Juan Varela
Well-known member
Googling for updates on Birds in Art show I found this comment on the exhibit in a blog. Would like to hear your views on it. The whole post can be found here.
…While originality is key for most contemporary art exhibits, wildlife art is traditionally more about what viewers like rather than what will challenge them intellectually. All pieces chosen by the Woodson Museum to represent the current popular aesthetic are of a size that would comfortably fit as a display in a collector’s home. (…)
One aspect, however, remains constant throughout: the subjects of each piece were created for pleasure rather than any deeper reflection. All artists introduce their subjects as birds they’ve been fascinated with since childhood or have inspired them or made them laugh in some way. The Woodson Museum deliberately does not choose symbolic scenes of dead birds, bird hunting, or natural violence even though they easily could. Instead, they choose to focus year after year on the type of wildlife art that stimulates content enjoyment from the viewer.(…)
So how does an annually kitsch exhibit warrant such recognition in the contemporary art world? According to art historian Robert Silberman, bird art’s popularity is simply a result of the fact that people like it. Kitsch artwork can be described as any form of art that is considered to be of low quality and have inferior artistic value. In his article from Smithsonian Studies in American Art, Silberman discusses the value of avian art and its status in the contemporary art world. He writes, “Much of it is properly described as decorative or illustration. Call it what you will, it is genuinely popular, and it’s popularity rests precisely on the fact that it does not challenge the viewer.” The wider realm of esteemed contemporary art thrives on the critical and analytical quality of the work and therefore kitsch artworks, such as happy wildlife art, continue to be at odds with other, more respected fields contemporary art.
…While originality is key for most contemporary art exhibits, wildlife art is traditionally more about what viewers like rather than what will challenge them intellectually. All pieces chosen by the Woodson Museum to represent the current popular aesthetic are of a size that would comfortably fit as a display in a collector’s home. (…)
One aspect, however, remains constant throughout: the subjects of each piece were created for pleasure rather than any deeper reflection. All artists introduce their subjects as birds they’ve been fascinated with since childhood or have inspired them or made them laugh in some way. The Woodson Museum deliberately does not choose symbolic scenes of dead birds, bird hunting, or natural violence even though they easily could. Instead, they choose to focus year after year on the type of wildlife art that stimulates content enjoyment from the viewer.(…)
So how does an annually kitsch exhibit warrant such recognition in the contemporary art world? According to art historian Robert Silberman, bird art’s popularity is simply a result of the fact that people like it. Kitsch artwork can be described as any form of art that is considered to be of low quality and have inferior artistic value. In his article from Smithsonian Studies in American Art, Silberman discusses the value of avian art and its status in the contemporary art world. He writes, “Much of it is properly described as decorative or illustration. Call it what you will, it is genuinely popular, and it’s popularity rests precisely on the fact that it does not challenge the viewer.” The wider realm of esteemed contemporary art thrives on the critical and analytical quality of the work and therefore kitsch artworks, such as happy wildlife art, continue to be at odds with other, more respected fields contemporary art.