Tuesday, September 28, 2010

05 - Alli Schaaff: T.I.E. and Benjamin Response

As a photographer, I'm always blown away by photorealism. That's why I decided to reproduce this oil painting, a self-portrait by Chuck Close, for the Transition, Imitation, Emulation assignment.



As for the Benjamin essay, I found it interesting. It offered a view different than anything I've encountered before - that classical art is not dead; rather, art itself has evolved. I tend to view the traditional and the classical as art, moreso than contemporary pieces, and much moreso than movies, snapshots, Lady Gaga performances. I just find more beauty in the expression of past artists. It left me wondering why no one is sculpting Davids anymore; why no one is building grand cathedrals and monuments; why there has yet to be another modern poet to rival the ancients. But there's nothing wrong with the present, Benjamin offers. Art as a medium has changed completely. The masses have a lot more to do with what is now considered art or not - it's along the lines of a video going viral. Modern art appeals to the masses.


No comments:

Post a Comment