Modern Art Research Articles

The Final End of Man: Reading the Moralist Aesthetics of Fr. Alfredo Panizo, O.P.

Alfredo Panizo was a philosopher who served in various capacities at the University of Santo Tomas (UST) during the twentieth century. In 1954, he gave an address at the university that was also published in book form as Art and Morals. In his address/book, Panizo systematically laid out his aesthetics, which offers a criticism of modern art during a time when Edades and other modernists received institutional support from UST. Unfortunately, scholars have neither provided a comprehensive explication of Panizo’s aesthetics nor situated it in the broader history of Philippine modern art. This paper aims to address this problem. By employing Gadamerian hermeneutics, the author of the paper offers an interpretation of Panizo’s aesthetics that (1) forms a connection between his ideas and S. P. Lopez’s thoughts on proletarian art, (2) explicates Panizo’s views on beauty and transcendence, and (3) investigates Panizo’s position on modern art. Through this paper, the author hopes to add more nuance to the story of modern art in the Philippines. Although much has been written about the modernists, who made UST a springboard for spreading their ideas, scholars have barely looked at what the Dominicans at the university thought about modern art.

Khalid Bin Walid in Javanese Visual

This paper aims to discuss the model for the creation of wayang figures depicting Kekayon Khalifah, specifically focusing on Khalid bin Walid, a renowned figure in leading battles. The method employed involves Artistic Research and Practice Based Research in contemporary art. The focus of this discussion lies in the development of practice-based artistic techniques. Furthermore, it explores the realization of these figures on buffalo skin, portraying the character as a respected warlord by his troops and feared by his enemies. Realization of embodiment through decorations and ornaments on beautiful leather crafts. This leathercraft works will produce artifacts in the form of the Khalid bin Walid paraga puppet. The ornaments and decorations in this work are complemented by the calligraphy of the characters’ names. Then an interesting visual is created and can imply a certain message to the audience. Especially when this media is exhibited. Works that can be enjoyed by viewers. So this art can be used as education to the public, both formal and non-formal. Keywords: wayang kekayon, modern art of decoration and ornamentation, paraga Khalid bin Walid

Architecture of Alienation

This paper approaches the emergence, over the 20th century, of a public architecture that occupies sights/sites once associated with industry and social alienation, in this case the conversion of London’s Bankside Power Station into the Tate Modern Art Museum. Utilising Bertolt Brecht’s revolutionary theories on performance, the celebrated architecture of Herzog and De Meuron is investigated alongside ‘Double Bind’, an installation by the late Spanish artist Juan Mun?oz whose work highlights the quality of isolation in the contemporary metropolis. In investigating architecture and installation, a space is opened up between the art and architecture revealing a performativity that engages with 20th century trauma and the crisis of the modern. This spatial dynamic forms an architecture of alienation where the participants are estranged from the environment, rendering them strangers, even within familiar environments ... tourists in their own land.

Analyzing the Development and Depiction of Modern Mongolian Painting

In the history of Mongolian art, the beginning of modern painting is considered in connection with the "First Exhibition of Young Artists" in 1968. Although social-realist paintings developed at the beginning of the 20th century in line with the policies of the party and government, the colors and patterns of some artists' paintings were expressed with new thinking. In Mongolia, the development of modern art has been rapidly developing in recent years in the fields of Cubism, Impressionism, Surrealism, Abstract, and Expressionism, and dozens of works have been created. During this period, the artists and artists of our country kept pace with the global changes and innovations in the field of art studies, created new types of works of modern art, and continued to learn and develop new methods of theory and practice. Since 1990, Mongolia has transitioned from a centrally planned economic system to a market economic system, and individual ideals and freedom have increased not only in the industrial sector but also in the field of painting, and the direction of modern painting has begun to develop rapidly since then. In line with this, in addition to the public access to modern artworks, the need to read, understand, and explain their meaning and content has increased. Moreover, since 1990, the award for the best works of the year of the "Mongolian Art Gallery" has been won by works created in the genre of modern art, which indicates that this genre of art has taken a significant place in the history of Mongolian visual arts. Although modern paintings are being created in large numbers, there is a lack of research that evaluates and analyzes them from the point of view of art studies. In the works of some researchers, the subject of Mongolian modern painting became secondary research and was limited to mention, which is the reason for us to selectively study this topic. The purpose of the research is to analyze the development and classification of modern art of the late 20th and early 21st centuries, which are stored in art galleries. This study aims to create a trend of modernism or monalism that reflects Mongolian traditional thinking.

