The Politics of Art & Authenticity

I was really pleased with the art I saw at the MoMA, as it redefined the way I typically think of modern art. It was more unconventional than traditional art, but not ridiculous or childish in any way.  A great example of how purposeful and effective modern art can be is Edvard Munch’s “The Scream.” This painting was done around the turn of the 20th century, and it was meant to symblize the confusion and unsettled feeling of many people during that time. To me, “The Scream” is such a powerful image because it manages to capture not a person or an event, but a nameless feeling. The figure who is screaming does not look human, because he’s not. He is the personification of an emotional experience. Many of us have had the feeling of being stifled and not knowing where to turn. It seems like the only way we can manage is to let our feelings out into the open, so they don’t weigh us down any longer. The two men on the bridge seem rather purposeless and are mindlessly gazing off into the distance, not knowing what to do with themselves. Though they look to be in control of themselves, the silently screaming figure shows what they are really feeling inside. What many people feel inside. The chasm between how we feel and how we appear is often a product of the need to appear “normal” and in control at all times.

My favorite piece of artwork at the MoMA was in the photography exhibit. Photography is perhaps the most modern of all modern art, as it uses technology (like photoshop) which was unimaginable even 30 years ago. From what I saw, it seemed that most the photos were “tampered with” and not something that could’ve been created that long ago. Photography is just as legitimate as other forms of art, because the artist is still using a medium to create feelings and reactions in viewers. Though I didn’t connect with everything I saw (ahem…I’m talking to you: photo of hand with dead bug on it, next to plant), my favorite piece was a collage of small photos of the same location as it turned from night to day

I was fully satisfied with our trip to the museum during class time, so I nearly forgot about the dance planned for later that evening…

Let me start off by formally announcing, now that I have an actual experience to back me up, that modern dance is not my cup of tea. Though I recognize the athleticism and skill that the dancers obviously have, that doesn’t mean that that they were, in fact, dancing. I’m not sure of the formal definition of dance, but I believe that unsynchronized movements, without musical accompaniment, should not be falsely advertised as a dance. Though I was pleased to see dancers with all different body types, I still did not enjoy their moves or the incomprehensible stories they were ostensibly trying to tell. Call me a traditionalist, but it should not have been called a dance, and that’s that. I will never subject myself to another modern dance, if I can help it. I’d rather see seven more operas. I also felt bad for the dancers, because I heard several people laughing at the things they were doing onstage. People usually laugh at the unexpected, and because I assume most people were expecting some dancing to be involved, it’s no wonder that they found it humorous.

While modern art is a brilliant spin on art , modern dance is not dancing. Ballet next time, anyone?