Class 5 - Art and its Functions . The idea that time is moving forward/ backward, or not even at all (link to first lecture) o Fin de siècle - the emergence of modernism at the centre of this " A reaction to and critique of positivism and the theories of progress/ artistic realism that were link to it (and other social theories of the time) · Positivism believes in the objective truth - from which everything can be explained · Believers in positivism (every artist and scholar in the period) used it as a more accurate description of the world i.e. linear progress, objective truth and facts . The goal is to approximate that one truth · History and time progress forward Artistic realism was the direct result of this thinking · Obsessed with the cognition of objective reality · Present the socio-economic truth of life · To change society through criticism and depicting reality as it really was o Realistic writers were also concerned with social issues e.g. urban environment and its dangers, generational conflict, gender issues, everyday life Stylistic device - piece of fiction · Lack of link between object and subject - anti-positivists pointed this out and believed that they must pierce through aesthetic conventions, language, and established presumptions · Alternative pictures, worldviews, perspectives in the arts Experimentation with musical harmony, linguistic forms, new content Attempt to bridge the existing art forms and time frames o Medievalism and medieval traditions became highly attractive - as did primitive arts Gave rise to the arts and craft movement, to art nouveau (organic understanding of the world through nature) No stylistic outlines like in realism o Exhibitions travelled across Europe
· Symbolists who attempted to elicit feeling out of readers (physical, mental, spiritual feelings) by juxtaposing images, and evoking a certain mood - prompt/ prodding of the reader " The feeling which is invoked in the reader was important, not the message itself · Language is very important o Painters and writers used similar devices to present their view of the world e.g. Picasso (cubism) in a rather unnatural pattern to symbolise the chaos of life and express different representations of form o Going back to the root of art, interest in primitivism, blurring the distinctions of forms · Richard Wagner was widely admired in Europe He was a revolutionary in his early years o In Russia, he was considered to be a romantic . He puts on stage painting, art, sculpture, acting, signing, music - to bridge the genres and geographic boundaries o Russia has two homelands: Russia and Europe (Sergei Diaghilev) " The German 'World of Art' bridged the genres e.g. Diaghilev the Ballets Russes (dances from the military) o Art criticism journal to bring Russian art up-to-date " Folk art and traditional Russian art was revived and used to inspire avant garde art o Russian painting was amongst the most progressive in Europe within 10 years · The transition through time The Russian Academy of Art