Art or Not Art?
For centuries, art was defined by strict rules. Anything falling outside the definition established by the academies of art was not credible artwork. These rules were shattered with the invention of photography; the classical era came to an end, opening the door to the impressionists. The art world embarked on a new journey of discovery of what could and could not constitute art. There is no consensus on this question: it appears that what is or is not art is predominantly dictated by the judgment of ‘those who know’ (i.e. renowned artists, critics, curators and other authorities). The rest of us are generally willing to blindly follow their recommendations, so blindly that when a teenager decided to ‘display’ his friend spectacles in a gallery, the viewers automatically assumed that it was a legitimate artwork (Dasgupta, 2016). Humans unconsciously place our trust in anyone representing an authority, as illustrated in psychology with the ‘Milgram Shock’ experiment (Mcleod, 2017). Another important aspect that may explain our inability to question the establishment is ‘choice blindness’ (Johansson, 2017), which explains that people are not always aware of their choices and preferences and, consequently, unconsciously trust whoever is in charge. Very few people would question the judgment of those who know (critics, curators, gallery owners and other authorities).
The decision on what is art – and by extension, what is not art – is eligibly based on the art conditions. However, there are no universally recognized necessary conditions. Each actor – or group of actors – has their own views and opinions on whether an artist’s intention should affect the interpretation of the work or whether the artist’s plans and motivations affect its meaning and ultimately if they believe the work can be defined as ‘art’.
Ready-Made Objects & Found Images
In the early twentieth century, Marcel Duchamp established a theory on the artistic value of man-made objects – which he called ‘ready-made objects (MoMA Learning, 2021). In his view, anything could become a wort of art based on:
- The choice of the object itself: the simple fact that an everyday object has been selected by the artist is sufficient to elevate it to the rank of art.
- The object’s intended function is cancelled by placing it into a context where it has no purpose or use.
- The presentation and title bring a new perspective and new thoughts and give a new meaning to the object.
Duchamp’s concept was revisited by artists such as Andy Warhol, who question the validity of Duchamp’s perspective with his Brillo Box (Soap Pads) (Warhol, 1964). Warhol’s copy and model of a Brillo box were identical and thus poses the question of why one is considered as art and not the other one. This marks a departure from the importance of the art object as Warhol copy was deemed a work of art not because of physical observation but because of the underlying theories: an idea must be in place for something to be considered as art.
The concept of Ready-Made objects has been extended to images, which are called ‘Found Images’, which introduces the idea of appropriation. Appropriation is at the heart of Richard Price’s work. There is, however, a moral and legal uncertainty related to this concept due to copyright, and Price has been subjected to several legal battles for ‘borrowing’ others’ work.
Is it possible to elevate anything to the rank of art?
Anything is not everything. In contemporary art, the object takes a secondary place. What is viewed as less relevant than the how and the why. The underlying idea and its novelty are ultimately what makes something a work of art. You got to be the first one!
My reflection
I can’t help thinking that the art condition’s primary objective is to force-fit some degree of objectivity to something inherently subjective. The institution defends itself, claiming that (contemporary) art is democratic and accessible to anyone who wants to participate but is it really? Let’s be honest here, art – contemporary or other – requires some level of understanding, consciousness, and awareness that is not accessible to all. A family living in the London or Paris suburb and struggles to make meat end rarely consider culture, art or even knowledge as ‘essential’. Poverty is an affliction that extends well beyond the financial aspects. The culture was undoubtedly the least of my parents’ priority when I was young. All their energy was channelled into getting us a good education and putting food on the table.
The financial struggles had a significant impact on my decision: when I was 16 years old, I had to choose what path I wanted to follow. Although my heart wanted to go into art, my reason led me to science and engineering. The certainty of a secured job was a significant factor in my decision, a long-lasting impact of privations. Looking back now, I firmly believe I took the right decision: I was a very skilled draughtswoman, but I was utterly disconnected from the art world, even unaware of its existence. I was unarmed and unprepared to fend my way in this environment and grasp even its basic principles. I would never have survived it. I became an engineer; however, I never abandoned my passion. Over the following two and half decades, I increased my knowledge and understanding until the point where I felt I wanted to be part of it and started a degree in fine art. I had to raise my knowledge, consciousness, and awareness to a sufficient level first. I have able to do it because I have put being the financial struggles. So yes, art is theoretically accessible to all, but not everyone can access it.
In a way, contemporary art is a physical embodiment of an idea, which leads me to how far this concept can be pushed. Could something as intangible as a word, like an insult, for example, be elevated to the rank of art? Could the recontextualization of a found image be considered a work of art?
References
Dasgupta, S. (2016) Is Everything Art? a Perspective. At: https://www.re-thinkingthefuture.com/article/is-everything-art-a-perspective/ (Accessed 17/06/2021).
Johansson, P. (2017) Choice Blindness. At: https://youtu.be/tuEGoAabL9o (Accessed 14/11/2020).
Mcleod, S. (2017) The Milgram Experiment. At: https://www.simplypsychology.org/milgram.html (Accessed 17/06/2021).
MoMA Learning (2021) Marcel Duchamp and the Readymade. At: https://www.moma.org/learn/moma_learning/themes/dada/marcel-duchamp-and-the-readymade/ (Accessed 14/06/2021).
Warhol, A. (1964) Brillo Box (Soap Pads). At: https://www.moma.org/collection/works/81384 (Accessed 16/06/2021).
Viviane Smith 