Analysis of the Rendering of Deep and Short Art Effects Under the Multimedia Background Taking into Account the 3D Ink Rendering Algorithm

People's living standard is improving and the economy is developing rapidly, so the demand for spiritual culture is also increasing. Today, with the rapid development of information technology, 3D ink rendering technology has become an indispensable part of modern art. It is not only a visual expression and tool, but also has a great impact on people's daily life. It is based on computer language and multimedia software. Its main purpose is to express art through images, sound and text; it can also integrate various complex and creative elements to form a whole picture, thus giving the whole picture a certain sense of hierarchy. This will give people an intuitive and strong visual feeling, thus achieving the purpose of "visual communication". In 3D ink rendering technology, image processing and sound effects are the two most important aspects. Among them, there is a certain correlation between digital works and text and other multimedia contexts with strong and far-reaching art effects rendering; and the impact of color and sound effects on 3D scenes should not be ignored: from the overall perspective, the sense of picture and enhanced visual effects can enhance the virtual reality space atmosphere and enrich the visual experience; but from the specific content, this may reduce the efficiency of the rendering process. In this paper, we start from the principle of ink rendering algorithm and analyze its impact on the picture effect and color processing in combination with 3D ink rendering technology.

Introduction: rethinking primitivisms in the modern art of Southeast Asia

This essay introduces the special issue Rethinking Primitivisms in the Modern Art of Southeast Asia. We argue that the concept of ‘primitivism’ allows us to address an uneasy hierarchy of artist to subject, self to other, that arises in certain works of modern art in Southeast Asia, and to situate such artworks within an art-historical genealogy. Our introduction takes stock of the legacy of the term and concept of ‘primitivism’ in modern art and its critical discourses globally, and explores its applicability and limitations in the context of Southeast Asia. The papers in this volume consistently recognise that there was an awareness of the tropes of Western primitivism, even an outright appropriation of them, in the modern art of the region, suggesting that the term still has useful work to do. Interrogations of primitivism from within this region, as well as critical deployments of its forms by contemporary artists, have also been part of the history of this concept in the region.

Art object – an integral component of shaping the architectural environment of a modern city

Shaping the image of a modern city, its aesthetic and artistic qualities, improving its appearance and attracting the attention of residents and guests of the city to his certain parts with the help of traditional, modern and exclusive art objects is an up-to-date question. The main purpose of the research was to theoretical materials, explored art object characteristics, functions, role in modern city architecture, and residents’ attitudes towards art object use in urban spaces. The research program included the following stages: preparatory, research and summarising with the integrated use of general scientific research methods. The methods included analysis of scientific literature, field research, analysis of architectural solutions, analysis of similar projects, and generalisation of previously proposed ideas for the formation of public space. As a result of the conducted comprehensive research, the main functions of art objects, the properties of art objects and the role of art objects in the formation of the architectural environment of a modern city in the system “art-objects – public space – residents” were summarised. The main characteristic features that art objects should have in the context of urban space are analysed and systematised. Through the survey of the city’s population, it was established that existing art objects in cities require thematic and compositional adjustments, since a group of art objects and each of them individually form the image of the city, reflect its uniqueness and originality. The survey revealed that residents for the formation of the urban environment prefer art objects of historical and cultural themes. In order to take into account the culture and traditions of the city’s residents during the design and placement of art objects, it is necessary to conduct a survey and expert evaluation, which should be an important part of the process of shaping the urban space. The theoretical and practical value of the research results lies in the fact that the materials, provisions and conclusions contained in it can be included in the preparations of educational materials on environment design and also used as recommendations for improving the process of forming of the image of the urban environment in the activities of government agencies, design organisations, and developers of regulatory documentation

