Art Renews Itself by Innovation

The notion of art changed when dadaist Marcel Duchamp took a Bedfordshire model porcelain urinal, rechristened it 'Fountain' and called it 'art'. Artists have always pushed the boundaries of their vocation.

US artist Alexa Meade's experiments, covering human models with paint as performance art to bridge the gap between creativity and life, are in this subversive tradition. What could be a better experimental canvas than the human body, signifying the chaos and diversity of daily life? Some art critics believe that much of contemporary art merely depends on shock-and-awe. They forget art can't survive without renewal and innovation. Subversion is integral to it. As is a sense of play.

Many considered artistic giants today transcended taboos and conventions in their time, clearing the path for future generations. Recall Caravaggio who, in 16th century Italy, blacked out the background of his paintings, placing images so close to the canvas foreground that they seemed to tumble out of the frame. Dali and Picasso in the 20th century deconstructed classical imagery, experimenting with techniques and ideas be it surrealist or cubist. Painter, sculptor and graphic designer, Matisse broke new ground by forging multiple forms of art.

Little is out of bounds in art. Christo and Jeanne-Claude in 1995 wrapped Berlin's Reichstag building in a silvery fabric, turning it into an immense sculptural experience. Radical innovations are taking place in the use of artistic materials.

Anish Kapoor's extraordinary works include installations of solid, quarried stone and red wax, evocative of flesh, blood and transfiguration. Others have a mirror-like effect, reflecting or distorting the viewer and her surroundings.

Subodh Gupta's visceral art is made out of kitchen utensils and everyday objects.

Art’s ability to go beyond its own boundaries, challenge itself and bring new innovations to the foreground make it unmistakably the highest form of human endeavour.  

Text courtesy: Times of India

Image courtesy: Google Images