Monday, October 26, 2009
Two weeks ago, I found myself at the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art in Kansas City. Twenty minutes before closing, I suggested to my mom that we should visit the modern art section. Immediately, I saw a piece of art that for the first time attracted me to modern art, not because of it’s absurd appearance, but because I had never seen anything like it before.
I found myself refreshed in a world where everything seems to conform into repetition — music made from samples of old tracks, movies remade and remade while just getting worse and worse and paintings being simply still life paintings or scenic photography. I had toured through many exhibits (Roman art to Renaissance masterpieces) in the Nelson-Atkins Museum. I was interested, but not totally entertained probably because most of what I was looking at was century-old oil paintings of Christian figures. But I digress.
This piece of art I mentioned earlier was a completely original grouping of green bouncy balls, some with deep indented grooves making them personified with individual personalities, yet alien in their emotionless “faces.” Although original, it was completely out of my realm of comprehension.
I was confused. I wondered how and who makes all of these works of modern art. Much of it I even questioned as being art, especially the paintings where just one black line zigzagged across a canvas. Because I am not an art critic, I tried not to judge these unfamiliar sculptures and paintings. All I wanted to know was how some of these people put them together, and what the meaning of their choices actually meant.
Luckily for me, I was able to find answers at the University. The Spencer Museum of Art hosted an event on Thursday that offered compelling views into the minds of 21st-century artists. Almost like a screening of a movie, the group Art21 gave insight into three different artists working in three different modes of expression, or lifestyles.
The three focal ideas were compassion, fantasy and systems (the way society works today with everything being information-based, supercharged and fast paced). These artists are on the cutting edge of artistic creativity in today’s society. There are plenty of places in Lawrence to view these works of art. Galleries on Massachusetts Street have an ever-changing flow of art coming and going, as well as the loaded Spencer Museum of Art.
Art21 also has a show on PBS and showings from past years available online at www.art21.org. Because contemporary art can be hard to wrap one’s head around, I suggest watching these creative videos to open your eyes to the new art being made in these sometimes repetitive times.
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Comments
Roesler: Modern art makes a stand
Kia Ora from New Zealand. I am a graphics and web designer.
This is a really good post because it expresses the feelings that many people probably have towards art today. Art is about communication, and it's also about helping us to think in new ways about our world. Patricia http://modernchristianart.net
Roesler: Modern art makes a stand
Nicolas, I have just posted a reference to this article with a link back.
I am starting a series about one of our country's greatest modern artists, whose work was - and in some cases still is - severely underestimated. Mainly, I think due to total lack of understanding. You may find this interesting as I develop the series. Patricia http://modernchristianart.net
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