Critical Evaluation Of Remix Culture

Contemporary art has a long history of appropriating material into new work such as Duchamp’s ready-mades where he recontexualizes found source material, the photo collages of Hannah Hoch and today’s remix culture. In Remixthebook, Mark Amerika (2011) argues that in Postproduction art, “the artist takes what has already been produced in culture and, through creative postproduction means, expresses a new cultural configuration that both speaks to contemporary culture as well as the source material that has been remixed”. Traditional crafts such as patchwork and quilt making have also contained ideas of transformation of old collected materials into new forms. By the frugally collecting and repurposing of these waste materials, Gower critiques

In the contemplation of art, or rather the conceptually intangible definition it currently possess, it is imperative to be mindful that “art” has been utilized as a promotional device, ceremonial item, aesthetically purposed article or perhaps none of these or all. It is because of this vague term that Carolyn Dean, in her text, “The Trouble with (The Term) Art”, makes a case for the consequences of applying the term “art” in societies that lacked such a notion which also accounts for the Western-centric lens the field intrinsically utilizes when viewing non-Western art. The claim is deftly supported by the utilization of expert accounts in the subject, alternative perspectives for what is considered the current norm, and self-examining questions,

Meaningful appropriation remains a vital precept of creativity and innovation. In the last 20 years, many artists have constructed knowledge in forms of contemporary art from both social and cultural sources. Artists have continuously remixed contents from certain cultures for new expressive purposes. It is often deemed by members of the originating cultures, that appropriation in the arts is disrespectful, as cultural elements become distorted and lost in translation. Meaningful appropriation however is often misunderstood and is mainly viewed as borrowing that is in some way inappropriate, unauthorised or undesirable. Although, artists in remix culture have not necessarily attempted to destroy cultures, but instead offer a new perspective to individuals by bringing divergent cultures together through art. Artists such as Stella McCartney, a designer famously known for her creation ‘Chinatown Plaid, 2013’ in fashion, utilises dominant creative strategies such as remixing and collaging of fabrics in order to convey her artistic vision, which highly compliments both the ‘Refugee’ work culture and female individuals as strong and resilient. In a similar sense, digital artist Michael Guppy remixes artworks using programs such as Adobe Photoshop in order to remove central elements from famous artworks, a reoccurring theme in his work in which he explores both the social and cultural side of technology and how it transforms society. Whereas, graphic designer Thomas Robson

gallery space. However, it is the aim of a postmodern artist to step outside these

With images, words, and sounds been almost endlessly reproduced and distributed, various critics of modern culture suggest that traditional ideas about art and authenticity are no longer applicable. The problem is said to have been noticed back in the 1930s in the popular essay The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction that was concerned about what would happen to the “aura” of unique works of art when photography and other techniques if anybody could make unlimited copies of images. With the rise of digital technology, copying ability became vast and complex and hence the idea of originality is thrown into

In Highbrow, Lowbrow, Levine argues that a distinction between high and low culture that did not exist in the first half of the 19th century emerged by the turn of the century and solidified during the 20th century, and that despite a move in the last few decades toward a more ecumenical interpretation of “culture,” the distinction between high art and popular entertainment and the revering of a canon of sacred, inalterable cultural works persists. In the prologue Levine states that one of his central arguments is that concepts of cultural boundaries have changed over the period he treats. Throughout Highbrow, Lowbrow, Levine defines culture as a process rather than a fixed entity,

In order to discuss pop art I have chosen to examine the work and to some extent lives of Roy Lichtenstein and Andy Warhol who were two of the main forces behind the American movement. I intend to reflect the attitudes of the public and artists in America at this time, while examining the growing popularity of pop art from its rocky, abstract expressionist start in the 1950s through the height of consumer culture in the 60s and 70s to the present day.

Post-war Japanese society is a world where High and Low art is blurred together by otaku, such as anime, and social class. However, Takashi Murakami straddles the line. Murakami spills a mix of Nihanga and Otaku into the canvases, plastic toys, handbags, shoes, etc; endorsing his own theory/style named “Superflat”. Using strategical subject matter such as popular Japanese comic figures combined with ukiyo-e(traditional Japanese block prints), and addressing these contrasting qualities to outside cultures; Murakami intensifies what Pop Art accomplished, art versus material. On other feelings, one could argue that “Superflat” isn’t a unique, Japan-identified style, that “Superflat” is a humiliation to the Contemporary Art world because of its commercialism. Lastly, that is a continuation of the already well developed Pop Art. On the supporting side, Murakami’s “Superflat” is a high-energy, cross-culture style that serves as a new way to represent the high and low of art that is considerably unique to Japan. To support this, Murakami’s past and present artwork will have to be established chronologically to illustrate how the timeline affects his work.