The gaze on ‘primitive’ others in Japanese modern art: ethnography, art, and curatorial perspectives

This essay explores the gaze directed at ‘primitive’ others by Japanese modern artists Hijikata Hisakatsu (1900–1977) and Miyatake Tatsuo (1892–1960), focusing on both art and ethnography in the southern territories of Imperial Japan. By analyzing their artworks, writings, and curatorial perspectives, I detail how Hijikata and Miyatake represented ‘primitive’ others in their art and curatorial projects when they returned to Japan from their field trips and how they developed their primitivizing gaze during the era of imperialism and colonialism. This essay aims to reevaluate their works relating to primitivism, clarifying the cultural and social contexts that had enabled them to explore the gaze directed at ‘primitive’ others and thus reinforcing stereotypical images.

Bandolier Bags and Indigenous Modernism

This is a material culture-based case study of two bandolier bags dated to the late nineteenth or early twentieth century in the Agnes Etherington Art Center collection in Kingston, Canada. The floral motifs that decorate these two bags are not made from porcupine quills, nor are all of them bilaterally symmetrical as in “traditional” Indigenous art. Instead, they are made from glass beads, and most of the floral designs are asymmetrical. The bags’ surface patterns and materials were made possible through international trade, which facilitated the merging of European and other global designs, materials, and forms with Indigenous visual and material culture. Contemporary Western anthropological discourse framed these Indigenous objects as “hybrids” and alleged that they distorted the original meaning of such styles in a European context while simultaneously “corrupting” traditional Indigenous art and culture. Such art forms were denied a place in modernity due to their supposed inauthenticity. Ironically, “authentic” Indigenous art and material culture was likewise barred from being considered “modern” due to its hand-made, “preindustrial” nature. Connecting North American historical developments with discourse on Indigenous modernisms, I argue that on the contrary, these bags evince their makers’ conscientious engagement with modernity and can be considered modern Indigenous art.

The Venice Biennale, French porcelain and historical retrospective on marketing and expertise in the field of fine arts

The relevance of this article is based on shaping new modern world’s market relations one of which is the art market. The aim of the research is the analysis of the marketing interrelations and tendencies in the market of the 20th-21st centuries together with the previous historical periods. In order to hit the goal of the research, theoretical, empirical and comparative researching methods have been used. It sets theoretical foundations of the visual arts marketing and the ways of their practical application. Already before the modern art market as an element of a total capitalistic market came to exist, the movement of visual art works, in the ancient epoch, included elements of marketing approaches and technologies caused by the then-existing processes of sale and purchase of art works, their exchange and collecting. The article is about the expertise of their quality and originality; definition of the already existing methods of promoting art works in the society. It is worth paying a particular attention to ceramic products like porcelain (china) that, in its turn, occupies an important place among art works, together with paintings and sculptures. In the beginning of the 18th century, the porcelain arrived to Europe from China. Collectors have for three centuries admired porcelain products. It should be admitted, there is a particular category of the Venice Biennale visitors. They are porcelain collectors. The practical value of this research stays in the analysis of the marketing instruments in the modern art market for the benefit of not only modern artists but also of the managers of all levels who work in the field of visual arts, at exhibitions, for companies producing collection ceramics tableware, at auctions and in the world’s museums

Reflections on the Dissemination and Development of Ethnic Music Culture in the Context of New Media

Modern digital music platforms and social media tools have become the mainstream form of music and culture dissemination. These platforms can optimize the efficiency of folk music dissemination, and at the same time, integrate folk cultural resources to present to people in a three-dimensional way. New media platforms integrate traditional music culture and modern art culture, and lay an important foundation for the globalization of folk music. The article explores the characteristics of ethnic music communication in the context of new media, analyses its main ideas and future development trends, with a view to providing important references for professionals.

