The Usefulness of Social Art History: Artists and Periods in History Essay

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Introduction

Every single individual is a part of one’s era. Human actions, thoughts, and perceptions are interlinked with one’s history. Some philosophers have argued that art is the means by which images capture the issues of one’s time. Each period in history is unique and this is often indicated in the kind of work done by artists. However, it is not always common to find that historical events are the major emphasis of an artist’s work. This paper will focus on artists such as these and will demonstrate how useful social history of art is in analyzing the latter.

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Warhol and pop art

Art should never be regarded as separate and distinct because its forms, artists, materials, objects and elements are all engrained in social and political history of the time. During the French revolution, art was mistrusted by political stakeholders. Courbet was intrigued by this resistance and saw it as a critical component of his work. That is why is difficult to think of politics or social forces as issues that take a back banner to art.

In trying to understand the role or relevance of social art in art and design analysis, a particular artist that has been the subject of this debate was Andy Warhol. Warhol was a complex character that often influenced how the public interpreted his work through his utterances. One statement that rings in critics’ minds are the assertion that he once made concerning his work i.e. there’s nothing more to it and everything he intended to convey can be found on the surface. These utterances caused many art observers to judge him prematurely by asserting that he was shallow and commercially oriented especially because he confirmed reports on how most of his work is mass-produced by his employees. Nonetheless, one must desist from holding such a perspective before fully understanding what this artist is all about. (Crow, 2003)

At his prime, Warhol lived in an environment that was charged with immense social, economic and political tensions. This can be seen by comments the latter artist chose to make during interviews as his words were often characterized by bitter undertones and ironic references. For instance, when he remarked that he saw his country as being level and alike he was referring to the consumerist culture that had dominated Western nations. The depth of these words can be fully understood when one examines historical events of that time. An example is when John F. Kennedy made a surprise appearance at the Berlin wall and through such actions; the stark contrast between western consumerism and communist countries was clear evidence. However, the most surprising similarity between these two political ideologies was that they both created a mass culture albeit through choice in the West and by government imposition in the East. This issue clearly demonstrates exactly how interlinked art and design are to social history. (Crow, 2003)

One can therefore nullify previous hypotheses on the shallowness of Warhol as an artist because it is evident that his work (in contrast to his assertions) reflected wider public concerns. One can use a number of Warhol’s pieces to demystify his myth. For instance, the 1962 portrait of Marilyn Munroe known as ‘Gold Marilyn Munroe’ reflected how conscious this artist was of his work i.e. that there was greater meaning in what he did. This piece was manipulated in such a manner that Munroe’s attractiveness was no longer the centerpiece of the work. Therefore, the iconic nature of Marilyn’s Munroe was not as important as the coquettishness captured by this artist. (Crow, 2003)

It is particularly interesting to see how Any Warhol managed to demonstrate and redefine the concept of beauty in popular American culture. When creating his series of portraits for three iconic beauties, he carefully selects an image of Munroe that represented her heydays. He then captures images of Elizabeth Taylor as well as the President’s wife i.e. Jacqueline Kennedy. His work was critical in showing that a new definition of beauty was prevalent i.e. dark and non-celebrity-like women such as Jackie. He uses this very female to demonstrate the implications of the Kennedy assassination in his 1966 images called “Jackie 2”. His choice of medium was essential in revealing the greed and emotions throughout the entire country. Once again, one can clearly see how artist and medium combine to create a clear symbol of goings-on in the country. Indeed one can assert that although there were elements of truth in some of Warhol’s ‘shallow’ assertions, it is also true that there were twists and deeper ironies to this artist’s work. When he acknowledged that American society was keen on fame and that anyone could become famous, he did not mention that this could occur under drastic conditions. In order to see this ironic twist, one only needs to take a look at a series he did in ’63 called ‘Disaster’ where he captured highway accidents and the like. Warhol was therefore subject to his social environment and an understanding of these elements is what renders justice to an analysis of his works. This is why he is best remembered as one who defined pop art. (Crow, 2003)

The French revolution’s effect on Courbet’s work

In his writings, Clark (1999a) asserts that Courbet was creating pieces of art at a time when rural France was embracing modernity. Consequently, most of the symbols and elements that were synonymous with that time were prevalent in Courbet’s work. However, Clark (1999a) believes that there are immense possibilities for looking at Courbet’s pieces as a reflection of social and political dynamics of his time. The latter artist was fond of making his work symbolic and unclear with regard to politics. Although some of his most famous works such as ‘Burial at Ornans’ demonstrate how this artist was merging the link between object and likeness, there are still other political undertones that demonstrate how Court would employ tricks in his works of art. This is a contradiction of sorts since the latter artist appeared to dissuade sanity in his paintings yet politics necessities sobriety and sanity. In fact, an analysis of the ‘Burial at Ornans’ reveals a deviation from Gustave’s usual work; he was pushed into such a position as a result of political forces operating in his time. This painting was not typical of other post-modern ones and it was largely because its artist got out of his bourgeois shell and let the moments of that time dictate what took place. (Clark, 1999a)

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Clark (1999b) firmly believed that four prominent artists in France were highly affected by the social and political events of the time and that those who tried to reject this notion wound up doing so in vain. In this regard, a look at all their wok demonstrates certain elements that could only have been as a response to the French revolution. These were all artists who were critical to the realist movement as most of them moved away from conventional understandings of art. Also, this era was unique because artists’ works were examined thoroughly for any form of controversy such that even the most unintended messages were either misread or interpreted from their work.

