Artistic Arsenals 8: Modernism for Traditionalists

A live recording of a lecture presented by Dr. Micah Christensen (PhD, History of Art, University College London) at the Beaux-Arts Academy (http://beauxartsacademy.org/) on Modern art given by a traditionalist to a group of traditional artists. The quality of this recording is wanting, due to a mic failure. My apologies. The same is not true for other recordings in the series.

This is perhaps the most unorthodox of all the lectures I have given, and perhaps the one that will raise the most criticism from art historians.  There is a large number of people who feel a deep antagonism towards Modern art and successive movements. It is my believe that this antagonism is now a vestige of history; unhelpful in moving forward. 

My goal with the lecture was not to convince anyone to like Modernist work. It was to help them understand its origins and results. That knowledge is essential to understanding where we are today as contemporary artists, collectors, and historians, whether we are traditionalists or modernists.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

• Robert Hughes. New and Selected Writings of Robert Hughes.
• Don Thompson. The Orange Balloon Dog: Bubbles, Turmoil and Avarice in the Contemporary Art Market.
• Sarah Thornton. Seven Days in the Art World.
• Sarah Thornton. 33 Artists in 3 Acts.
• Wyndham Lewis. The Demon of Progress in the Arts.
• Hatje Cantz. What is Art? 27 Questions, 27 Answers.
• David Salle. How to See: Looking Talking, and Thinking about Art.
• Susie Hodge. Why Your Five-Year-Old Could Not Have Done That: From Slashed Canvas to Unmade Bed, Modern Art Explained.
• Hans Ulrich Obrist. Ways of Curating
• James Elkins. Why Art Cannot Be Taught: A Handbook for Students.
• Ossian Ward. Ways of Looking: How to Experience Contemporary Art.
• Essays: What is Contemporary Art? (e-flux Journal)