general statements & essays:
"Managing Ideals"
"Regional Universalism"
"After the Art War"
paintings in series:
"The Goddesses of Kings Row"
After the Art War
Exploring the Schism between Nature and Abstraction
Copyright 2010 Charles Wish
I don’t find it all too surprising that I’m still drawn into discussions about the challenges facing post, post-mod art. Directional vagueness, classicism vs. modernism and even the present day relevance of painting itself are all arduous topics which easily linger in the wake of centuries past. This paper is an attempt to share some of my thoughts on these subjects. Bear in mind though this is a story about a war, which means that in order to tell it, we must first pretend that two things exist where there’s really only one.                                                                                       

Forming Oppositions

"The arbitrary division of painting into representative and decorative has put  composition in the background and brought forward nature imitation as a substitute. The picture-painter is led to think of likeness to nature as  the most desirable quality for his work, and the designer talks of conventionalizing:
both judging their work by a standard of
“realism” rather than beauty." 
-- A. W. Dow
As far back as the da Vinci days, artistic theories regarding the decorative and the natural were being put through the rigors of classification. Starting with some of the very first guilds, endeavors were divided into two separate schools: representative (an imitative approach) and decorative (a design-based approach).[1]

The first school belonged to the painters of this time. Subjected to the patronage of the church and aristocracy, these artists were expected to produce vibrant lifelike renditions of their royal and religious subjects.  With this task in mind, it was no wonder that the emphasis of their studies would focus on being able to represent the natural world which surrounded them.

The second school belonged to the designers and architects.  Though accountable to the same patronage as the painters, it was the responsibility of these artists to pair-down nature to her fundamentals of line, patterns and form. This was necessary in order to create structures and environments which were capable of evoking emotion through more subtle and less imagistic means. [2]

At the time this division really didn’t seem to present much of a problem. It was definitely a pragmatic approach to the work of the day. What’s more, both sides respectfully understood their place in society as artists and thus maintained an influential and harmonious dialogue with one another. [3] Nonetheless, as time and social revolutions went on the patronage of the arts began to gradually move away from the church and ruling class to a more individualistic and private marketplace. [4] This shift in economic policy would undoubtedly make for repercussions, some good, some bad.

The good side was that artists and artisans were now free to stretch their aesthetic wings past the confines of timeworn academia. The backing of some guild, church or royal subject was no longer an absolute necessity for success.

However, this abandonment of precepts would also mean that artists were now open to the inherent risks of self-direction, i.e. the less formal one is towards one’s training, the more likely one is to lose sight of that which is truly valuable to their interests. And because of this, art in the west now contained all the ingredients for a massive stumble. No other time witnessed the fate and truth of this circumstance more than the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries

By 1848, many heavyweights in the world of art and philosophy were assertively opening themselves up to new markets while simultaneously dismissing what they felt were the confines of artistic academia. Starting with the PRB and the publishing of The Germ, and of course the insurgency of Impressionism, bold exoduses from predictable studio life had obviously begun. Artistic styles and attitudes were changing rapidly from their traditional counterparts as the hazy forest of Fontainebleau and public venues of leisure, many of which propagated the more taboo side of contemporary life, became places where fashionable artists flocked to honestly and instantaneously capture the mood (not the face) of nature. [5] 

And from here the questions which sought to challenge time honored norms only grew more complex. Questions like: Is referencing nature even necessary when it comes to creating moving and lasting art? Can we delve into the tenets of the decorative non-figure school and create paintings that actually display abstract concepts like emotion and causation, instead of trying to evoke such things with a quaint painting of lovers and flowers?
[6]

Consequently, movements like Cubism, Dadaism and Surrealism soon arose to further dismantle the foundations of conventional beliefs and civility; some even going as far as to question the relevance of any and all artistic academia to-date, especially when it came to the task of copying nature with a paint brush. Of course many of the traditionalists at the time equated this revolt with artistic blasphemy; while some even resorted to fanaticism and violence to keep these “degenerate” uprisings at bay. [7] A declaration of war had officially been made.

