LACMA John Pfahl’s "Sunflowers" is being exhibited at the L.A.
County Museum of Art.
By Siddarth Puri
Daily Bruin Reporter
spuri@media.ucla.edu
From famous oil canvases doused with dazzling colors to
photographic imagery technologically altered, the evolution of art
has been a reflection of the changing artistic conditions.
Photography has become a popular art form in the last two
decades, and many artists see the future of contemporary art held
in the hands of the camera.
Modern art has progressed moving in all directions, focusing on
the medium of photography and graphic representations.
In the age of modernism, concern was placed on the materials
used in art, but, now in a postmodernist art world, concern is
placed on the reception of the art. Many new artistic styles have
appeared and many have been altered and changed completely as a
result of shifting artistic ideas.
“Art no longer requires just a wall or a stand,”
said Bo Smith, a spokesman for the Los Angeles County Museum of
Art. “When we build new museums nowadays, we design them
according to the new artistic genres and pay special attention to
the technological basis of them while also making use of the new
media the artist uses.”
Ever since the onset and importance of photography in the last
20 years, technology has become a new foundation in contemporary
art.
“Photography gave artists the ability to capture a
“˜reality,'” said James Welling, a UCLA professor
of art. “By removing the subjective role in art, photography
gave artists the ability to recreate a moment, and they have used
this as a mode of communication. This groundbreaking technology not
only changed art immediately, but its effect is still apparent and
has led to new modes of technology changing the look of
contemporary art.”
Though many argue that a piece isn’t “art”
unless it is painted or sculpted, photography is seen as a new
“truth” in art thus reflecting the change to a
technology based artistic movement. Many new artists have emerged
making their mark on the art world using photography as their
medium.
“Jeff Wall, currently a distinguished visitor at UCLA, was
important in making photography prominent in contemporary
art,” Welling said. “He stages photographs like history
paintings by presenting them as giant light boxes. In an
advertisement-like situation he takes photographs of “˜slices
of life’ and is interested in taking the photo out of little
print to compete with media.”
LACMA "Psychotic Duck" is a digitally altered photo displayed at
LACMA.
The new changes in contemporary art does reflect, however, the
advancements in technology. Photography has recently been
transformed into one of the newest forms because artists can now
also adjust pictures as well.
“Even though photography is seen as a new
“˜truth,’ artists can still alter photos,” Arielle
Bivas, a second- year art student said. “The new available
technology has made it easier for artists to change pictures to fit
their mold: National Geographic, for example, on one of their
covers even changed the placement of the Egyptian pyramids to make
them closer together to fit on the cover.”
Many new artists have appeared and made new contributions to the
flashing world of photography. Two prominent L.A. contemporary
artists include John Baldassari and Ed Roche, according to Welling.
Baldassari, who worked in L.A. in the 1960s, was considered the
grandfather of contemporary L.A. art with his mixed media artistic
style. Welling also said how Baldassari additionally brought about
the re-emergence of photography in L.A. as an important art form.
He worked with photography in a graphic nature and helped in
architecture designs.
Other notable photographers include Thomas Kinkade, whose
photography bombards every trendy photo shop according to Bivas.
Bivas says that by making “traditional” photos of what
Americans like to see, Kinkade sets himself up to be successful.
His themes include stereotypical American scenes such as midwestern
cottages, lighthouses on a New England shore and of course the
inevitable flagpole with the gallant American flag.
“With art still being dominated by the
“˜traditionalists,’ the best selling artwork is the
trendy pictures the American public wants to see, which is why
artists like Thomas Kinkade are so victorious in the artistic
world,” said Bivas.
The digital realm has already affected the lives of artists and
viewers, according to Welling. Artists are making more traditional
pieces, but they are still influenced and have been by the digital
revolution. Using the modern technology to assist in their
creations, artists have just continued to create art according to
the new media coming forth.
However, art may change, whether it will continue on this path
or deviate to a new medium is still in question. Some feel that the
“new technology” in art is more of a novelty rather
than a continuum and will die out more quickly, while others feel
that it will keep on growing in popularity and importance.
“The new form of contemporary art is still up in the
air,” said Bivas. “Photography is a really strange
medium to me, right now, because people say just as photography
killed the painting, the media will kill photography. I definitely
don’t agree, but I see how some aspects of the media can be
more entertaining than those of photography.”
Aside from speculation, however, contemporary art will continue
in its aim to take viewers to different places and let them
encounter new experiences and new feelings, according to Keri
Connor, a first-year art student.
“I think in all times, you see a reflection of what is
around you in art,” said Smith. “The most creative
artist, and the ones who succeed, are the ones influences by time,
place and new possibilities ““ they react to the new
technology of the time and make use of it to express
themselves.”