Art, throughout history, has been based on art-worthy subjects... artists over time have been hired to display their talents in bringing forth of a commission, whether it's the church, the government or the family as the employers. So where's the next masterpiece coming from?
Art is much more common now. Learning is much easier and tools on the computer allow quality art to be made very cheaply. It's no longer restricted to a few and I've always found the idea of objectively masterful art to be questionable. I personally prefer many unkown artists who I feel provide a style and theme to their art which I enjoy.
One would hope from artists themselves. In this day and age we don't have to rely on the patronage of wealthy benefactors...
The problem with art today is the "art world", those who decide what is and is not befitting the title. Most modern art is trash, gobbledy-gook smears, installations, or collages produced by people with no skills. This is the trash you will see in "art" magazines, this is the garbage that earns grants. There are a lot of tremendously talented painters and sculptors, but there work tends to get noticed mainly among small groups of afficionados who are not impressed by crap, but are impressed by technically proficient craftsmen who use their years of skillful study to create magnificent art. Sadly, most of them have to leave "art schools" in order to learn what they really need to know to be successful.
I think Music videos will be the next big one. They're relativly new, and they combine differnt medias into one. Or perhaps animation. Animation certainly has gotten a lot more advanced.
Leatherface is right about modern art. We have been led by certain "art critics" to believe that these blobs of paint on canvas is art and that it is meaningful. And the deluded public buys it. Their own logic has been overridden by some "expert" which is a sad commentary on the American mind. I am a member of fineartamerica.com and when I log in I get a page showing some of the art that was sold. Some of it is truly masterful, others is junk. Like the line drawing/cartoon that someone paid $20. for and there is similar. There are millions of pieces of both photography and paintings there. You can search for items of your choice. Since there is no judgment to be passed on your work anyone can join and post their work. I lean toward realism and paint mostly animals. I'm also interested in anomalies and have a web site showing some of my work. http://www.the-oh-zone.com
Well, a lot of art - most notably abstract art - deals strictly with matters concerning artistic media, technique and conceptual matters. However, just because it's abstract doesn't mean its crap or worthless. Take for instance what is rightly considered one of the most groundbreaking and/or important paintings in history - Picasso's Les Demoiselles d'Avignon: If you look at this from a representational perspective, one might consider it crap, however, the painting was never intended to be a representational work of art. As Picasso said, if he was concerned with creating representational art, he might as well devote his time to drawing a perfect circle. Instead, he decided to break conventional norms and produce this, what is considered by many to be the first piece of modern and/or abstract art. Thus, a painting that many people would consider crap was, in fact, one of the most important and revolutionary paintings in history. Art, like beauty, is in the eye of the beholder...
It might be speculated that the peak of artistry has come and gone. That society today is not conducive to the relaxed ebb and flow of the genius artisan work of the 17th and 18th centuries. That todays society demands so much of its citizens that artist can no longer give themselves wholly to their art. Art patron are so far and few these days and without a patron many artists must resign themselves to long hours working and exhaustion. Look how long it's been since the last true art renaissance, art deco, right on the heels of Art Nuevo...then...nothing. The industrial age. Or it could be that todays masterpieces won't be recognized as such for another 100 years as is so often the case. I've see brilliant origianl works in galleries in Charleston and Santa Fe. Granted, you have to spend time and seek them out, but they are there.
Many of us older folks still look upon animation as "cartoons" Even such brilliant works as The Illusionist.....
Thats' the problem, it's become too common and the critical eye has become lazy. I doubt I will ever consider compter generated art to be "art"....but that's just me. I've seen some real interesting computer generated pictures.
Talon, there is a difference between Picasso and some of the works that are just blobs of paint smeared on in haphazard fashion. I do that when I'm cleaning the excess paint off my brushes. Maybe I should do that on a canvas and enter it in a show.