중일(中日) 근대문예론의 형성과 그 이동(異同)에 관한 소고(小考)

This paper attempts to compare the literary theory of Tsubouchi Shoyo(坪內逍遙), which was developed from the 'arts-the arts' examined throughout Wang Guowei's(王國維) literary theory, and Wang Guei's literary theory, which was established as the early modern Japanese literary theory. As Tsubouchi Shoyo's first statement, 'Novels are art(美術)' in 『Shosetsu Shinzui(小說神髓)』 opened the chapter of modern Japanese literary theory, this paper aims to explore Wang Guowei's literary theories in relation to the formation of modern literary theory in China. Therefore, in the case of the formation of Japanese modern art theory, Tsubouchi Shoyo's use of Western literary theory and logic in his own way within the magnetic field of pragmatic thought and literary dance theory that spread throughout Japanese society in the 1880s, while building a literary theory that incorporated the discourse of the Japanese art world at the time, was used as a guide to examine the formation of Chinese modern art theory and Wang Guowei's literary theory treatise. This was further utilized to examine the shifts in the theses that were common to their literary theories. In fact, the formation environment of Sino-Japanese modern literary theory was different in terms of its reception and paragraph situation according to the way the two countries experienced modern East Asia, but there are also similar points. It is also true that Wang Guowei's and Tsubouchi Shoyo's views and arguments on the literary arts developed in very different ways after they published their literary theory works and related papers, depending on their respective life trajectories and the circumstances of their respective countries. Nevertheless, neither Tsubouchi Shoyo nor Wang Guowei built a separate literary theory that completely excluded the dominant discourse in the academic and literary circles of their time. Rather, Wang Guowei, who studied a wide range of disciplines, including mathematics and natural sciences, could be said to have been more attuned to and thought about the axioms of modern China's time and built his literary theories in response to them.

Construction and Image Communication of Urban Cultural Space under the Collision of Modern Art Elements and Chinese Traditional Culture: A Case Study of the Wuzhen Theatre Festival

Since its inception in 2013, the Wuzhen Theatre Festival has gradually grown into one of the most influential theatre festivals at home and abroad. As one of the brand characteristic events, it has helped Wuzhen transition from a traditional Jiangnan ancient town to a well-known cultural landmark through media communication. This paper aims to analyze the multiple cultural spaces presented in the Wuzhen Theatre Festival, explore how this medium combines modern art elements with Jiangnan culture, builds a bridge between high art and ordinary people, thereby endowing Wuzhen with a more diversified international image. It also attempts to summarize the enlightenment of the Wuzhen Theatre Festival on the construction of urban cultural space and image in China today.

A Multidimensional Exploration of the Visual Arts: History, Impact and Future Trends

This article explores the multidimensional nature of the visual arts, tracing their trends and challenges from antiquity to the present day. The article begins by defining the visual arts and emphasising their importance in reflecting and shaping human culture and society. The study aims to analyse the historical development of the visual arts, examining the origins and characteristics of ancient art, the artistic changes from the Middle Ages to the Renaissance, and the progress of modern art movements such as Impressionism and Expressionism. The research delves into key elements and techniques in the visual arts, including the use of colour, shape and line, and how these are used in different media such as painting, sculpture and digital art. The article discusses how style and subject matter express the artist's unique perspective and emotions, contributing to the richness of visual expression. In addition, the article analyses the far-reaching impact of visual art on society and culture, showing how art reflects and influences social change, as well as its role in education and social ideology, and explores the intersection of art and politics through examples of propaganda art and protest art. The article also examines contemporary trends and challenges facing the visual arts, in particular the integration of digital technologies and new media, the impact of globalization on artistic style and expression, and the continuing struggle in the contemporary art market between commercialisation and artistic values. In the concluding section, the article outlines the historical course of the visual arts and their importance in contemporary society, as well as providing an outlook on future trends in the visual arts. This comprehensive exploration underscores the enduring value and dynamism of the visual arts as a fundamental part of human history and an important channel for cultural and social evolution.

