History of Modern Art Course Introduction

Introduction

  • The instructor: Anthony Morasco, senior lecturer at NABA, Milan.

  • Course structure: All online, midterm and final exams will be open book and based on PowerPoint slides.

Course Objectives

  • Focus on understanding modern and contemporary art.

  • Importance of the contract: Only materials in the uploaded PowerPoints will be assessed in exams.

  • Emphasis on the value of participation: Look back at recordings if a class is missed.

Instructor Background

  • PhD in history from the University of California, Berkeley.

  • Research interests: Vision, visuality, and their impact on art.

  • Enumeration of previous teaching positions across various international institutions.

Attendance Policy

  • Online attendance counted through system logs due to device counts.

  • Encouragement for students to review recorded lectures.

  • Open communication encouraged: Students can contact via email or preferred messaging app like WhatsApp for prompt responses.

Introduction to Modern Art

Example of Contemporary Art

  • "Comedian" by Maurizio Cattelan (2019): A banana taped to the wall.

  • Serves as a conversation starter about what defines art today.

  • Challenges traditional views by linking to Dadaism and critiques of the art market.

Dadaism

  • Originated in 1916 in Zurich.

  • Artworks created within Dadaism are both Dada and anti-Dada.

  • Art can elicit conflicting feelings due to its inherent contradictions.

Contemporary Art Characteristics

  • Anything goes in the field of contemporary art, placing emphasis on shock value and social critique.

  • Examples cited:

  • Gilbert & George - Artworks that include bodily excrement and are deliberately controversial.

  • Matthew Barney - Blending various artistic disciplines, including performance and film.

  • Simon Sterling - Narrative around ecological issues as a performance art piece.

  • Charles Ray - Emphasizing the artist's presence in minimalist works.

The Absurdity of the Art Market

  • Discussion on the price of artworks and how it diverges from traditional artistic value.

  • Use of a golden toilet (2016) also by Catalan: A statement on societal values and the commodification of art.

  • How price and perception influence the understanding of art.

Research Questions and Hypothesis

  • Encouraging students to frame research questions related to the absurdity of the current art world:

  • Why does anything go in art today?

  • How can we reconcile modern definitions of art with the historical context?

  • Importance of developing a working hypothesis for clear research.

The Role of Bias in Research

  • Importance of awareness of biases while conducting research to form a balanced understanding.

  • Encouragement to validate hypotheses with diverse feedback.

Discussion of Art Institutions

  • The relationship between art markets and museums.

  • Museums as guardians of art versus markets as speculative drivers.

  • Example of Marcel Duchamp's "Fountain" connecting with contemporary artworks.

The Concept of Ready-Made Art

  • Reinventing the discourse on what constitutes art through the example of ready-mades.

  • Duchamp's "Fountain" as a foundational piece leading to countless reinterpretations in contemporary art.

Course Structure

  • The syllabus will guide the course, starting from Renaissance art to modern and contemporary pieces.

  • Midterm and final will assess knowledge gained throughout the course, focusing on comprehension rather than rote memorization of dates or facts.

Conclusion

  • Art serves as a mirror reflecting society, its values, and contradictions.

  • Need to understand the transition from modern to contemporary to appreciate current practices.

  • Students are encouraged to conceptualize their own thoughts about the evolving nature of art based on discussions in class and materials provided.

The characteristic of contemporary art that allows for "anything goes" stems from several key factors:

  1. Shock Value and Social Critique: Contemporary art often emphasizes shock value and social critique. This allows artists to push boundaries and challenge societal norms, thus broadening the definitions of what can be considered art.

  2. Dadaism Influence: Dadaism, which originated in 1916, embodies the idea that art can both embrace contradiction and provoke thought. The works created under this movement reflect an intentional departure from traditional artistic values, which informs contemporary practices.

  3. Evolving Definitions: As societal values and perceptions shift, so does the understanding of art. The concept of art is not static, and new interpretations continuously emerge in response to historical and cultural contexts.

  4. Market Dynamics: The relationship between art markets and societal values affects what is deemed valuable or significant in art. Price and perception have become pivotal in understanding contemporary artworks, illustrated through lavish statements such as Maurizio Cattelan's golden toilet, which critiques commodification in the art world.

  5. Personal Interpretation: The subjective nature of art allows for diverse interpretations and meanings, empowering both artists and viewers to see art in any form they choose.

Overall, these elements combine to create a landscape in which the boundaries of art are vastly expanded, allowing for virtually anything to be considered art today. This encourages ongoing dialogue and reflection on the role of art in society.