People like to view art that reveals something about the age that it was made it. Art enables us to see people and their lives during other times, like a window we can tangibly connect with the past through art. We all must exist in this world without completely knowing it, but I think that one way we are able to enjoy it better, is by appreciating the small details in life. These idiosyncratic details that artists of all kinds try to capture, the aspects of our surroundings that give us pause, are what remind us of the pleasure in life and helps us cope with the unknown. It is these small details in art that hint at the time it was made, and help art identify the people of that time.
We are so familiar with our day to day that the unique quality of now, isn't appreciated until somewhat later into the future. This is why pop culture seems to have cycles where new things become a fad, die off, and are later revived with nostalgic clarity. Unfortunately art also gets extremely popular, then becomes almost inexcusably out-of-date or kitche. Eventually the good art is recognized and becomes an accepted remark on that time.
In my art I am often looking for a universal theme or truth that connects the image of an object with the idea of that object. This is a very common theme in art that dates back ages but can also seem repetitive through history. Sometimes it is hard to tell the difference between the universal ideals and themes that have captivated artists through the generations; and those universal icons that are accepted by the general public and can be considered generic or decorative. For example, beauty has always been associated with flowers, and artist have recreated flowers for a very long time and so most artwork of flowers do not impress or captivate us. Its too generic, but idealistically polished and acceptable... so we pass it by.
The Universal Ideal Beauty is a continued search that spans lifetimes with a common goal of finding Truth and Meaning in the visuals of our world. Since it is an endeavor ever since the first artist attempted to capture the essence of beauty in a drawing, a common goal means that the aesthetics of the Universally Beautiful can be seen as generic or cliche when done poorly. It is a very hard challenge to find a new way to see beauty in a flower, one that hasn't already been done.
This is where the details and style of the era come into play in an artists works. He or she is a product of their time and place, and so these surroundings have influence on the way they see universal beauty. It may be the same inspiration that Vermeer saw in the streams of light through a window, but it is manifested in a what that fits the character of now. It has to be interpreted through a new lens in order to fulfill the capacity of imitation and accurately represent that beauty. This is the reason why so many talented artists make work that is technically skillful, but has little birth in its creation; they focus on the techniques of past ages, instead of composing their own way of seeing it.
Style of the Era- Technology
The peculiars of our time are identified by several aspects, but they are all influenced by the newest forms of digital technologies and how it affects our perception of the world around us.
Many people have different reactions in our time to new technology, and this is the same for artists. For some there is an integration into these new technologies, while for others there is a resistance to these technologies.
There is a strange balancing act as we overcome the restricted physical world for a virtual and computer-bases reality. But it must be realized and accepted first. In the future, man will look back at history into two epochs; one of a manual and analog existence (circa 1970 or earlier) where man lives in an objective and physical reality. Compare this with future cybernetic existence which expands into a virtual and digital space composed by a network of computers. We are in limbo, in transfer between these two realities .
It is a slow process from our perspective, and these two realms of reality are already crossed, but compared to the synchronicity of the future, we are most likely more rooted in our physical reality for now. Artists are already exploring both of these realities, and inevitably they cast a certain light on the way those artists witness universal beauty. This will open the eyes of other and expanding what can be accepted as art or beautiful, but it takes time.
Artists in the Reality
So what does this mean for the contemporary artists, in search of Truth and meaning in the universally beautiful? Some stay as traditionalists, continuing the strategies and traditions of the art style or media of a physical realm. Others will be more exploratory, their definition of beauty and what it takes to reach that are different.
They might incorporate new technologies or digital tools, or be influenced by ideas that didn't exist years ago. They will create new ways to express and witness beauty, and these will more likely be definitive of art from this generation. I hope to be more open to new and experimental technology to push the boundary as an artist, but it must be poised and of the age, not of the popularity of the day.