Nias Tribe Tradition as an Ideas in Creating Painting

The Maena dance, a cultural heritage from the Nias tribe on Nias Island, North Sumatra, Indonesia, is a traditional dance full of meaning and cultural values. This dance displays strong and dynamic movements, with dancers wearing traditional Nias clothing. Accompanying music, such as gondang, taganing, and tifa, creates a rhythm that strengthens the expression of the dance. The Maena dance depicts the strength, enthusiasm and unity of the Nias people. In this dance, vigorous war movements, high jumps symbolize courage, and expressive hand and eye movements express a variety of emotions. This dance is also used in various traditional ceremonies, cultural celebrations, and important moments in the lives of the Nias people. The Maena dance, as a source of creative ideas, inspires us to dig deeper into the cultural values and spirit of courage contained in this dance. Combining elements of Maena dance with modern art or developing new dances could provide a unique creative platform, celebrating Nias' cultural heritage while presenting a message of strength, unity and courage to today's generation.

Visual Design of Chinese Animated Films Infused with Oriental Punk Aesthetics

In recent years, China's movie industry has been advancing, and movies based on ancient myths, which can combine cultural expression with technical expression, have become a hot topic for creation. Especially the ancient mythological novels such as "The Legend of Deification" and "Journey to the West" have become the source of creative ideas for movie adaptations, and Light Chaser Animation, as one of the most important forces in Chinese film production, has been exploring new possibilities for animation movies, inheriting and innovating traditional Chinese cultural elements. Light Chaser Animation, as one of the most important forces in Chinese film production, has been exploring new possibilities for animation films, inheriting and innovating traditional Chinese cultural elements, and has produced the famous "New Gods" series of films, which combines oriental elements and cultural characteristics, blends modernity and tradition, and forms an Oriental Punk style with Chinese characteristics. Oriental Punk not only shows the construction of modernity of Chinese traditional culture, but also the embodiment of cultural self-confidence, and at the same time presents the unique style and aesthetic value of Chinese culture to the world. This article analyzes the visual symbols, color design and action vocabulary of the film New Gods: Yang Jian, and points out a new direction for Chinese films to integrate traditional cultural elements and modern art technology in the creation of new mythological themes.

Russian Magazine Illustration of the First Third of the 19th Century in the Works of D. A. Rovinsky

Dmitry Aleksandrovich Rovinsky is familiar to every researcher of printed graphics. His scientifi c heritage forms the basis of classical literature on the history of Russian engraving. Nevertheless, the full potential of the researcher’s works has not yet been exhausted. In modern art criticism, new research topics are emerging, allowing us to look at D. A. Rovinsky’s works from new points of view. This article is devoted to the work of the scientist in the fi eld of Russian magazine pictures of the fi rst third of the 19th century. The problems of scientifi c development of this material are identifi ed. The directions of research and scientifi c approaches used by D. A. Rovinsky are analysed. The results of the work of the engraving expert and its value for modern art history are determined.

The Embodiment of Ugliness in 20th Century Western Music: A Case Study of Schoenberg's Prelude

This article traces the historical emergence and development of the concept of ugliness in Western classical art, focusing on its evolution from ancient Greece to the 20th century. Initially, beauty was revered above all else, with ugliness deemed impure and sinful. However, thinkers like Augustine introduced the idea of relative ugliness, highlighting its role as a contrast to beauty. In the 18th century, Baumgarten defined aesthetics, exploring the notion of ugliness as the opposite of beauty. Rosenkranz further categorized ugliness into natural, spiritual, and artistic forms, laying the foundation for modern ugliness studies. The tumultuous social backdrop of the 19th and 20th centuries, including the World Wars and economic disparities, saw a resurgence of interest in ugliness as a means of artistic expression. This trend manifested notably in expressionist music, exemplified by Arnold Schoenberg's adoption of the twelve-tone technique. Schoenberg's "Prelude" is analyzed to demonstrate how he utilized rhythm, meter, dynamics, and melodic direction to embody the principles of ugliness studies. The article concludes by emphasizing the significance of ugliness studies in modern and contemporary art, challenging traditional aesthetic principles and contributing to a broader understanding of artistic movements beyond beauty.

