Enough with the grand tradition. Let's create and appreciate art that reflects modern life; at least, that's how I feel now that I have finished Art History and can finally take off the blinders. The "grand tradition" of writing essays has been replaced by the more modern teaching tools of journal entries and blog postings. Should I be excited? Hell yeah, I should. I can finally look at and begin to make sense of paintings like this one, Untitled by Yves Tanguy. I can see connections between art and real life, something that would make Modernists proud. The unanswered questions that this painting leaves for the viewer parallel many of life's unanswered questions. It leaves the majority of the interpretation up to the viewer. This focus on the subjective, with a rejection for the objective, stands tall as a modernist value. No information is explicitly given by Tanguy to the viewer; he is all about giving each viewer the oportunity for a unique human experience. Tanguy's minimalist approach to the work, coupled with a clear rejection for the distinction between high and low culture (an almost cartoonish appearance??) leave me wondering what the work was painted for and who commissioned it. (Or if it was commissioned at all!) I guess it shouldn't matter though really, because wouldn't a Modernist be just fine with leaving those facts to the appreciator's imagination...?
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