Wow, my modern art rant brought out more replies than any blog posts I’ve ever made! Since a lot of people chipped in, I think it deserves a followup, so I can clear up some misconceptions, and talk some more about the prejudice against comics.
I was very frustrated when I wrote the post, partly due to the recalled experience being brought up again, and also due to me still being quite sick and needing something to ramble about. Because of that, I think I was a bit unclear in my motive. My post wasn’t trying to debate what art is. I don’t believe anyone has the authority to tell someone else what ‘art’ is, because it is so open to interpretation. Also, I was very vague in my wording when describing “Modern Art”, which is quite a general term. I do not know the proper name for the kind of art I was trying to describe is, but I think everyone knew exactly what I was talking about. If there is a more specific term, please let me know. (No sarcastic replies, to this, lol.)
I don’t hate this type of artwork. And I do believe I can enjoy the thoughts behind them sometimes, upon explanation. For example, Jackson Pollock created his infamous splattered canvases as a spiritual outlet to combat his alcoholism. I can understand that. I even find some visual appeal in his artwork. But regardless, it doesn’t speak to me.
But I prefer artwork that gives me SOMETHING to work with in order to make my own explanations, rather than something so baffling you could never hope to understand what the artist’s real meaning was. When I see a movie that really made me think about something, or read a comic that really touched me or made me laugh- I tell my friends about it, so they can experience the art with me. I don’t think the type of modern art I was referring to does this for most people. And if I am wrong- so much the better for the people people who DO get moved by it in that way. I’m sure they are leading far more enriched lives than I am if they are so easily amazed.
I think my biggest qualm with modern art is the elitism that it seems to spawn. As a whole, society looks down on artists. But we are the masters of degrading each other. It may just be my experience (and admittedly, the aforementioned modern art professor didn’t help my opinion here) but the types of artists who create these pee-jars are so hopped up on their own brilliance, they snub anything that isn’t as “subversive” as their own work. In other words, any artwork which appears to have actual craft and an actual message. Also, I have major issues with such artists who will justify anything in the name of their “art”, including killing animals, shooting people, and other “performances” which, under normal circumstances, would get one put in jail or a nuthouse.
In my previous modern art rant, someone brought up the example of symbolism and references to biblical stories/myths in classical art, likening them to the hidden meanings in modern art. I would like to point out a slight difference here. Symbolism, mythology, and religious imagery are all things you can research and recognize in artwork. Classical art is admirable in so many ways- even a completely uneducated person (which most people were, back then) could appreciate the craft and the beauty of it. And for one who recognizes the subtle imagery, classical works become like a puzzle to piece together. Of course, there are some things you might need extra explanation to appreciate- for example, did you know that in Michelangelo’s famous “Creation of Adam”, God and the angels are shaped perfectly into the form of a human brain? You could question this further- was Michelangelo implying that God was the source of all thought and knowledge? Or perhaps- and this would have been admittedly quite ballsy of him, considering the Pope commissioned the piece- was he saying that God was created inside the human brain?
What I think I love most of all about Classical art is the storytelling element, which I keep coming back to. Most religious artwork was (and still is) created with the purpose of education on the stories of that religion, particularly in times and places where the majority of people cannot read or write. Around the world and throughout history, images have been used to tell stories- from Egyptian hieroglyphs to monumental Christian triptychs. Wait a second- using sequential images to tell a story? Thank kinda sounds like… COMICS! Which brings me to my second topic…
The Prejudice against Comics
There are people who say comics are not art, which in my mind is absolutely ridiculous. The people who say that base their opinions on social bias associated with the history of comics and the people who read them. Comic fans are seen as immature geeks who need to get out of their mother’s basement and get a real job. Comic artists aren’t considered “real” artists because the work they produce is targeted at these “losers.” It’s very upsetting, but the fact is that the mainstream Western world still considers comics to be only for children.
Typical comic book geek
When I lived in the US, but also when I lived in Austria, it was not uncommon for people to scoff at my career choice. “That’s cute. When are you going to get a real job?” “Why don’t you do some “real” art instead of stuff for kids?” These are the sorts of comments that one becomes used to hearing. But it never becomes any less frustrating. I think my biggest disappointment came in highschool, when I was in a class called “Theory of Knowledge”, which was required for all students to take. It was basically a philosophy class, and for the most part I really enjoyed it. We had debates and discussions on ethics, and subjective topics such as “What is Art?” For this particular topic we were requested to bring to class something we considered “art.”
I bought a book of Rose of Versailles by Ryoko Ikeda, the world-famous manga which springboarded the shoujo-manga genre in the 70’s. I admire it for the artwork, in which Ryoko Ikeda invented many of the now clichee shoujo graphic conventions, such as “romance bubbles,” dramatic stage lighting, sparkling eyes and tears, and abstract, “emotional” backgrounds used to accentuate drama. I also admire all of her research into the French Revolution, and the time it took her to finish the comic- the entire manga set is thicker than a dictionary- and she did it all on her own. The story had a massive cultural impact, spawning many more “princely girl” series, including the famous “Revolutionary Girl Utena,”, and even went on to become a live-action film and several Takarazuka musicals.
What was my teacher’s reaction? He ridiculed me in front of the class. After all his talk about how art was subjective and impossible to define, he made fun of me for bringing a “comic book,” and made no effort to shut up the rest of the class when they followed his example. I was so hurt and angry, I was unable to formulate a proper defense for my choice. Now, after 5 years of studying all types of comics and art, I feel a little more prepared to defend comics.
Belgium and France are exceptions, I’ve noticed. People here really respect comic artists, particularly in Belgium, where they are extremely proud of their famous Belgian comic artists, such as Herge (Tintin) and Peyo (Smurfs.). Even people I’ve met who say “I don’t really care much about comics” end up having at least five of them in their house. Comics are very deeply infused into the culture here! So, maybe there is some hope for the US, as far as accepting comics goes.
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