However, the concern of this essay really isn’t the politics of abstract vs. representational or otherwise. Rather, the focal point here is how these once cooperative idioms became brutal enemies and what we can do about it today.  Yet, before we discuss the benefits of gluing Humpty D. back together again we should first consider his fall. A good place to start is to observe some of those who, in the very midst of this war, did their best not to separate the yolk from the white; then look at what happened to some of them when they tried to do just that.

Regionalism & Modernism



"Conflict teaches us 
not to love our enemies, 
but to hate our allies."
-- W. L. George
Even while this war was well underway there were those who had sincere reservations about the fight. As a matter of fact, some very big names in post-impressionism like:  Renoir, Degas and Cézanne, all came forward during their careers with legitimate concerns about these new attitudes in art, attitudes which they themselves had helped to foster. Feeling that they may have acted a little hastily in their eagerness to denounce years of academic tradition, these painters all began to display a penitent about-face. 

Cézanne summed up this sentiment best when he declared his goal, “to do Poussin again, from nature,” basically meaning that he desired to superimpose the best of the new school with that of the old. [8] Nevertheless, this reasonable slant would not hold a candle to the forest fire that was soon to be called Modern art and its rhetorical position that almost anything which had to do with classical art should be fashionably blackballed.

But these post-impressionist painters would not be the last to issue a forewarning, and some 40-50 years later this attitude of merging classical naturalism with expressive design would again be presented as an alternative to the absolutism which modern art was now wholeheartedly proselytizing. The artists I’m now referring to were a small band known simply as: “Regionalists.”

 Though seen as connected with wider movements like: “The American Scene,” and “Neue Sachlichkiet,” and of course portraits of dentists holding pitchforks notwithstanding, artists like Benton and Wood constructed some of the most original and influential compositions of the twentieth century. And they did this, not by jumping on board the modernist’s bandwagon, but not by completely ignoring it either. Whether they knew it or not, these painters maintained a neutral position by pioneering what are now leading-edge principles of design: The Savanna Preference, Contour Bias, Storytelling etc., and thus creating triumphant comprehensive images by harmonizing (not polarizing) realism with modern emotive strategies. [9]

Nevertheless, while the Regionalists were keeping busy as some of the last 20th century artists to explore the possibilities of an appealing synthesis, opposing criticism, from both sides of the art debate, was unavoidably nipping at their heels. This fact would have profound consequences on the fate of these painters, finally coercing them to a point where they felt the need to take sides.

Oddly enough, the first negative criticism the Regionalists received came from the traditional/imitative camp.  Apparently their use of composition and feeling to exaggerate and idealize nature proved to be too much for the ardent social realists of the day.  Brushing it off, they forged ahead to achieve a remarkable amount of fame for their time. Yet, they were soon chastised again only this time by the Modernists. Not so much directly, but more through oratorical implications from a lobby that was steadily moving away from anything remotely bio-spherical when it came to judging worthwhile painting. [10]

No one can cite the Regionalists’ motives for certain; maybe they felt bitter about having to defend themselves against both camps. Maybe they were emboldened by their newly found fame… maybe it was a little of both.  Whatever the reason, Benton and Wood decided to publicly position themselves, not with the realist camp per-sé, but definitely against Modernism.[11] This was a rash decision by which the major damaging fallout would be compounded threefold.

First, they took their side of the argument to sympathetic national and international news outlets. This would bring this war out of the mostly sequestered classrooms, museums and barrooms, which had hitherto been the primary arenas of debate, and thrust it wholeheartedly into the public eye. Second, taken out of context, a lot of their stump-boasting felt eerily similar to that of the NSDAP and its fierce sentiments toward modern art. [12] Finally, and by far the worst, much of the magic in the work of the Regionalists was not autonomous of, but dependent on the principles of modernism. By positioning themselves in this manner, they only managed to bite a feeding hand and literally paint themselves into a corner.     

