Is classical art dead ?

All these days all I hear about is modern art, abstract art or really idiotic art (in Romania at least). This is really stupid...Everyone in our days think they are artist just cause they know to put some color on a canvas or paper, etc...What ever happened with trying to reach perfection trough art.I mean to level myself to one style is to limit my capacity of intelligence.What I'm trying to say is why doesn't anyone struggle trough the unslept nights, tiredness, repeated and suffered tries to become masters.No, modern art doesn't need to have a subject...You just look at it and figure out whatever you want...Well I swore I would dedicate my life to the beauty of art, to all of it's glory, but not to this stupid crap...Don't get me wrong...Highly respect for Picasso and other cubic painters...Maybe it's meant for art to become just a bore...Do you think that the high glory of realistic classical art will just dissapear ?

Is classical art dead ?
Hey, no offense taken. I used to feel as you do, until I learned about conceptual art. If you think you can look at a work and arbitrarily assign a meaning, you obviously do not know anything about modern art. (No offense to you) It's called conceptual, because of upmost importance is the "idea". Once you start to acquaint yourself with the ideas behind these pieces, you will also start to develop an appreciation. A conceptual piece can also be rendered with skill, or have elements that are classical in technique and approach. A contemporary artist will sometimes "mediate" through classical art, or reference it in his work. So in that way a modern or conceptual piece will be multi-dimensional, rather than single-faceted. If an artist today is to be taken seriosly in the contemporary art world, they must have more meaning to their work than MERELY a pretty picture.





But, no. Classical Art is not dead. It is CLASSICAL, so it will never "die" because it's a "classic"...like an old car...we admire them, and we collect them, and sometimes we "reference" them in the design of new cars, but we don't still drive around in model-T's. Here is the definition of classical: like the of or relating to the ancient Greek and Roman world and especially to its literature, art, architecture, or ideals.





If someone JUST wants to draw and paint, but do not want to become educated and well versed in the rich and multi-layed language of conceptual art, there is nothing wrong with that. I am attending a university with a conceptual art school, and I had to go through two full years of grueling drawing and design core curriculum before I could even begin to start any studio courses. I have, and continue, to struggle through all nighters, and attempts that fall way short of even my expectations, but I continue and I am improving...and I am a conceptual artist who also paints naturalistically. So, it is very narrow minded to think that one can achieve a BFA or MFA by throwing paint on a canvas and calling it art. That attitude is very naive.





Art today is like interpretive literature or poetry. In poetry there are words with multiple meanings, so usually one has to know all the meanings of each carefully chosen word, to understand the poem. That's why people don't read poetry either, it takes intelligence and effort to understand.





Having said that, there is enough room for everyone. If you like classical art, buy it. The above answer supplies you with a source of beautifully rendered pieces displaying great skill. Or study there. But, try not to denigrate that which you do not understand. It's not really offensive, but it does show that you have not done your research.
Reply:I think classical art as it was is gone but I feel its coming back in a more modern way. if that makes any sence
Reply:Im with you. I could go on about modern "art" forever,but instead I'll just say that things seem to have dead ended. But , like you I'll keep going/creating what I want to create. It does make it hard though;not only do we have to struggle through unslept nights,periods of burn-out and the like-- just to make creative heartfelt art,but we now have to endure waking nightmares concerning modernism(and the laughable often absurd;post-modernism). I do think that the end of art that took skill,talent,thought and genious is nigh-- fortunately I dont think we will see the complete disintegration within our lifetimes.
Reply:was art ever alive? Spooky
Reply:it may not be dead, but, by definition, it's definitely aging, eh? check out asian art, quite remarkable and the old ways are clearly discernible in the modern applications--a good lineage never dies. ;-)
Reply:There is a resurgence in interest in Classical Realism and Academic art. These styles actually have standard by which their quality can be judged and require training. Young contemporary artists such as Dana Levin and Peter Van Dyk, graduates of the Florance Academy of Art are leading the way. Organizations such as the Art Renewal Center are promoting these classical styles.
Reply:First of all, you need to put everything in it's proper context. "Modern" art is no longer modern. It came into vogue over 100 years ago! Most people don't know ANYTHING about art of any kind, and try to pass off ignorant replies because they don't have any other answer to give you. Here's the deal:





Lots of artists make a normal living using traditional mediums, selling their work to regular people who admire their works at reasonable fees. They are not usually famous because they are not amazing anyone with something no one has seen before.





Most people do not purchase art of any kind, which I think is very revealing about our society.





Lots of people in the high-profile art world are looking to make money and will showcase questionable work in the hopes that it will gain attention. Others will look for the next big thing that will also stand the test of time while appreciating in value, that is the difference.





Lots of talentless people hungry for money or notority will try to pass off gimmicks in their work in the hopes of being noticed.





