Contemporary Art

When it comes to contemporary art, the impact of Dadaism cannot be underestimated -- this movement was an important paradigm shift that made critics re-evaluate traditional definitions of art. As a brave new world of globalization approaches, cultural values no longer determine whether a disputed piece of “art” can be classified as such. The 1960s was a period when new genres began to emerge: surrealism, commercial art, avant-garde... Gerhard Richter is an extraordinary man who was born during the World War II era -- he is one of the most prolific artists alive today. As a testament of his lifelong achievements, Richter’s paintings often sell for more than a million dollars a piece. When asked to define art in a New York Times interview, he said that it is no longer possible. “Art is simply a vague word with no objective criterion.” (Although I say this facetiously, anybody can urinate on an object and shamelessly display it at a public exhibit.) Another noteworthy individual is renown filmmaker Andrei Tarkovsky, who once warned young adults for not being morally responsible. His advice was blunt but true to extent: if someone commits a felony, they must want to be treated as a criminal. Which reminds me -- an independent video game developer recently titled his 16-bit creation “Muslim Massacre.” Needless to say, this sorry fellow was only asking for trouble. Some say this “disgusting, reprehensible piece of software” was only being controversial for the sake of attention, but others believe this retro-style shoot-em-up is “a genius work of political satire mocking neoconservative agendas”. Regardless of your stance on the subject, this man’s actions were undeniably wrong -- he ought to apologize for lacking decency. However, if video games were treated as a serious art form, perhaps the situation might have been completely different. It took comic books half a century to gain mainstream acceptance, and now digital media has to endure the same grueling rite of passage. If television is any indication, artists don’t take very long to try out potential outlets of creative expression. Unfortunately, Big Brother’s network censorship is so rampant that artists have no choice but to defect to the internet. Allow me to introduce two more relatively unknown, albeit seminal practitioners of modern art. Otton Piene is a German artist known for making impressive craft out of smoke, fire and light. In the mid-nineteenth century, he veered away from his childhood passion to pursue a career in printmaking. Although art was still his primary focus, he realized that he needed a financially viable career in order to keep doing his hobby. A diligent student, Otto studied fine art in Munich and eventually landed a job as a fashion lecturer in Dusseldorf. Afterwards, he decided to obtain a degree in philosophy at the University of Cologne. There, Piene discovered a fascination with manipulating natural energies. At this time, he conducted many experiments and finally unveiled his projects to the public in 1959. The dazzling spectacle was met with resounding awe and he even got an opportunity to arrange pavilions for the closing Olympic ceremony in 1972. The Milwaukee Art Museum presented one of his creations entitled “Electric Rosebush”. The work is basically a free standing sculpture made from rose-tinted lights. However, when viewed from the proper distance, this plate mesmerizes one as if it were a kaleidoscope. Another prime example of post-World War II art would be Erwin Redl -- an Australian musician born in 1963. His main credentials come from receiving a diploma for excellent composition at an electronic music academy in Austria. He is also recognized for mounting LED installations that suspend from the ceiling down onto the floor. The Milwaukee Art Museum displayed one of his works as well, called the “Matrix XV 2007”. This three-dimensional grid gives onlookers the illusion of gazing into infinite space. As impressive as that sounds, the most interesting thing to observe is not the installation itself, but the reactions of awe-inspired visitors. Every single person seems to have a unique experience with this particular installation -- some say they feel isolated in cosmic darkness, and others feel a profound connection with the rest of the universe. The ultimate goal of an artist should be to establish a deep bond and communicate messages to people from all walks of life, regardless of their native origin or language. If

they succeed in this endeavor, then they will finally attain happiness from doing good.