Conceding to an extreme case of what Robert Clagett would probably call a, “not invented here complex," these obviously cosmopolitan painters rhetorically isolated themselves from any sort of cosmopolitan venue -- hence the moniker Regionalism. [13] Strictly fixing the breath of their sights on America’s rural parts, they would continue their freethinking experiments with nature and composition only to increasingly find themselves compromised and stifled by one-sided statements regarding localism, artistic direction and culture in general; even worse they pulled other realists, who weren’t even part of their bucolic assertions, along with them.[14]

Swept under high-art’s rug of impracticality and nostalgia by many of his colleagues and peers, Wood ultimately felt challenged enough by these negative repercussions that he found it difficult to carry on with his former unselfconscious strength.  Just before he died (at age 50) he confided in Benton that he was considering a fresh start in a completely new style. [15] Benton would live out the rest of his days teaching and painting his way.  But, there seemed to be a perpetual aura of bitterness about him as he wasted much of his precious energy and time in fruitless back and forths with the ascending Nuevo-art crowd. [16]

Adding insult to injury, Benton’s own pupil, Pollock, would rebelliously go on to achieve great heights within the opposition -- not by casting aside the clumsy idioms of the Regionalists and rediscovering their initial harmonious tactics -- but instead by shackling himself to the chic ultimatums of the now winning nonrepresentational camp. Eventually he would become the poster-boy for both Abstract-Expressionism and America’s campaign to outshine Europe as the new venue for all things art.

However, this adamant stance took its toll on Pollock as well, both in regards to his health and his admittedly fruitless struggle to reintroduce the recognizable to his nonfigurative art. [17] Unable to continue painting, he would die a tragic depressive death (at age 44) only to have his mojo soon eclipsed by the next big thing: a flashy non-painterly style of populist appropriation that didn’t believe in bad taste and mistakenly prophesized that everyone would soon be briefly famous. [18]               
                                                                       
Finding a Way Out


"It is only through extremes that mankind can arrive at the middle path of wisdom and virtue."
--Wilhelm von Humboldt
As you can see, this story isn’t a very functional one and from here it
only got worse. With no end in sight to the bickering, heartache and limitation, aesthetic interests and even the craft of painting itself became hesitant and embarrassingly antiquated. While the most recognized post-mod artists went on to subject themselves to a tedious gauntlet of idea mongering and decadent one-upping. [19] But, the most puzzling part of all is that the impetus behind the original conflict, which ultimately lead to the post-mod questioning and near abandonment of traditional painting, was based on a charade devoid of any and all pragmatism.

I have interviewed hundreds of artists from all over the world, Realist, Impressionist, Surreal, Abstract/Mod, Pop, Minimal/Conceptual, Post-Mod, Installation, Performance, Photo/Vid, Graffiti, Pop-Surreal, artists who hate paintings but love sculpture, artists who love color but hate tone, artists from the country, artists from the city… the list of diversity goes on and on.  And when the chips were down, not one of them could ever look me in the eye and say: “My art has improved so much now that I’ve decided to ignore the wonders of nature.” Or: “I just created the most brilliant thing and it’s all because I cast the abstractions of design and composition to the wind.”

The human quest to communicate with nature and emotion in the pictorial field will never be easy, there is no universal color for laughter, shape for sorrow or texture for apathy.  But, as history has shown, the reinforced effort to divide naturalism and compositional design certainly didn’t make the adventure any easier.  Actually, I think it’s safe to say that this attempted breakup was one of the biggest cultural hindrances of the twentieth century; the snares of which still haven’t been fully understood or disabled.[20]  These two elements have been, and always will be, symbiotic counterparts of any lasting art in any movement. And those who tell you otherwise are either making a mistake or lying.   

Still, it’s plain to see that many artists are now willing to recalibrate their compasses and cast aside this remainder of doubt and vagueness; even if some of the institutions that are supposed to help guide them won’t.  

