The purpose of art is to express people’s experiences and ideas, challenge people’s views, inspire reflection and awaken emotions whilst educating and displaying social, cultural and political issues. In addition, fine art focuses on the value of aesthetics and conceptual depth, allowing people to contemplate about abstract constructions through elevated thought and emotions. Due to its themes and methods, fine art has sparked much controversy, especially due to the reactions it evokes. Examples of fine art include: shock, political, performance and conceptual.
Shock art
Shock art is designed to provoke audiences through controversial content. Marcus Harvey’s ‘’Myra’’ in 1995 is a great example of this. This particular piece features a substantial portrait of infamous child murderer Myra Hindley and was produced using children’s handprints. Unsurprisingly, its subject and method outraged many viewers.
Alternatively, Maurizio’s Cattelan’s ‘’Comedian’’ (2019) evokes debate surrounding art production and worth. More specifically, at Art Basel Miami Beach it detailed a banana taped to a wall, priced at $120,000. It targeted the controversy around art pricing, especially those presented as simple compositions. Later eaten by artist David Datuna, who called his action ‘’Hungry Artist’’, which enhanced the art’s shock value. This suggested that artists were committed to inspiring reflections and emotions from audiences.
Political art
Designed to awaken awareness surrounding political themes. This form educates people about the state of society. For example, Weiwei’s ‘’Remembering’’ (2009) is a commemorative art piece featuring thousands of backpacks which represent children’s deaths during the Sichuan earthquake. It explores the impact disastrous events have on connected communities. In comparison, ‘’The Chronicles of San Francisco’’ (2019) was produced by French artist JR; it involves a large panorama presenting over 1,000 of San Francisco’s residents. This digital mural captures the city’s diversity, aspects of immigration, homelessness, and economic inequality.
Performance art
This art form is arguably the most controversial because its raw, involving nude bodies and extreme actions. Tino Sehgal’s ‘’This Progress’’ (2010) at the Guggenheim Museum involved people engaging in conversations with individuals from various age groups; this demonstrated progression through life. Taking a more musical approach, Ragnar Kjartansson’s ‘’The Visitors’’ (2012) videos multiple musicians performing the same music in separate rooms. The visual capture of this performance displays the beauty of music, and contrasting themes of collectiveness and individuality.
Conceptual art
This type is not restricted by topics or aims but instead focuses on raw creations allowing audiences to conceptualise their own thoughts and ideas regarding the artwork. It provokes significant responses because it goes against tradition. For example, ‘’My Bed’’ (1998) by Tracey Emin successfully displays her past through a messy bed alongside mundane items like slippers, newspapers, alcohol bottles, dirty clothes and so on. The disorganisation presents relatable social themes relating to mental health such as depression and anxiety. Evidently, this was a dark and emotional piece due to its realism and depiction of a depressive atmosphere. Despite evoking sad emotions, this daring piece led to Emin’s nomination for the Turner prize in 1999.
Despite the negative emotions, fifteen years after her work, Emin returned to Tate Britain to produce a more enveloping experience for her audience, including some of her more recent drawings and Francis Bacon’s paintings. She does this to show chaos, movement and development, specifically her development from her past and how much she has grown.
Overall, fine art is used to detail key experiences and events and evoke emotions. It does this through different art forms such as: shock, political, performance and conceptual, which all cause controversy. However, this controversy is effective in expounding thought and new conversations around significant social, cultural and political events.
Written by Lola Gabriel-Ojo(Guest Writer)
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