Boxes, wall, categories, and labels…
An essay…
Art movements in art history have labels. Labels such as the renaissance, impressionism, modernism, post modernism, and contemporary art. To understand the development of art in the history of civilization we need to mark not only time, but also processes, methods, styles, politics, and culture. Each label provides us with a set of defined boxes to deposit data as we acquire it. The more deposits we make, the more defined the box becomes and hence its walls hold the data tightly within them.
Mostly defined by a tendency or frequency of styles, techniques, philosophies, and tools, art movements are frequently labeled retrospectively. Other times movements are identified contemporaneously as part of a larger cultural or political moment. Or art movements might have been formed as a reaction to those in power at any given moment.
These labels or boxes are intended to serve as a guideline. In other words, categories are not or should not be lines that never cross over. On the contrary, these lines, or walls, are in constant flux borrowing from each other. In this interaction new forms are born as well. And it goes on.
There are problems however with these labels. For instance, it is commonly believed that one such label, the Middle Ages, was a period of cultural and intellectual decline. Hence, some call it the Dark Ages, as if no great achievements were acquired. The label Dark Ages is in fact a misnomer. Because contrary to its implication, there were significant advances in many areas during this time. What seems to be true is that a fundamental misunderstanding of religious precepts along with a decline in trade and communication spurred an art style devoid of volume and perspective. Simply put, shapes were flat and there was no depth in the composition. That is not an indication of intellectual decline. Rather it is an indicator of a shift in focus towards art as a means of communication for the people. It is also true that there was a sharp socio-economic distinction of class and thus a sharp gap between the illiterate and the literate. That said, the Middle Ages saw the first universities, the development of rich story telling in stained glass art, the flourishing of illuminated manuscripts such as the Lindisfarne Gospels, and in architecture, the beautiful cathedrals such as NotreDame and Hagia Sophia. This list is not inclusive of course. Though it is worth noting that though the University of Bologna founded in 1088 is considered the first and oldest university in history, the title really goes to another. That honor belongs to the University of Al Qarawiynn founded by Fatima al-Fihri, who used her father’s money to found it.
The examples above are simply an illustration of how wrong we often are when assigning labels, creating boxes, and making the walls of said boxes so tight that we can’t see hybrid connections. There are of course matters where we need to hold on tight to our boxes. We need to know who we are. In other words, what do our boxes look like or are like. After all, how can we step out of the box if we do not know or understand what that box is like or looks like? Not every matter needs to be an inflexible set of walls. But not every matter needs to have fluid or shapeless walls around our values or beliefs.
Growing up bilingual, even with the accent, helped me create hybrid boxes. I sometimes define myself as a living, breathing Venn diagram. Though I am mostly defined by my first language and culture, the constant and immersive collection of data of my second language and culture has given me a mixture of references. A great part of these references drives my work. We create from what we believe and practice.
And that is the final thought, though is more of a question. When discussing work and its creators along with their labels, a discussion ensued if we do need to separate the art from the maker. Do we? Should we? Does it depend on the artist or the work? Or does it depend of what the artist did or said? And here we are again: facing a conundrum where, once again, our boxes might need to open themselves to what is useful and let go of what is not. Hybrid influences.
Love,
Alma