Why is painting no longer as popular an art as it once was? (1 Viewer)

[Long Ball Larry]

You have an odd way of saying you don't follow art or classical music.

I don't. At least, nothing contemporary. But that's my entire point. I don't need to follow it at all to know who a Picasso or a Chopin is.

Where and when did you learn about Picasso and Chopin?

Good question. I honestly can't remember. I don't know where I learned about the Beatles either. Osmosis?

Look, you seem to be responding as if I had written, "There are no great artists anymore! Picasso was the last one!" That is the exact OPPOSITE of what I wrote. I am quite sure there are many outstanding, brilliant artists working out there, who if they were painting 100 years ago, would be household names and legends. But they're obviously not today.

But that wasn't your question. It's not even your revised question.

Seriously, Tim, you said: "But my point is that none of those people have the fame of legends. Do you suppose that in 100 years, people will be talking about Banksy the way they talk about Picasso, Monet, Cezanne, etc? I doubt it. That era has ended. I was just curious why."

The first 2 sentences are things that no one could possibly know the answer to. You set that up as if it is a rhetorical question. Then you answer it yourself based on your own pre-conceived notion and make a declaration as if everyone agrees upon it. Then you want people to answer a question about a situation that doesn't even exist based on a premise that is flawed at based and you get annoyed when people point this out.

If you just asked "Is painting no longer as popular as it once was?", that would be one thing. But you infuse all these weird talking points based on a lot of your own ignorance and posit them as realities immediately, rather than trying to gather information.

Your heart may be in the right place when trying to acquire information, but I think this is why your style is so maddening.

 

[McGarnicle]

My wife's niece is an insanely gifted painter. Not sure if she'll be famous one day, but she could open a gallery tomorrow and make a nice living. She's just 20 years old and goes to Temple art school. I hope she keeps at it because she has a rare gift IMO.

 

[Leroy Hoard]

I blame the kids and their damn picture phones. Do you know how long it takes to paint a selfie?

 

[Ditka Butkus]

I think we should go back to the portraits of ourselves and family members hanging above the mantel...This would help spur new painters.

 

[jamny]

I'll try to give an opinion on what I think Tim might have been trying to ask. Many painters, throughout the history of art, made a name for themselves by taking what was accepted as "art" to a new and different level. From Renaissance to Romanticism to Realism, painters like Caravaggio and Courbet took accepted perceptions and changed the way art was viewed. None were more shocking and caused anger than the Impressionists. Names, as you mention, that are still familiar today. Yet even that was surpassed by Post-Impressionists like Cezanne, Van Gogh and Picasso. They continued to break down paintings to it's most primary form which led to the total deconstruction of art by the abstract expressionism of artists like Pollack and Rothko.

You'll always have names that gain popularity due to some originality and some great promotion. A lot is due to the times. Was Warhol really good? A can of soup? It was creative and original and set him apart. The same can be said about Banksy. While his art itself isn't amazing, he's insanely creative and knows how to get attention.

I just don't think you can paint anything that hasn't been done before in some way. Paintings have run the gamut in it's history, broken down to a black dot on a white canvas being called art. There are still plenty of great artists doing amazing work. I just don't know how you can stand out anymore. I don't know if it's possible to break new ground.

 

[El Floppo]

and yet I can't help myself... The formula works

Peter Max

Banksy

Thomas Kinkade

Jasper Johns

Jeff Koons

But my point is that none of those people have the fame of legends. Do you suppose that in 100 years, people will be talking about Banksy the way they talk about Picasso, Monet, Cezanne, etc? I doubt it. That era has ended. I was just curious why.

It's almost the same for classical music. I say almost because composers like John Williams can still write music that everybody is familiar with- in that sense he will be remembered like Gershwin (who also wrote for movies), Brahms, Tchaikovsky, etc. But even so, the day of great melodies being written for symphony orchestras seems to be past.

HTH do you know?

This is Tim fishing.

I say this, because I like to think he's not this much of an idiot.

 

[timschochet]

and yet I can't help myself... The formula works

Peter Max

Banksy

Thomas Kinkade

Jasper Johns

Jeff Koons

But my point is that none of those people have the fame of legends. Do you suppose that in 100 years, people will be talking about Banksy the way they talk about Picasso, Monet, Cezanne, etc? I doubt it. That era has ended. I was just curious why.

It's almost the same for classical music. I say almost because composers like John Williams can still write music that everybody is familiar with- in that sense he will be remembered like Gershwin (who also wrote for movies), Brahms, Tchaikovsky, etc. But even so, the day of great melodies being written for symphony orchestras seems to be past.

HTH do you know?

This is Tim fishing.

I say this, because I like to think he's not this much of an idiot.

Not fishing at all. And I don't think I'm being an idiot about this. The day of a painter like Picasso gaining world wide fame and attention is over. The best they can do now is gain fame within the art world and a few select fans, but nothing close to the fame they had 100 years ago.

Surely there is some painter alive today with the talent of a Vincent Van Gogh- or maybe even the talent of a Rembrandt or Michelangelo. But most of us will never be aware of it.

 

[Christo]

and yet I can't help myself... The formula works

Peter Max

Banksy

Thomas Kinkade

Jasper Johns

Jeff Koons

But my point is that none of those people have the fame of legends. Do you suppose that in 100 years, people will be talking about Banksy the way they talk about Picasso, Monet, Cezanne, etc? I doubt it. That era has ended. I was just curious why.

It's almost the same for classical music. I say almost because composers like John Williams can still write music that everybody is familiar with- in that sense he will be remembered like Gershwin (who also wrote for movies), Brahms, Tchaikovsky, etc. But even so, the day of great melodies being written for symphony orchestras seems to be past.

HTH do you know?

This is Tim fishing.

I say this, because I like to think he's not this much of an idiot.

Not fishing at all. And I don't think I'm being an idiot about this. The day of a painter like Picasso gaining world wide fame and attention is over. The best they can do now is gain fame within the art world and a few select fans, but nothing close to the fame they had 100 years ago.

Surely there is some painter alive today with the talent of a Vincent Van Gogh- or maybe even the talent of a Rembrandt or Michelangelo. But most of us will never be aware of it.

 

[dickey moe]

<sigh>

Tim threads have become so formulaic. This is the most formulaic of the three types of threads he starts.

Step 1. Tim posts something controversial, outrageous or just dumb.

Step 2. Tim haters flock and say how stupid Tim is.

Step 3. Other people come in and point how he is actually wrong by giving examples.

Step 4. Tim defends his statements by making some large generality.

Step 5. Someone accuses Tim of being too broad in his statements.

Step 6. Tim points them to his signature.

Step 7. More people come in and give examples of how he is wrong.

Step 8. Tim changes his mind and takes the opposite position of Step 1.

Step 9. Tim haters flock back in and point how of often he changes his mind and how ridiculous it is and he is ruining the FFA.

Step 10. Tim defenders flock in and say how admirable it is that Tim can change his mind when given evidence and he makes the FFA better.

Rinse and Repeat.

Rinse and Repeat.

Rinse and Repeat.

Interesting analysis. I don't think I've made any argument in this thread, or written anything controversial. I asked a question to which I didn't know the answer. I thought it would bring about an interesting discussion. It's really not controversial at all to state that there aren't any "superstar" household name painters anymore.

You didn't just ask a question. Just asking a question would be: Is painting a dead art form? You said: Why is painting a dead art form? That's not asking a question; that's begging the question.

It wasn't meant to be an argument though. I wasn't expecting controversy on that point. I'm surprised there is any.

Surprise!