About Alexey Khomyakov’s Views on Church Painting

The article is devoted to the views on church painting of one of the Slavophile leaders A.S. Khomyakov. In 1845, Alexander Ivanov, an artist working in Rome, influenced by the “Slavophile” atmosphere of meetings with F.V. Chizhov, N.M. Yazykov and N.V. Gogol, attempted to use an icon as a model for the image of the Resurrection of Christ for the Moscow Cathedral of Christ the Saviour (for the first time in the history of the Russian academic school). It is doubtful that Khomyakov could have unreservedly welcomed this endeavor by Ivanov. Although he believed that for Russia’s return to nationality it would be sufficient only to revive the old in consciousness and life, he did not at all understand this return as a revival of the authentic forms of Old Russian art or as a stylization of these forms. Khomyakov’s negative attitude to stylizations is evidenced by his sharp criticism of the eclecticism of Bavarian art. In Russia, he believed, the link with tradition had long been severed and therefore Old Russian art could not serve as a basis for a modern art school. Not in Ivanov’s traditional icon-oriented sketch of the Resurrection of Christ, but in his painting The Appearance of the Messiah, Khomyakov recognized, even before he saw it with his own eyes, evidence of the beginning of the revival of truly Russian life and Russian thought. In his opinion, the artist sought in the painting to eliminate personal artistic manner, to become a kind of transparent medium through which the holy image would be imprinted on the canvas. The German Nazarene artists tried to capture the Christian phenomenon in the artistic contemplation of the spirit, but they could only teach it, they themselves were incapable of it. Ivanov, a graduate of the Imperial Academy of Arts, who had perfectly mastered the craft of an artist, was at the same time, according to Khomyakov, a pupil of icon painters, who created a great work of church wall painting. The history of the Russian art school of the second half of the 19th — early 20th century fully confirmed the validity of this assessment of the painting The Apparition of the Messiah. It laid the foundation for the God-seeking direction of Russian painting, on which Russian art blossomed in the work of I.N. Kramskoi, V.M. Vasnetsov, M.V. Nesterov, N.N. Ge, as well as atheists — V.D. Polenov and V.V. Vereshchagin. Although not all the works of this trend were honored to be accepted into the bosom of the Orthodox Church, most of them allow us to be deservedly proud of the Russian art school.

Picasso without Guernica: Mexico, 1944

The analysis of a temporary exhibition allows us to study how a particular project is inflected by cultural ideas (in this case also aesthetic ideas) and, above all, by cultural policies, i.e. museum practices and the socio-cultural and diplomatic contexts that explain the realization and morphology of a curatorial concept. In order to bring about an individual exhibition of exclusive works by Pablo Picasso in Mexico in 1944 a Society of Modern Art was founded, a private organization that copied the U.S. model of cultural mediation. This foundation was a product of bilateral financing by two powerful institutions, the Galería de Arte Mexicano owned by Inés Amor, and the MoMA, directed by Alfred H. Barr. Because of the political situation during the Second World War, the alliances between Mexico and the U.S. played a significant role. Based on a review of archival documentation and press articles of this period I attempt a reconstruction of the historical process of managing this temporary exhibition, understood as a spatial construction of political power in the collective imagination. This Mexican exhibition of works by an outstanding global artist has not been studied in terms of the messages and intentions conveyed by an ephemeral collection of objects that was deprived of its political anti-fascist dimension due to the exclusion of Guernica, which reduced it to an exhibition of avant-garde art. Guernica was not shown in Mexico for reasons that include U.S. anti-communism, Barr's desire to attract reflection towards the plastic values of Picasso's work and neutralize its potential for political resistance, and external conditions driven by internal struggles among Spanish Republicans.