Arthall in Victoria is hosting a talk on Friday, March 27, to discuss the sceptic reaction that a sizable percentage of the public experiences when it encounters modern art.
“I don’t get modern art”; “What is the point of this?”; “How is this art?” These are some of the questions people often ask when faced with what they perceive as banal in a gallery or museum.
Just imagine for a moment the public’s reaction when French artist Marcel Duchamp presented a urinal as his pièce de résistance at a New York City art exhibition.
Duchamp’s now-infamous presentation of a porcelain urinal turned on its side and titled Fountain has been sparking outrage, ridicule and fierce debate ever since its debut in 1917. Did Duchamp have a point or was he simply engaging in an early form of trolling?
Interpretations of Duchamp’s intent may differ but by designating a vulgar, mass-produced object as art through sheer choice and context, he launched a long-term shift in art from a focus on beauty to ideas, intention and intellectual provocation.
This single act influenced a wide range of artistic styles and movements throughout the 20th century, including Dada’s anti-art absurdity, surrealism’s exploration of the subconscious and dreams, the emotional intensity of abstract expressionism, the consumer-culture critique of pop art, and the idea-driven experiments of conceptual art and beyond.
But what does it all mean? How and why did art evolve from a purely aesthetic experience into what we now know as modern and contemporary art?
Erin Steele, whose enthusiasm for controversial subjects has inspired her to host past philosophy talks about simulation theory, sadism and anarchy, returns to host the discussion on the history and philosophy of modern art.
One is to expect a spirited discussion covering Duchamp’s radical challenge to the boundaries of what counts as art, key movements of the 20th century, and enduring debates about meaning, value and human experience that contemporary artists continue to provoke today.
Arthall is located at 8, Triq Agius de Soldanis, Victoria.
Friday’s lecture starts at 7.30pm.
Entrance is free.