I, who have been an avid admirer of the arts and the freedom that the work and the term represents have had a reawakening after studying the history of artistic works. All the greatest artists that are revered in the Western World, were excellent at their trade, however they too were promoted heavily, marketed, and commissioned by the powerful families and the Catholic Church (no less) to create works that are admired by millions. Also, the fact that religious drawings, that touch people's hearts due to their faith, will always recieve an emotional response from the viewer regardless of the exceptional talent of the painter. Not to say that these artists did not have skill. They did, but so did thousands of others. If one is to view Eastern art, where the artist's name has not been promoted or discussed or even recorded, then one can easily say that they are on par with the European arts. However, it is rare to hear a famous eastern artist's name echoed again and again throughout musuems or in discussions about the arts.
A sad fact regarding the commercialization of arts is the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles using the famous names of artist's which ensures that an entire generation of children will grow up knowing who Raphael is.
Marketing, commercialization, replication through posters and images, as well as religious leanings have biased the perception of art in the world today. Is it possible that we can actually live in a world where people see and think for themselves? How many millions of dollars have been made by replicating the Mona Lisa or frescos from the Sistine Chapel. Angels, demons, Gods, Serpents, and other religious Catholic "images" are famous the world over. How long will it take before the other religions with "graven images" (not associated with the Church) get an understanding of the fabulous amount of money to be made and decide to promote their "artists" on a mass scale. For shame..... You can NOT buy and sell God.
No comments:
Post a Comment