“An original is a creation motivated by desire. Any reproduction of an originals motivated be necessity. It is marvelous that we are the only species that creates gratuitous forms. To create is divine, to reproduce is human.” – Man Ray
This seems like a really great quote to prompt this next post as it is filled with reproductions taken with my silly, little iPhone. I don’t know how the rest of you feel about Modern art or avant-garde art of the early 20th century… but I bloody love it. Let me be the first to say though that I did NOT always feel that way. I really just didn’t get some of it… why lie? I didn’t get all of it. But then, something really great happened. In my last year of college before graduating, my academic advisor demanded that I take courses out of my area of expertise…. what do you mean I can’t ONLY learn about Byzantine and early Medieval Art? That’s crazy. I rolled my eyes and said fine… never mind that taking more modern art courses would only make me a better and more rounded art historian. But I’m a Taurus and I’m stubborn… so, there’s that.
I enrolled in a class devoted to Marcel Duchamp and Dada. This is probably once of the best choices I ever made academically. This class was one of maybe 2 or 3 that were being taught in the ENTIRE WORLD… and my professor is one of the most knowledgable on Duchamp, so I can’t tell you how I lucked out. But, the point of this post is not to brag, but to only say that we all have to remember to give things a chance. You never know what you will learn and see or how the knowledge you gain will change your life. I still don’t understand modern art.. but I think a lot of times that’s what the artist is shooting for. They want the viewer to question what they are looking at and to be critical… because in that critique is when we as the viewer develop a connection to any given piece- even if it is a negative one.
Since I’ve been out of school, I have missed having conversations with my peers about art and about learning, so when a friend of mine asked me to go to the Art Institute with her, I jumped at the chance. I don’t normally spend a lot of time in the Modern Wing of the AIC, but they are currently celebrating the 1913 anniversary of Chicago The Armory Show, so we decided to scope it out. No matter how many times I go to AIC I never get bored. The friend that I went with had also studied art history, so it was so fun to listen to everything she said and just soak up her knowledge. I had such a great time and it really reignited my love for Dada, Surrealism, Duchamp, and Modern art in general. Below are images from AIC by heavy hitters Francis Picabia, Fernand Léger, Max Beckmann, Marc Chagall, Réne Magritte, Georges Braque, and Joan Miró. There are SO many more pieces and artists that come out of these monumental art movements from the early 20th century. Please enjoy and check them out in real life at the Art Institute.
Artfully Yours... 