Political influences and quality of work

Walter (1970) affirmed that all artists or poets do have an inherent right to exist; nonetheless, it is not always a must that they have the right to freedom. This is because they must make a decision on which interests they will serve. In this regard, artists must look for a middle ground in which they can maintain some level of liberty for producing their work and also propagate the views and opinions supported by certain groups. In other words, this kind of liberty demonstrates autonomy and hence quality while the interests being propelled denote political tendencies. It is true to say that when an artist creates a piece of work that reflects the right inclinations, then that work’s quality should not be put into question. Additionally, any piece of literature or artist is often related to the social relationships prevalent at that time. This implies that there are also deep inter-linkages between the technique utilized and the social relationships of production. One can therefore find the political inclinations of an artist in the kind of technique encompassed. In literature, it is common to find writers who do not just dispense information but those who take part in creating certain phenomena as the case was in Russia during 1928 when writers were involved directly in the process of collectivizing agriculture.

Certain forms of media can be instrumental in making one’s audience part of the production process (on the surface value). For instance, newspapers provide an avenue against which groups can include their opinions or interpretations and also where they can satisfy their need for urgent information. This involvement tends to make these readers feel as though they are co-authors. However, one must desist from making such an assertion because those very newspapers are owned by the bourgeois who can then manipulate information to suit their needs. Sometimes artists can play a fundamental role in transforming society through activism. In other words, such persons are usually interested in propagating the interests of the masses. This implies that any materials used in production will essentially become commodities that writers/ artists can use to advance the proletariat’s argument. However, although the medium of exchange used is often owned by the bourgeois, this does not change the fact that there are still opportunities for such views to be propelled without necessarily destroying these owners of the means of production. But in doing this, care must be taken to ensure that clarity is maintained. (Walter, 1973) therefore understanding social history of art enables one to study the transformative aspect of one’s pieces.

Clarity can often be very difficult to define. To this end, it is essential to embrace a different form of neutrality where an artist attempts to redefine or revolutionize what is deemed as acceptable. In other words, artists must operate as though they are offering their audience a new good for consumption. This means that different forms of art must continually seek new ways of looking at things. An example of such an assertion was Dadaism which generated a lot of support and controversy during its inception. This form of art entailed utilization of various objects in real life to create still life. Members of this movement were therefore illustrating to the world that there was a indeed a new way of looking at things. Photographers and other artists have therefore enjoyed their evolutionary title only when their work seems to break barriers or seem to inject new life into the appreciation of art; another important reason for knowing social history of art. For pieces of work to possess an economic value, they must capture current patterns and trends but they must also change the world and this is what makes them have a ‘political tendency’. Therefore, this brings one back to an earlier assertion that pieces of work with the right political inclinations also possess the right quality.

All the latter arguments affirm the role of social art in history. Art and political inclinations are intertwined because artists must have the right amount of political inclinations to become memorable or influential while politics through the social arena needs to be changed and transformed for the betterment of society. Therefore, it is premature and outright wrong to try and assess a piece of art without focusing on its social history or the political inclinations of the artists who made it because artists are producers. (Walter, 1970)

Usefulness of social art in reproducibility

Reproducibility of various pieces of work has been a common phenomenon in various fields of specialty especially in craft production. Nonetheless artistic mass production has always been a subject of controversy; this was especially the case after the introduction of the film. It is critical to understand the relationship between reproducibility and art such that linkages with social history can be made and analyzed.

In traditional art, pieces of art were often treated as authentic. In other words, one often allocated a certain aura to a certain piece and it was treated as distinct. However, reproducibility eliminates such functions because so many of the same products exist at any one time. This has therefore made it difficult to capture the time and place for which it had been created. Social art history is therefore more useful in traditional art.

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Another common aspect that was often sought after in traditional pieces of art was originality. This aspect began decaying as soon reproducibility of artwork was done. To this end, society’s modes of perception have changed to the point that people are no longer interested in aura when assessing a piece of art. Instead, now society seeks to get over that uniqueness so that the item can be demystified. Multiplicity has therefore replaced originality. Also, people in the traditional era of art often sought to distance themselves from those works and instead focused on analyzing and appreciating them. Reproducibility has bridged that gap between audience and artist and audience and art object. This element therefore brings in a very critical point to the discussion; that art in the traditional era was seen as a mere practice but it took on a political dimension in the period of reproducibility. Here, the artistic object is seen as something that offers service to consumers and not merely as a ceremonial object. Consequently, reproducibility has changed the role of art in today’s world. One can therefore assert that mass production can allow more political roles in art as day-to-day challenges can be incorporated into these productions. Therefore, in analyzing any piece of art, it is essential to ask oneself whether the work was produced in the traditional era or in the era of reproducibility. In the former time, social history plays an important role because political functions were still held. The difference between those times and the era of mass production is that in one, the political functions were often resisted by the powers that be hence explaining why those pieces of work were revolutionary in nature. In other words, in the traditional era, political and social overtones could generate an almost cultic following but this is no longer the case in mass production. (Jennings et al, 2008)