In today’s society, technology and art go hand in hand. Art has been around for a long time but technology such as computers are still very new. These two mediums have comingled and now evolve and effect the other. Art has changed to reflect the vast improvements technology has contributed to communication and the ability to create using digital space. Technology has also changed with artist pushing the boundaries of what is technical possible in the digital realm. Much of today’s art is created and presented in digital formats. The question of whether digital art is truly art has risen among many critics in the art community.

During the early twentieth century, art education was seen as unproductive and more often not cost effective. However, in the 1950’s opinions about art education made a drastic change as Americans craved more self-expression. Art education began to flourish as the importance of art involvement became known (DeHoyas).

“Vision is the art of seeing the invisible” ( Jonathon Swift). We have been indulging in the arts and have used art as a way to express and interact with the people surrounding us. To the carved images on rocks, and to the cartoons shown on the TV, the evolution of Graphic Design has shown us the importance of typography, photographers, illustrators etc. have on our society. When paper, ink, and pencils didn’t exist, our ancestors would carve their warnings, messages, and emotions on rocks and walls. Our ancestors don’t realize that such small acts such as these was the beginning of a huge movement, that wouldn’t be recognized until thousands years later. During the 16th century, China was able to establish a technique called woodblock printing or, the application of ink on raised curved surface, that allowed multiple text and images to be made quickly. China’s wide extension of printing slowly reached the middle east and caused Europe to start producing woodblock broadsides and printed books. The first printing press was constructed by Johannes Gutenberg, which was the first metal movable type to create a large amount of printed books. In the Old days books were very rare, expensive and were very valuable. The creation of the Printing press allowed books to be done faster, cheaper and it allowed books to be more accessible to the public. Graphic Design or “the art or skill of combining text and pictures in

The beginning of 20th century was a time of drastic change. New developments were made in the arenas of the classical sciences, social science, psychology and philosophy - each challenging traditional thought. Industrialization and the introduction of many new, challenging concepts in the fields of politics as well as the development of new technologies gave artist more freedom to innovate and break the rules of traditional art. By using new materials, techniques and the new approach artists were pushing boundaries of what has previously been accepted art practice in order to invent radically new styles.

Lowbrow art is a unique art movement that emerged in the 1970s in the shady corners of Los Angeles, California. Lowbrow art has many labels such as underground, Neo-pop, and Nobrow. Also known as pop surrealism, lowbrow art, was inspired by surf culture, punk music, underground comix, and most importantly, cartoon and comics. Lowbrow art is a movement for the millions of people who share a common culture. The movement has steadily grown since the 1970s and isn’t going anywhere soon. The pop culture prevalent in lowbrow art differs through each artist and is represented through their imagery. In this paper, I am going to elaborate on the characteristics of lowbrow art. Then, compare and contrast two contemporary lowbrow artist’s works, Isabel Samaras and Kenny Scharf (Esaak).

“Modern painting, breaking through old conversation, has released countless suggestions which are still waiting to be used by the practical world.”(Gropius) The birth of modernism and modern art goes back to the Industrial Revolution, a period that lasted from the 18th to the 19th century, in which rapid changes in manufacturing, transportation, and technology profoundly affected the social, economic, and cultural conditions of life in Western Europe, North America, and eventually the world. Before the 19th century, artists created art pieces for wealthy people and institution places like the church where they can create art works about storytelling of religious or mythological scenes . These arts were there to instruct the viewers.However, this changed when during the 19th century many artists began to create works that were about people, places, or ideas that interested them, and of which they had direct experience. With the popularization of the idea of a subconscious mind, many artists began exploring dreams, symbolism, and personal iconography as avenues for the depiction of their subjective experiences.Challenging the notion that art must realistically depict the world, some artists experimented with the expressive use of color, non-traditional materials, and new techniques and mediums.

goes on in that world.... The basic unit of analysis, then, is an art world.”