I was told by my super-educated very snobby art curator friend not to do this post, so of course I will. Recently I went to see the Societe Anonyme exhibit at the Phillips Collection here in DC. It was great! Modernism is very cool for a lot of reasons, not just because it’s neat to look at. This Wiki entry is a veritable who’s who of great thinkers of the last few centuries, and we’re still enjoying the result of their thought and activism. Some of what Modernism wrought was truly evil, and some of it brought us closer to the goals all good liberals strive to accomplish. I’ll let you all discuss the specifics, but I did have a thought or two about art and politics and technology today.

There are probably a million sites like these. I just don’t have the time to keep up with all the weird, new, interesting art sites that pop up on the web, and I’m sorry for that. But I do enjoy thinking about all the ways the web has allowed artists to exhibit their work without having to worry about navigating the political landscape of the museum and gallery world. There is a freedom for artists today, one in which they can produce art that can stand on its merits, and “consumers” and people like me can appreciate their art without being told “what is good” or what to think about it. New technologies in computers and the internet also allow for forms of artistic expression that we’re only just beginning to explore. The first Modernists used film and sound technologies to stretch the boundaries of what art can do and say, and in a similar way, I think we’re seeing that happening today. If you want to get an idea of what I mean here, check out this guy. He’s got work up at the Hirschorn, and I was very impressed.

The Modernists were very interested in educating the public about art, and engaging people to think and talk about art as it could relate to their everyday lives. To me, there are few ways to better get Joe and Susie Regular to think revolutionary thoughts than to dress them up in funky art and make them fun and visually/aurally stimulating. The Modernist movement may be on its last legs, but like all movements, another is rising to take its place. Even an igornant talentless cretin like me can perceive this, and I’m excited to think about what may be on the horizon. Examples of what I mean can be found in the rising popularity of Asian pop art and culture in the West, or various reinterpretations of Western art and culture in the “piracy” movement. The global love affair with hip-hop is probably the strongest example of what I’m talking about, and even as corporate rap is everywhere and sucks eggs, there is still a great deal of authentic and revolutionary hip-hop to be found, in every nation and from every tribe. As I like to say, “we’re all niggers now.”

This is what I like best about the holiday season, that I can think about something other than raw politics and not feel guilty. I hope you’ve got the time to take in some culture before starting your new work year as well.