It is particularly interesting to note the role of Dadaism during such a time. Dadaism encouraged futurism owing to the fact that the creators of this form wanted to distract their audience from contemplating artwork. This paved the way for film and graphic design which basically operate under the same principle i.e. that the objects being presented are so shocking that they cannot leave room for an analysis into their meanings. Much like Dadaism, film and graphic design have been received in a manner that counters concentration and increases distraction. This means that a viewer of a film normally absorbs that work as it is. However, without reproducibility, an observer would first need to concentrate thus showing that the viewer is taken in by the art.

All these changes in the conception of art after reproducibility are critical in showing how social history can affect the analysis of art and design. First of all, reproducibility affects how the public receives a form of art since its absence causes resistance and its presence causing acceptance. Therefore, when one understands the social history of a work of art i.e. whether it depicts reproducibility or not, then one can comfortably determine how influential that work will be in the social arena. Also, mass production demonstrates another important aspect with regard to the aesthetics and politics. Reproducibility propagates communism and politicization of art. On the other hand its absence promotes fascism and aestheticism in politics. One must therefore go out of one’s way to study the social history of a piece of art in order to interpret how the public received it especially when it was mass-produced. (Jennings et al, 2008)

Social art history in Germany after Nazism

German artists were different from their American counterparts when it came to capturing the social history of their era. The latter artists primarily dwelled on this subject and let the social aspects emanate from their work. This is indeed possible because every type of specialist (philosopher, poet, author) has to capture the elements of his time in his work. However, in Germany, this seemed to be a major objective for artists such as Gerhard Richter. The latter individual was critical in demonstrating how artists struggled to reconcile themselves with modernism while still remaining loyal to their roots. He was alive at a time when political tensions were rife in Germany especially because public opinion was divided on the country’s involvement in the cold war. So Richter had to respond to these divisions through his art but he was able to achieve this in a relatively objective manner. This was because he maintained an air of mystery about him. More often than not, the artist’s pieces tended to display violence in a hidden manner that necessitated greater analysis in order to understand them.

One very interesting aspect about Gerhard Richter was the fact that he frequently changed his style from realism to abstract art. One can argue that this had a social and political significance; he was indicating that Germany was going through a transition in which the country was embracing pop art but still dealing with the kind of art that was tolerated in Nazi Germany i.e. one that was not politically confrontational. The technique employed by Richter of printing photographs also denotes another important element of the social history of art in Germany. Most of horrendous experiences that Germany went through occurred when Richter was a teenager. He therefore related to those experiences but in a distant manner. This was the same thing he was trying to convey in his work which implies that the subject in the photographs was a bit distant from the artist himself. (Manchanda, 2002)

Many people have claimed that Richter’s masterpiece was in the 1988 paintings of the prison hangings of the members of the Baader-Meinhoff gang. The artist was once again focusing on a prevalent societal tension i.e. that of law and order enforcement officials versus idealist youths. Although these images created a lot of controversy at the time of their release, one can see how this artist was able to transform a taboo subject like death into myth and hence beauty. When one sees numerous images of the victims of the hangings culminating into the revelation of a body of a young woman with rope marks around her neck. One may not fully appreciate the significance of this piece if one does not understand the social history of that moment.

Conclusion

After the French revolution, artists such as Gustave Courbet could not hide from social and political events occurring in their world as depicted by the Burial at Ornans. In post-Nazi Germany, artists used social art history as the subject of their pieces; as clearly evidenced from Richter’s work of the Meinhoff gang hangings. Warhol also captured the events of his time such as the JFK assassinations through altered photographs of the first lady. Overly, artists always have to capture the right political undertones in order to be regarded as transformational and worthwhile. This is the reason why social history of art is critical in interpreting various works of art and design.

References

Clark, T. (1999a). Image of the people: Gustave Courbet and the 1848 revolution. London, University of California Press.

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Clark, T. (1999b). The absolute bourgeois. London, University of California Press.

Crow, T. (1987). Saturday disasters: trace and reference in early Warhol. MSU website.

Jennings, M., Doherty, B. & Levin, T. (eds) (2008). The work of art in the age of its technological reproducibility. Harvard: Belknap press.

Manchanda, C. (2002). Gerhard Richter – forty years of painting. Catalogue museum of modern art.

Walter, B. (1970). The author as producer. New Left review 1(62), 1-9.

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IvyPanda. 2021. "The Usefulness of Social Art History: Artists and Periods in History." December 10, 2021. https://ivypanda.com/essays/usefulness-of-social-art-history/.

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