1972 School Magazine

JIoJ.r, o4* is ,ot fo, a4ftists oloru

In a very recent research test held in Canada it was proved that there is still a fifty year generation gap between an artist producing a work and the general public accepting it, its style and its message, even in our present society of mass media and instant communication. Well how can you and I go about reducing this time lag? Firstly,- we strould concentrate on one artist. Especially on his first works, leading up to his latest. In this way we can see the influences and experiences he has been subjected to and we can then appreciate the changes they have made to his style or technique. If we can next understand what each artist or goup of artists aims to show, the 'theme' of his painting, the total appreciation of h-is works becomes much easier. Following this, we can try some painting and sculpture ourselves, and in doing so Iry to communicate our feelings to other people. We will then come to understand the difficult task that the modern artist, and indeed all artists, have set before them. Patricia Deasy,68

Modern Art, which encompasses painting, all gaphic media, sculpture and architecture, is one of the most misinterpreted and misunderstood forms of art of the present day. If a person were invited to attend a contemporary Art Show and asked later what he thouglrt of several of the works, he would most probably reply that none of what he saw was hrt'; just some paint splashed on a board or several pieces of metal stuck together. True. That is what they are. That's how the artist made them, but not how he intended the viewer to see or interpret them. People today expect to attend a showing and see paintings that 'mean' something to them. They may see a still life of a bowl with some fruit. They are then able to recogrize this for what it is. But today's art does not display a bowl and some fruit, but rather the artist's interpretation of these objects. They may not appear as he saw them but they show his feelings about them, his reactions and responses to them being there. Througlr this action of his putting his feelings on paper, he wants to share his experiences directly with another person. In seeing a recognizable subject and the viewer recognizing the subject, a double action takes place within our heads. We see, then we associate. Many modern artists feel that this is a waste of time. Why not just appeal to our senses directly? If we see a splash of red we will feel anger, danger or some similar emotion. This is why we often find huge canvasses with seemingly useless areas of colour. But if we look at it from a distance and absorb the colours and the feelings, that is, the total impact they give us, then we are on the way to appreciating our own att. One reason though that people say they cannot understand modern art could be that they are just planlazy. Why should they take thetrouble to delve into their emotions when they can look at another work and 'see' what the artist is trying to convey, straiglrt away. In today's fast moving society we claim to have advanced technology and modern science and to counteract or balance this we can find numerous new branches in literature, poetry and drama, as well as art. It is necessary to understand our technologr and science to live. Then why shouldn't we do the same with our arts? The creative aspects of the human mind are just as necessary to a person as knowing how to cook his dinner or drive his car. They both have been formed and formulated by the very people we know and live with. The people around us are very like us. In fact, they almost form part of us. Therefore we should understand other people's reasons for doing certain things-for painting a picture with large areas of colour. Doesn't it show ignorance or our part if we have no idea of what 'we' are doing at the present moment.

Susan Andersen IIIA

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