Artists who want to be noticed, who want notability, who hope to end up in the art history books, know they must do something that has NOT yet been done in order to be noticed in the sea of millions of other artists. That means using new or unusual materials, methods of expression, or exploring new themes and ideas, however controversial. Even Leonardo was WAY ahead of his time.





Some artists have high paying clients, or receive high profile commissions or grants that are given by large foundations or corporations that want something public, and usually progressive in it's design. The world changes everyday, and art is a reflection of those changes. Art is not about beauty, is it about IDEAS and expressing them. Abstract art is ALL about ideas, if done by someone skilled, sincere and intuitive. Know your art history! Find out WHY all those works were created in the first place! A wealthy patron such as the Catholic Church? (Gothic) A hedonostic king to hang in his harem's bedroom? (Baroque) A political adversary trying to win the public's favor over the existing monarchy? (Neo-classical) Don't be fooled, art in the "good old days" was rarely done for "art's sake".





Look at it this way, if nothing in the art world ever changed, there would be no new names, no new faces. It would be as if we all still listened to classical music, which few people do. Music changes. Fashion changes. Technology changes. Art reflects that. Besides, creativity and finding new ways to create imagery and objects is where the real genius lies. It is much harder to achieve than beauty. And for every sincere, talented new "modern" master, there are/have been a bunch of hacks trying to jump on their bandwagon.
Reply:What is it classical art?


Do you think, some day the art could be dead?


I think all ways the art and only when is it original , unique and become from the heart will be for ever classical art.


Pablo H


http:www.pricelesshouses.com
Reply:I do not have the dedication to the cause that you clearly do, but I agree with you that it seems that the dedication, perseverance, and love of art and of the subjects being represented have all vanished in a sea of nihilism and "imagination without perspiration" to paraphrase Thomas Edison.


But they can never completely disappear if people are willing to keep them alive. It sounds like you are one of the few that are laboring to prevent this. Keep up the good work!
Reply:I dont like modern art either i think it's of no use. Classical art is the best it needs very high skills which arnt easy to achieve and nowadays people dont wanna give a single little effort in anything they do so this is why they chose modern art over classical art but classical art is definitly what should be followed. I mean modern art is another type of art but its easy and i'd have to say stylish but there's no better than classical art...it rules rly, its beauty itself..
Reply:What do you consider classical art? artists like Van Gogh, Monet and others are very much modern and i think that they are the fathers of the modern art movement with impressionism and expressionist oil paintings.


Contemporary art which seems to be taking over the art world by storm is very abstract and some might say pretentious... I for one agree that it can be a handful but as long as people are creative and perform and create with a passion, that is fine by me.
Reply:Today artists are working for money so they paint what will sell. Of course there are also those people who really don't know how to paint but pretend they do (that is true for art critics too). Since there are people who would pay money for it, they won't care.





But don't get discouraged. Every year there are still thousands of art students graduating from art schools. There are no lack of good artists. Unfortunately they are very unlikely to make a living as an artist. So like I always said that it is great that there are so many rich idiots buy arts to put in their living rooms and pretend they know something about them. At least by accident they may once in a while be buying it from a starving artist.
Reply:its just like everything in this world,it evolves...its always there,but a little different I think
Reply:Classical Art will never die, Art changes with the times as we add to its dimensions and discover ways to express our art with means that may or may not been available or expressed the same or even been relative before, there are still masters , but with a different vision, masters are not always masters in their own lifetime, because there are different degrees of what is extraordinary . but classical art is also an aquired taste to most , it may be beautiful but not what we'd hang in our home, the same as opera, which becomes beautiful when we develop an understanding ,or it touches us. You have a gift and a passion for the work of the masters, not everyone does or in the same way as you. Don't be angry because you are special and can feel a sense of what when into classical paintings. I can understand not responding to certain styles, but that doesnt mean it doesnt represent or touch someone else, perhaps setting a mood or fluidity if used in a complimentary space. Look at it this way if the modern pieces are not worthy of admiration from you but yet , the peices are selling , thus being desirable to someone, then the art has it's place, even if it's gawdy it's reflecting the taste of the buyer.but it's still selling. that is a good thing.for someone to buy something we create.
Reply:In a sense yes, but I'm sure there are some artists who still do as you describe. It's just you probably don't hear about them as the trendy art world has moved on to some nonsense like modern art.
Reply:Even the term "realistic" is used incorrectly. Realism is another era altogether where the subject matter (for the first time) showed workers and the downtrodden, instead of the unrealistic, idealized perfection inherent (by definition) of classical art. Get your terms straight and study art before you go denigrating that which you know NOTHING about. Classical Art is art representative of an era long gone. Art today represents the modern world. Just like our world, sometimes it sucks. But that speaks volumns too, doesn't it?