Besides, artists heal quicker than mulish academics and critics; they have to because they’re the ones making the art.  And when the last remaining stalwarts of this war finally find the wisdom and character to confess the artistic sins of the past century, they’re going to discover that a whole bunch of creators, at the beginning of this century, already did it for them… and that makes me smile.

                                                       * * *
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References:
[1] “Composition: Understanding Line, Notan & Color,” Dow, J.M. Bowles Publishing, Boston, 1899, pgs. 4 & 44.
[2] “The Story of Art,” E.H. Gombrich, Phaidon Press, 1995, pgs. 248-252.
[3] “I, Michelangelo”, Illetschko, Prestel, 2004. pgs. 109-125.
“History of Art,” Janson, Harry Abrams Inc. 2001, pg. 258.
[4] “The Story of Art,” E.H. Gombrich, Phaidon Press, 1995, pgs. 409-533.
[5] “The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Art & Artists,” Chilvers, Oxford Press, 1990, pg. 373.
“The Impressionists With Tim Marlow,” (documentary film) Written By: Marlow, Directed by: Grabsky, Distributed by: Seventh-Art, 2009.
[6] “The Story of Art,” E.H. Gombrich, Phaidon Press, 1995, Pg. 574.   
“History of Art,” Janson, Harry Abrams Inc. 2001, pg. 776.
[7] “The Rape of Europa,” (documentary film) Written By: Berge & Nicholas, Directed by: Berge & Cohen, Distributed by: Oregon Public Broadcasting, 2007.
[8] “The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Art & Artists,” Chilvers, Oxford Press, 1990, pg. 87.
[9]“The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Art & Artists,” Chilvers, Oxford Press, 1990, pg. 385.
“Grant Wood, An American Master Revealed,” Roberts, Dennis, Horns & Parkin, Pomegranate Artbooks, 1995, pg. 19
“Universal Principles of Design,” Lidwell, Holden & Butler, Rockport Inc. 2003, pgs. 62, 212, 230.
[10] “Benton, Pollock & The politics of Modernism,” Doss, University of Chicago Press, 1991, pg. 347.
[11] “Grant Wood, A Study in American Art & Culture,” Dennis, University of Missouri Press, 1975, pg. 144.
 Time Magazine (cover story) “U.S. Scene,” Christmas Eve, 1934.
[12] “Renegade Regionalists,” Dennis, University of Wisconsin Press, 1998, pgs. 69-89.
“Grant Wood, A Study in American Art & Culture,” Dennis, University of Missouri Press, 1975, pg. 10.
“The Rape of Europa,” (documentary film) Written By: Berge & Nicholas, Directed by: Berge & Cohen, Distributed by: Oregon Public Broadcasting, 2007.
[13] “Grant Wood, A Study in American Art & Culture,” Dennis, University of Missouri Press, 1975, pg. 150.
[14] “Grant Wood, A Study in American Art & Culture,” Dennis, University of Missouri Press, 1975, pg. 146.
[15] “Grant Wood’s Studio,” Milosch, Prestel, 2005, pg. 29
“A Short History of American Painting,” Flexner, Houghton Mifflin Company, 1950, pg.99.
[16]  “Ken Burns' America: Thomas Hart Benton,” (documentary film) Written & Directed By: Ken Burns, Distributed by: Public Broadcasting System, 1988. 
[17] “History of Art,” Janson, Harry Abrams Inc. 2001, pg. 814.
“To A Violent Grave,” Potter, Putnam Publishing Inc., 1985 pg. 225.
[18] ]“The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Art & Artists,” Chilvers, Oxford Press, 1990, pg. 367.
“American Art, a Cultural History,”Bjelac, Harry Abrams Inc.,2001, pgs. 367-372.
[19] “The Shock of the New,” Hughes, Random House Inc., 1980, pgs. 385-387.
[20] Huffingtonpost.com, retrieved January 5, 2012. "Carmen Tisch Charged With Criminal Mischief After Punching, Urinating Next To A $30 Million Clyfford Still Painting".