant role in developing Kitsch philosophy. The Kitsch painters believe that painting is related to emotions. For this reason when a person observes a painting he normally feels emotional rather than intellectual8. The philosophy of Kitsch is very simple. It is even understood by uneducated people. This is one of the important reasons behind the popularity of Kitsch philosophy. The main aim of Kitsch philosophy is to establish seriousness in life. With the help of thoughtful paintings, the Kitsch painters tried to bring emotions and laughter in the life of people by adopting a quiet way. The philosophy of Kitsch believes in life and for this reason it focuses more on individualism9. The philosophy of Kitsch was spread in different parts of the world with the help of Kitsch painters. The Kitsch painters did various exhibitions in various places and made people aware of the concepts and ideas of Kitsch philosophy. Not only the painters but also musicians, actors and writers played significant role in popularizing Kitsch philosophy10. The values and importance of life are highlighted in this philosophy. Kitsch followed the view of Aristotle. The philosophy of Kitsch is associated with human experiences11. The philosophy of Kitsch does not refuse the concept of Plato regarding art. Some people think that the philosophy of Kitsch is highly controversial. But Kitsch focuses more on the positive sides of campaigning modern art and its negative aspects12. The philosophy of Kitsch facilitates the people in understanding and accepting the concept on contemporary art. The modern philosophers of Kitsch believe that with the improvement of language the concept of contemporary art will develop13. But this view is totally different from the opinions of ancient Kitsch philosophers. Therefore the people who believe in ancient Kitsch philosophy are facing problems in accepting the views of modern Kitsch philosophers14. The appropriate meaning of art is successfully established by Kitsch philosophy. It is considered as a brilliant philosophy emphasizing on humanity, beauty and rationality. This philosophy highlights that passion, skills and beauty can be expressed properly with the help of art. It acts as an appropriate way of expressing feelings and emotions15. Conclusion The philosophy of Kitsch is described in this essay in details. Fine art or art has experienced significant changes in different periods of time. The philosophy played important role in developing style and trends of art. Kitsch philosophy was developed by the philosopher Nerdrum. He was against the views of Kant and some other philosophers of ancient times. By developing this philosophy, the philosopher Nerdrum criticized the concepts and the ideas of Greek philosopher. Kitsch philosophy focuses on the way of using art for expressing emotions and feelings. The philosophers of Kitsch believe that art must be related with modern times. This essay has focused on the ancient concepts of the art. Kitsch stated that art is not related to any political rule. It should be practiced by skilled persons for expressing their thoughts. The positive sides of contemporary art are highlighted in this essay. Kitsch philosophy was mainly popularized by the Kitsch painters. 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