Why is Modern Art so Bad? | 5 Minute Video

Summary

The video script critiques the decline in artistic standards from the Renaissance to modern times. It contrasts the works of classical masters like Michelangelo and Leonardo with contemporary art that prioritizes novelty and shock value over technical skill and beauty. The script argues that aesthetic relativism, beginning with the Impressionists, has led to the abandonment of universal standards in art. It also blames the art community for enabling this decline, urging viewers to support classical standards, patronize quality art, and push for its teaching in schools.

Takeaways

• 🖼️ Western art once focused on creating works of astonishing beauty and excellence, with masterpieces from artists like Leonardo, Michelangelo, and Rembrandt.
• 🎨 The shift towards modernism in the late 19th century, led by the Impressionists, moved away from classical standards of art towards a focus on personal expression.
• 📉 Over time, the emphasis on disciplined design and universal standards in art diminished, giving rise to a more relativistic view where beauty became subjective.
• 😕 The speaker criticizes modern art for replacing profound, inspiring works with what he sees as silly, offensive, or pointless creations.
• 🏔️ The speaker contrasts masterpieces like Michelangelo’s ‘David’ with modern exhibits like a 340-ton rock at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art to show how standards have fallen.
• 🖌️ The speaker argues that without universal standards of excellence in art, it's difficult to objectively assess quality, citing a prank where students couldn't tell a Jackson Pollock painting from a stained apron.
• ⛸️ He compares art to figure skating, stating that just as experts can judge artistic excellence in skating, we should recognize and value expertise in art.
• 💡 The speaker believes that modern art often uses shock value and trashy subject matter, unlike the artists of the past who balanced statements with visual excellence.
• 💸 He blames not only the artists but also the art community — museums, galleries, and critics — for enabling and promoting what he views as bad art.
• 🖼️ The speaker encourages people to support classical art appreciation, organizations like The Art Renewal Center, and to reject bad art by being selective about what they patronize.

Q & A

What is the central theme of the video script?

The central theme of the script is the decline of artistic standards in modern art compared to the classical excellence of earlier centuries. The script critiques how the pursuit of beauty and technical mastery in art has been replaced by relativism and shock value.

How does the speaker compare classical art to modern art?

The speaker contrasts classical art, represented by works like 'The Mona Lisa' and 'The Pieta,' with modern art, which he claims often lacks beauty and purpose. He argues that classical artists maintained high standards of excellence, while modern art has devolved into silliness, pointlessness, and offensiveness.

What caused the shift from classical to modern art, according to the speaker?

The speaker attributes the shift to the rise of the Impressionists in the late 19th century. While their early works had merit, they challenged classical standards, which over time led to the erosion of universal standards in art and the rise of personal expression over objective quality.

What example does the speaker give to illustrate the decline in artistic standards?

The speaker contrasts Michelangelo's 'David,' carved from a single block of marble, with the Los Angeles County Museum of Art's display of a 340-ton rock, arguing that this reflects the fall in artistic standards from mastery to mediocrity.

What is the speaker's critique of aesthetic relativism?

The speaker criticizes aesthetic relativism, the idea that beauty is subjective and 'in the eye of the beholder.' He argues that this mentality has led to the production and celebration of inferior, offensive, and meaningless works of art.

How does the speaker address the argument that art cannot be objectively measured?

The speaker counters this argument by referencing the work of art historian Jacob Rosenberg, who claimed that quality in art can be objectively traced. He suggests that universal standards of beauty and excellence in the past produced timeless works, whereas relativism has produced trivial and offensive art.

What test does the speaker give to his graduate students, and what does it reveal?

The speaker asks his graduate students to analyze a Jackson Pollock painting, only to later reveal that the painting is actually a close-up of his studio apron. This test highlights the difficulty in discerning quality in abstract modern art, underscoring his argument that it lacks clear standards.

Why does the speaker mention figure skating in the context of judging art?

The speaker uses figure skating as an analogy to show that, just as expert judges in figure skating are trusted to assess excellence, art should also have objective standards of quality that are judged by experts.

How does the speaker describe the change in the subject matter of art over time?

The speaker notes that classical art often depicted scenes of historical, religious, or mythological significance, while much of modern art focuses on shock value, vulgarity, or trivial statements, often at the expense of visual excellence.

What solutions does the speaker offer to counter the decline in art standards?

The speaker suggests that the public can influence the art world by supporting classical standards through their patronage at museums and galleries. He also advocates for supporting organizations like The Art Renewal Center and promoting the teaching of classical art appreciation in schools.