Comparison of 3 Modern Art Pieces
I selected 3 modern art pieces, each set in a period of time and in different environments.
Jackson Pollock, №32. The beloved “Champion of Greenberg” Jackson Pollock painted №32 in 1950. He used cans of oil and spray them over a large canvas. Cottington described it as the highway between Cubism and Modernism in that it captures Cubism’s elusive nature of expression, but constructed something that more abstract and intangible. Instead of capturing more tangible concepts such as still-life or nature, №32 is often viewed as a painting of movement as it is Pollock’s swing and body movement that serves as “brush” in this art piece.
Vladimir Tatlin, Monument to the Third International, 1920. Tallinn’s conceptual sculpture was a manifestation of cubism in the Soviet. Just after the revolution, Tatlin proposed this supposedly giant structure that in scale would put Effie Tower to shame. It was meant to be the embodiment of the new government with elements of the structure also serve as functional space for different governmental departments. Glass, steel and skeletal appearance meant to represent a political ideation that the new government is transparent in its operation, in opposed to the old government. Different stages of the sculpture would rotate on its own pace.
Carolee Schneemann, Interior Scroll, 1975. Interior Scroll is a performance piece of Schneemann took stage in 1975, then 1977. The performance mainly features the artist, with her body painted dark, taken out a scroll of texts from her Virginia, then proceeds to read the comments on the scroll. Audiences were foretold that she would be reading from her book, Cezanne. Instead, texts on scroll came from her past film which explore erotic subjects.
Treating her own body as an instrument of artworks, Schneemann explained that this performance takes a perspective of Virginia not for its physical and biological property — an organ for reproduction, but as a source of thought and inspiration
All three art works reflects comment and criticism of some aspect of art of artists’ societies. It started with Tatlin commented on social structure and political beliefs, a subject that was not new for art works. However, having different parts of the structure serves as different purposes and use of motion as part of the design was new. Pollock’s piece commented on traditional artist’s method of art making and started to treat artist’s gestures and motions as part of the artwork. When it came to Schneemann, the artist became the artwork. While the subject of criticism deforms, the instrument of artists become increasingly tangible and direct.
It is interesting to see three art work with vastly different backgrounds fits well on the evolutionary timeline of modern art.
Additional Info & Citation:
Jackson Pollock:
Carolee Schneemann,
Valdimir Tatlin:
