"you could do it, but you didn't" yeah, because if I did it, it would be only considered as what it is: a white boring painting. It's only valueble if I'm a renowned artist, who knows the right people. Agreed 100% with the video
@@whoisharo4689 So... you thought it was a good idea then? It was your art right? But then 7 years later, because nobody thought anything of it, it wasnt art anymore? Or was it bullshit to you when you painted it? because then im not surprised you couldnt sell it.
There was this one guy who was an “art teacher” at a private school my daughter attended that tried to explain to me about an all white canvas with a zip line of black going horizontally through it at the art museum during a field trip. All he said was a bunch of bs about it. My daughter used to love creating art until taking his class. He ran it like a commercial art business model, near as I can figure. All the instruction I had given her to realistically model forms and human anatomy died. In the end, she was making cartoons of the Grim Reaper to hand in for a grade. But I digress, lol! Absolutely hate those kind of paintings! He tried to explain that you really have to think more about it to find meaning. The only meaning I got out of it was that it was a waste of my time, so I went to a better section of the museum.
That is the story of art university as well. People need to learn to approach art like they approach music, enjoy the art you enjoy and don't worry about what some elitist brain dead snob has to say about anything. For some reason the "art world" has hoodwinked the entire western culture into believing that they need an "expert" to explain what art is.
Some years ago I watched an art program on the BBC (I think). The 'expert' was showing the presenter around this exhibition in a converted, whitewashed warehouse. On the pillars were hooks on two of these hooks on either side of a pillar were old Singer sowing machines. The lady presenter asked him about this. He went on a lengthy explanation involving the 'obsolescence of technology' to which she replied "you're just making it up as you go along, aren't you?" He was speechless.
First, I’m not even halfway through this video and I’m already loving it lol The facial expressions…😂 Fantastic! Ok so, full disclosure…..I have a 4’x5’ ish white painting. Yup. Hanging right smack in my living room. And I love it! Now having said that….I didn’t buy this painting. I didn’t paint it myself either. In fact, it was one of I believe 12 that was painted for a theatre production called…..you guessed it “Art”. It was a play about a man who bought a white painting for 200,000 francs and his brothers response to that. It was actually a really great show! I worked at the theatre that was showing it. So I had insider knowledge of how this painting was created. I asked the scenic artist about it and she said the writer of the play was VERY specific about the lines and brushstrokes. Each of the 12 canvases had to be identical. Should be easy right? They’re all white. Nope. It was a challenge. Because I’ve been looking at it for about 16 years (wow. I’ve had it that long??) I can see all the little nuances. The graininess of the paint (I think she added some sand to the paint), the vertical lines, the horizontal lines etc. All very much obvious when you look at it. Yes, we all joked about it and we’re just as confused as the brother in the show. We were like “It’s white. That’s it”. But the whole production was so good and the painting got people talking. So I thought “Ha! What a conversation piece! A big white rectangle!” 🤣 And for 16 years I have NOT been disappointed. It certainly HAS been a conversation piece. I admit, after all this time I am very attached to this painting and I love the story behind it because I love theatre. Do I think it’s beautiful? I think at this point I do, but not because of how it looks…but because it’s been part of my life for so long. Now, as a new artist myself….I sometimes do look at it longingly when thinking about taking on a big project. But then remind myself that it is NOT my canvas for painting on. But boy it’s tempting sometimes. Anyhow, because I have this painting, this doesn’t mean I think all art like this is even remotely interesting. MY painting is interesting lol. Because I decided it was. I completely agree with what I’ve seen so far in the video. So anyway, just my two cents as someone that owns a big white beast 😂
You look at something that has no value - "you could do it yourself but you didn't". That is the neat point - I see no value in doing something that will have no value.
I feel the same as you about the white canvases, and looking at the great artist of all generations, I’m embarrassed that they are auctioned for stupid amounts of money ☹️
So many of these paintings just serve two purposes now--investments and as I am U pointed out, money laundering. I think originally that there were many interesting and great takes on what "art" actually is. But the value built around these art pieces, and ESPECIALLY the push in many art master programs to devalue traditional art practices, is ridiculous. Personally I hate self-insertion into art. If I want to express myself I will paint a painting with meaning for myself, to share with others. And probably wouldn't be able to sell it for the cost of the canvas and paint, because it's not seen as either "art", nor an investment because my style trends to the Romantic.
You are absolutely right in everything for me it is kind of "let's ruin art' as many have ruined many other things like environment,values and much more. You were very polite talking as more of them just want to cheat on peoples mind and get money. Thank you for your real concern about what is art.
Wow Florent, m impressed and so happy you're expressing your ideas. I love your work and the commentary adds dimension, great nuance. Keep it up my Philosopher Friend!
Florent, thank you so much for your very thoughtful and interesting video. Very educational and valuable. Am so appreciative of the quality of your videos. They are always so worth watching. Thank you for sharing your knowledge and insights.
In my life I have created many, many large white on white objet d'art, although most would just call me a house painter and my canvas are otherwise known as walls and ceilings haha. Interesting thought..I challenge you Florent Farges to paint an all white canvas painting using paints with varying ratio of pigment and binder that could change throughout the day and vary depending on the angle of the light source hitting the canvas. It would be possible using combination of matte to gloss finish (paint reflectivity) paint to create an all white painting that has incredible detail but cannot be seen when viewed stright on, but only seen on an angle..a kind of hidden painting.
I ve watched a TikTok where a teenage girl makes paintings/drawings you can see only when you use light forensic investigators use 😂. Are you suggesting people should study about your art before they see your paintings? or is it for those with e sixth sense?🤐
Splendid analysis and very well worded take on the modern "art". Have recently discovered your channel and now binge watching it, often while arranging my art supplies or sketching. Thank you for sharing your knowledge and thoughts. I enjoy painting a lot, but I have a long way before I can confidently render everything I see in my minds eye, your generous videos have helped me a lot. Now working on improving my drawing. Thank you for your wonderful content! Have an inspired day!
Thank you, Florent! Postmodern thinking has tried to eliminate any sort of objectivity in life by making all things relative with no fixed points of reference. By doing that, no one can "judge" anything (such as art) because there are no comprehensible standards.
My art teacher at school defined art as "An intentional experience that, when experienced as intended, produces some kind of emotional change in the observer". Basically saying that as long as it is intended to be art and the observer has some kind of reaction to it, it is art. I don't quite agree with that, it's too broad of a definition for me, but I like the approach. I do agree that even as a basic definition art is subjective. Something can produce emotions in you and make you consider it a masterpiece, while I don't consider it art at all. Neither of us has to be wrong, we can share the same definition of art and agree on the same criteria and still arrive at different conclusions without either of us having gotten it "right". I like this type of definition that acknowledges subjectivity in the very basic definition of art without forcing conflict.
@@robdog114 ... okay? What he hell made you decide to post a random insult to a random acquaintance of a stranger on the internet? Does it make you feel better to randomly insult people?
I really liked your comparison with the sound/musik and what is relevant when talking and/or criticising art. It's also important to things into the right context and place emotions aside at the same time it's ok to like or dislike something. Really like your videos and input
I agree with everything you have said here. There is definitely an elitism in the art world, but we must continue to express ourselves in our own way and stick to our own artistic values, thank you for another great video.
Very good video and you make a lot of sound points in this. Around 23:00 you talk about the "extra work" that people have to do to get the "value" from these kinds of paintings, I think (and find in my own experience) the same applies to conceptual art and this all suffers from the same problem - turning art as a primarily emotional and sensory engagement and experience into an intellectual puzzle-solving game in which you are either clever enough to pass the test and join the insiders, or you're not and can be sneered at or wearily pitied or ignored. Tomorrow I shall pick up my brushes and return to the next stages of a landscape painting, refreshed and inspired by your excellent videos... Thank you and Best Wishes for 2023!
I will tolerate any art, if I feel that the artist had passion and a vision. I may not like it--but I respect the intent. Clearly, however, some , 'artists' don't have that. They may have been demoralized and destroyed by training they received--lost all confidence and self belief, and are taking vengeance on the art world. Or perhaps they realize that now they have learned the jargon and can recognize what will fly and what won't and have learned how to predict coming trends --the can work the system for praise , recognition, and possibly money
For me good art is any image that makes me want to look at it. The better the piece is the more I get out of looking at it. I did not think much of abstract or minimalist art for a long time. I am also open to the notion that a particular piece is simply beyond my limited ability to appreciate. This all changed when I came upon a panel in the De Cordova museum in Massachusetts. The piece was an 2 meter panel that looked like a base wash of with midnight blue with some swirling white giving the impression of clouds. As I looked at the painting my own mind began to add to the picture adding this landscape of Greek style buildings and people. This does not work with all abstract or minimalist art but in this case the artist produced an interesting scrying instrument. My goal as an artist is to see the beauty in the world and capture it in my work. My own work has been criticized as so representational. I love your work and I will have a delightful time learning from you. I also think you are a fantastic subject.
Florent, I for one will say, please make more content like this; discussing other art and your own, the different movements and their history, along with your own insights into the art world. It is very interesting to listen to, and quite thought provoking in itself :)
But isn't the Mona Lisa quite boring? Unless someone points out the weird smile she has, is it really that fantastic towards other paintings of the time?
@@leighfoulkes7297 The Mona Lisa was just an example, but it could be any painting that you like. Something from Francis Bacon, for example. Not classical, but not easy either, right?
Is it? I think the key question is: "if it isn't art, what is it?" The easy answer is, "pointless garbage/a waste of materials," but that is a value judgement that could be reframed as, "bad art I don't like." Surely we can admit the possibility that bad art we don't like can become absurdly valued.
Art at that level is tax fraud. It doesn’t matter your skill level, most everything has been accomplished. It’s about self promotion, becoming famous and getting the rich to buy your paintings from dealers in order to donate them to museums for tax right offs. Just make art for you, and sell it if you can, the art world not accepting you doesn’t mean there is something wrong with you.
@@SaraKhan-nj4nl disagree. Look at the past, look at the artists in generally painting. They were a guilt, commissioners; painting a definite subject matter that would satisfy the church for ex. The killing of Issac by Abraham, or something similar to this name, by Caravaggio; I hope you know which painting I have in mind. If Caravaggio would not be asked to paint it for reward, money, then he probably would have spend his time painting something different ma’am ;)
That's part of it, certainly, but it's even bigger than that. A handful of mega-dealers and their collectors have crafted what we now have as the high end art market, and it's about acquiring "art" in order to essentially buy more money (think about that; we normally think money is used to buy goods/services/property, but art is now the currency used to acquire more money so it has turned the whole concept on its head), and it's about competition between status conscious and status insecure people trying to build more status and image. It's not about art at all, at least at that level.
And now a lot of the silly nft phenomenon can be explained with this. Some people, mint an nft, put it up for silly amounts of eth, then use a separate wallet to buy it from themselves. Hence making the nft's value being... A silly amount of eth.
beautifully broken down Florent! All I can think is DAMN! When I was in school I did a study in black (after obsessing over Rembrandt and chiaroscuro). The piece was huge, 8'x4', and was a minimalist geometric study of the full spectrum of blacks that existed (warm, cool, red, blue, green, purple, etc.). I could say it was "art" because it was the realization of a concept or thought that previously only existed in my head. It was an exploration of an idea from the mental into the physical. Was it good? I don't know, I created it so I am not objective. All I can say that it was successful in so far as it achieved its goal of being an exploration of Black. My teachers absolutely lost their sh*t over it which I totally didn't understand at the time. When I left school I just left it after the final show....IDIOT! I could be a millionaire!!!! (I joke).
Your presentation is very interesting and logical. In the past I was critical of your presentations being too slow and boring. Now I very much like every new video presented by you. Thank you for intelligent and truethful lessons. John Turel
This was really fun to watch. I ve read about a painting that also got sold for good money, only there was no painting to see anywhere! an empty room with som boundaries on the floor and emptiness. The artist insisted there was a painting in the senter of the square... so a white canvas is at least something you can see, hehehe. From what I ve observed, if you have a whole explanation behind something, people get fascinated even if many art work I wouldnt even display at my wc. Great point. Thank you for the courage to share your opinion despite the dislike :)
Loved your perspective in this it makes it much more understandable, also so glad you openly said you didn’t like this kind of art, I agree. Also do you think it is arguable that minimalist art has a lot to do with entrepreneurship and being able to make a name for yourself rather than actually appreciating the art their are making?
Amazing surrealism of this time. I'm working in my canvas during weeks or some months. The values it's about 10 dollars. Max price is 20 dollars. Andrevic arts, Hell de Janeiro city.
Great video Florent. Love your point of view. I personally think a white canvas may make a statement but is not a reflection of a draftsman’s skill. It is the skill of the artist that draws me. An unknown artist that has skill gets my respect.
Actually the "silence" music exists, it's 4'33" by John Cage. But that was written some 70 years ago, it was an innovative achievement to reach and it's kinda sad that we still have to talk about it. Nevertheless 4'33" is still an uplifting and enlightening experience to have in a concert hall, but to write music like that or paint something like Ad Rheinhardt feels old to me, we are in the 2020s. (And I actually created a few Rothko-ish paintings and enjoyed it a lot, so I am guilty of this nostalgia too.)
@@vekkdrums John Cage's idea comes from zen and meditation. In normal environment there is no such thing as silence. You can observe while listening to 4'33": people coughing, moving, turning pages in the concert program notes, etc. If you listen to it at home you hear dogs, birds, cars, all kinds of things. Cage wants you to be aware of your sorroundings and notice them. And in his opinion every noise is music, that's why he uses everyday objects as instruments in a lot of his works: newspaper, tea pot, bathtub, etc. Actually, he didn't really think of 4'33" as his opus magnum masterpiece, but for sure it made him famous. But this is old stuff now, and trust me, you need a lot more patience to some of the contemporary music now, for example the movement called 'new-complexity'.
Rothkos paintings are made to be seen in person. Implying theyre "simple" or the painters equivalent to 4'33" is a bit of a disservice. If youve never seen them in person you might just call them "those paintings of rectangles" without ever noticing the changes in texture and medium and what have you.
@@glumsulk Rothko is very personal and emotional, so actually Morton Feldman would be a better musical counterpart. I brought up 4'33" because Florent had the same idea in the video.
Thank you very much for your brilliant analysis and insights. I have had my suspicions about the elites confirmed and entertained at the same time. A great presentation.
I truly think what white monochrome paintings are all abt is their capacity to cause pain. I am a painter. I am a student of art. And I am a disciple of creativity. And I can assure you that I could in myriad ways cause you feel pain in several degrees of depth and tone and also cause you to have tremendous visual experience with hightened aesthetic pathos with just one white painted canvas and a hammer . And I could do that in a museum too. My self promoting aside, I respect your work as a painter and as a superb teacher you are. I learn a lot from all your videos. :-)
This channel is so interesting. Florent is really smart. Math, a philosophical definition of art, and so much more. I think this is my favorite channel. I wonder if this is the reason some people like me are afraid to paint. I love paint itself, i love color, i love having fun and learning but i don’t have some deep meaning to express so how can I paint? Anyway…Oscar Wilde said There is only one thing in life worse than being talked about, and that is not being talked about. But still I like the art. Even white canvasses😊
I love what you say at 22:40. Absolutely true! At least in my country art galleries are being closed down because nobody goes there to see their pretentious paintings.
This is such an extreme price for the work like this! I would pass by this painting in the museum with no hint of thought/reflection. A deep thinking person, with analytical mind or a philosopher can make up a profound explanation or interesting idea of this painting. While I was watching the video, my made up thought was “could be an absolute motivation - if one has fear of white canvas he/she can paint a white canvas on the white canvas -to overcome the fear as you 1)painting and 2)basically nothing scary happening. Then I looked at the painting closeup on Christies website- nah. And I wouldn't think of it without watching the video and without being brought to ponder over it by the video. The “Lot Essay” written under the painting on the Christies website - this is true art of words entwining around the painting, which reminds me of “The Naked King” by Hans Christian Andersen.
Thank god there are still good artist like you that still paint as in what we call art with capital letter A. Rest is ahh…..well at least the artist wasn’t a starving artist 😂
Florent, i just want to say that i LOVE what you said here. The correlation that you made between the decrease of notority in painting because of the hierarchy of the ''thinking' over the 'seeing. And how that relates to people prefering videos games and movies to search for aesthetic pleasing images. I used to be a big fan of contemporary art, i didn't really understood it but i liked the philosophical part in it but now i'm definitely more into visual paintings and kinda disappointed with the pretensiosity in this modern moviment
I'm with you on this Florent. From the earliest human history our ancestors have tried to express themselves through cave paintings, imagine if they just left the cave walls blank...even in children we can observe human nature, when they're faced with a blank canvas or paper they either draw or color or whatnot...it's creativity...art is to create...building a white canvas is "art" in itself so credit to its maker...but if you dont do anything with it...well...ummmm...meeehhhh.....
I agree with you lol I laughed when I saw this. I am traditional too haha but when I see that price tag 🏷 for that white painting I think 🤔 to myself what the Hek am I doing with my life haha 😂
If I painted a canvas with only a text on it, a text that said: "This is not art!", it would be art, and revolutionary art, something nobody has done before, would provoke many questions about art, and represent an entirely new idea in the concept of art.
@@MelanieMaguire It wouldn't provoke much discussion, unless I could somehow market myself or already had done that, right. But you miss the point. Being famous has nothing to do with the case. It still stands just as I stated it. And it's why it's beneficial to recognize a quality property of art. I wouldn't display or take care of all-white paintings or paintings stating "This is not Art". If I can't fool someone to pay a lot of money for them, I'd burn them as the trash they are. They're still art, but we can't just keep all trash just because it's art. If some people want to put a high monetary value on it, as an investment, tradeable object, fine. It doesn't concern me. It's still bad art, trash.
Art is in the eye of the beholder as the saying goes ,one person’s trash is another’s treasure it’s all about perspective. As for me if I could sell a painting that is nothing but all white for a few million I’d be one very happy Chappie!
What you say around 26:00 is that "the path is more important than the goal". And it is so damn right in almost everything: without the experimenting, the context, the self involvement, the search... the answer is useless, no one care.
I really enjoy your vids, Florent. Very thought provoking! I'm going to take a stab at this.. When I see a piece of artwork I don't understand, my thought is 'what was the artist trying to convey?' Allot was going on when Malevich was alive and painting. Malevich was trying to create artwork that conveyed his thoughts/hopes/fears during a time of (dangerous) political and social change. I can respect that piece of artwork as a piece of history. After that, any white on white was simply an attempt to copy a style or statement while totally ignoring that the whole point of the original was to see it in context with the time period it was created. I wouldn't put it on my wall though...
When i was at art school so many students went down the monochrome or two colour rothko'ish style when they had ran out of time before deadline day, essentially a way to have a full sketchbook to give to the teachers. This was a get out of jail free card for some easy A's at the time (and maybe still). We essentially created an internal collective movement for instant gratification, make believe descriptions and justifications. The teachers couldn't argue with it, due to the nature of the grading criteria, and students that did study hard were too fearful to question it incase they looked ignorant to what we were trying to achieve, which again, was simply easy grades. Can't argue with easy grades, same as you cant argue with easy $$.
@Florent Farges, dude you probably won’t remember me, but I watched your videos since 2017. This right now, helped me define the meaning of art in a better way then I can construct, and I have been studying art now for couple of years. Also thanks to inspirational videos like yours :) I hope to get more informative videos like this one in the future. Talking about art is passion! :) Btw: why you disagree? the boring is your opinion. The art is an object and it is respective to the viewer which in fact changes from generation to generation. The audience who is 70 now has sent different things at their 20s then today’s guys who are in their 20s. The premise is still true, the audience is a new generation but it receives things different due to the time. For instance, the culture is going astray the religious path. Therefore, there is no need for artists to emphasize as strong about the religion. Again, respectively in the current time. Also, I buttered my bedroom walls in a very interesting way before applying colors. That is my opinion that I like the application of gypsum I put on. That is me and I call it art :) If you like the way you sculpt anything or paint on the wall with just a paint but leaves marks which creates shadows for themselves, then you can call your kitchen wall a good looking wall, different then your neighbor, that is art 😌
i am definitely a more traditional painter and prefer traditional art however i can fully understand why with context these pieces could be so profound, maybe their lover died and all they could bring themselves to create was a white canvas, or maybe the viewer of the artwork also was experiencing some kind of loss of emptiness and found comfort in the representation of this in such a literal sense in the context of art i dunno lol, great video i love ur content
But thats not the motivation. And its NOT profound. If that was the purpose, it wouldn't be incredible or groundbreaking, it would just be sad and that artist would need support and therapy, not piles of cash
If you must read about art first before you can appreciate it, then we should create a new category and call it;may be; read before viewing art;. although art is hard to define..., it s basically visual. If an interpretation makes you value some piece more it s then the narrative that is art and not the object itself- Somia
I enjoyed your talk and agreed with all you said……..I don’t like white, black, red or yellow canvases either or messy rings with a mud colour in the middle
Would like to add this. This piece looks like an advertisement for a paint manufacturer. "Our paint will cover anything you have on your walls. Even red." If you want squares try Piet Mondrian. His works are art.
I don’t remember where I heard this, but somewhere I heard a work of arts final step is to have a spectator, an audience what not. That it’s not complete until that final step. That’s what completes the piece brings it full circle. Anyways I feel that one of the most important things about art is how it makes people feel. And the fact that we have all spent this much time thinking about this piece is pretty amazing. Whether it’s good, bad great, horrible… it’s thought provoking. Whoever bought this piece may have felt, over rules, over authority.. idk lol
If everything is art, nothing is art. If we want to categorize a set of something, then it should be defined by objective standards. The "art" like the one discussed here is about hype and connection.
Thank you for making this video...I have been an artist for many years...and this bullshit is exactly why I have never been able to be a part of the "art community".....I have never fallen for the type of bullshit of the ridiculous people in that video and I never will....I create what I create and I enjoy doing so. I cannot tolerate being around the pompous self important eggheads trying to sell me bullshit concepts. They are so boring and ridiculous. Some artists are so full of themselves it is hilarious...and sad.
I know you said you didn't want to get into the financial aspect, but the art world is highly motivated to establish a perception of value so that paintings like Ryman's can sell for millions of dollars, and then once they do sell for that much, they feel highly driven to *justify* that value through videos like this one, precisely so they can sell more such paintings for high values. The money and the pretentiousness are part of a self-enforcing cycle.
I"m reminded of the modern art piece called "Trees". It was painted by a four year old with watercolors. This 20M piece of art has no difference in artistic value than a four year old with a large brush of white paint. This is a statement piece. It's 'we can call anything we want art'. Does this painting have any more real value than any other all white canvas? No. It's nothing more than a statement.
What I find disconcerting and a bit hilarious is, how the 'Art World' finds the need to bash 'Abstract Art', something they themselves undeservedly put on a pedestal decades ago, in order to now, replace it with this 'New Art'.
It's like Joshua Bell playing one of the greatest pieces of classical music on a 3.5 million dollar violin in a Metro station in Washington DC--and having hundreds of people just walk by without stopping and listening--except for a kid who was dragged away by a parent. They didn't know how good it was because they had not been told--and they hadn't spent $100 for a seat at the concert hall. A brick lying on the sidewalk is just a brick. A brick sitting on a pedestal in a prestigious museum with a printed card next to it saying 'Untitled'--is art. A piece of rusty steel in the street may be appealing to look at (if you notice it). But in a museum--it becomes art. It's like the act of 'framing' something and pointing to it makes it art?
all these comments condemning this type of art and yet every single one filled with emotion. Is the art for it's pure aesthetic or to elicit such artful responses? YOU buy it to hang on your wall, it is art because the intent was to create art and it is displayed as such, and the owner saw it as such, and when they bring their friends over or at parties and people question the art, the owner explains it because it has a story, because it has the intent of art, and then looks for the reaction. Is the art...the art, or in the reaction. Like at the end, a Rorschach test for those who come to view it, a tool to look inside people. Personally I love the minimalist with texture that has intent, where through the pieces you see the emotions and I adore videos like this seeing people get all butt hurt because they couldn't market it and sell it. I don't know, for me art has always had soul, it's when one puts a little spirit into their work, which in effect also makes it marketable, it has a story, a "life". When you slap a bit on white paint on a canvas without a little spirit in it, no matter how elaborate you try and create the story behind it, it never works because there is no soul. I think people that buy fine art, usually feel that and that's what they look for in a purchase. Not just to shove some random imagine on their wall, they could get a print for that, they are buying the soul within it. I hope this looooong reply help with a little extra perspective 🐼
Well, despite what others say about modern art, I like it. you can share your feelings without painting an object, or something not realistic, etc. I'm going to still continue to do both, but i do appreciate modern art from other artists as well
You might be a bit of a contrarian then. Or are you one of those people that think Jeff Koons is a genius? Thats the type of horseshit i think of when people talk about "modern art".
I'm one of the people who does enjoy the combination of technical nuance and conceptual boldness in monochromatic work. Yesterday, I was enjoying Klein's monochromatic blue "IKB 74" alongside Rauschenberg's monochromatic white and black works at SFMOMA. One thing that goes overlooked in a lot of these discussions is just how *enormous* these paintings are. A Rothko looks simplistic in a book or a poster, but it's so very detailed and monumental in person. The beauty of these pieces just doesn't come across well in photographs and videos, and so many of the "I could do that!" comments are based on a vast underestimation of the artistic and technical skill involved.
I agree with you. It's the effect a painting does on you. I guess that kind of effect comes stronger when looking at a work in a museum unless someone has such a house where a 15 ft tall painting can still be placed with enough space around. Which is why we need to go to museums as much as we can.
Technical skill? Thats hilarious. You can be impressed by the "artists" ability to manipulate people into thinking they have done something of value, because that is truly mind boggling, but dont insult actual skillful artists by saying there is anything technically good about monochrome art.
@@acaciarogersart I am an "actual skillful artist" familiar with the technical skills necessary to do things that non-artists think are trivial, like painting with texture, painting on very large canvases, or developing and printing film. Those are not 20-million-dollar skills, but they are far from trivial, and I'm honestly surprised that another artist is unable to see that.
@@acaciarogersart I am very sure that you have studied art history. Then you know that each of these non figurative painters had an extensive classical painting training. They could paint anything at a good level. They just asked themselves "Does the world need one more of my landscape, or portrait, or still life?". They realized that perhaps, at least in their case, the answer was "Not really" and so they went out looking for something else. I have done a few non figurative field colors works, a la Rothko, and I found them rather challenging. I know how to paint an apple perfectly, even at iperealistic style, or a landscape or a portrait... But I struggle to paint a 15 ft canvas monochromatic. Don't be fooled. Is not so easy :)
@@giovannisiano574 You are much more diplomatic than I am! It does all remind me of the way people mocked the Impressionists, telling Cezanne that he didn't know how to paint apples. (Maybe he didn't? But that's not what's important about his work.)
We must understand that it is a business, it is not about art, it is about doing a business, the more incomprehensible the better because they do not have to explain what it is about, so it can be sold at any price.
So I did a quick search to find out more info about this artist to try to better understand his artwork. After reading that he was a jazz musician before becoming a painter I found myself asking the question...did he simply paint “white noise” 🤔
You don't even need to do anything, canvasses come in white, all ready to paint on. $20 gets you a canvas at least one foot square. I ask myself though, would it be an original or a copy ? I could drive myself mad trying to answer that one.
I wouldn't say Vox "being here" for people getting upset over modern art is alienating the rest of and going back on what they said they wanted to do, the narrator simply finds in entertaining that something so mundane as a white canvas or a red circle on a white canvas can evoke such emotion while having little to no real substance to it at all. I paint monochromes as I find them enjoyable to paint however I will admit that there is no real originality left in the genre or in art in general. Digital art mediums are constantly expanding but as far as physical media there isn't much left to do. That's my take on it anyway
I agree to an extent. I've been in a lot of homes and just recently became aware of the type of art people have on their wall, It's mostly abstract. These people obviously saw something they liked and purchased it. While I don't personally see any value in a white painting or a banana taped to a canvas -- someone does.
I don’t like those kind of art, but it made me think about the wall colors, the materials and the furnitures of the environment that those canvas get into. So, it’s not about the artist’s canvas skills, but the lack of it.
"you could do it, but you didn't" yeah, because if I did it, it would be only considered as what it is: a white boring painting. It's only valueble if I'm a renowned artist, who knows the right people. Agreed 100% with the video
It's all about whom you know.
EXACTLY. THANK YOU. I did something similar to this 12 years ago. Just sat for 7 years. Ended up painting over it. This videos pretty dumb.
@@whoisharo4689 funny
you are 100% Correct...if someone famous even touches something the value shoots up to the stars depending on "who it is"...such bullshit.
@@whoisharo4689 So... you thought it was a good idea then? It was your art right? But then 7 years later, because nobody thought anything of it, it wasnt art anymore? Or was it bullshit to you when you painted it? because then im not surprised you couldnt sell it.
There was this one guy who was an “art teacher” at a private school my daughter attended that tried to explain to me about an all white canvas with a zip line of black going horizontally through it at the art museum during a field trip. All he said was a bunch of bs about it.
My daughter used to love creating art until taking his class. He ran it like a commercial art business model, near as I can figure. All the instruction I had given her to realistically model forms and human anatomy died. In the end, she was making cartoons of the Grim Reaper to hand in for a grade. But I digress, lol!
Absolutely hate those kind of paintings! He tried to explain that you really have to think more about it to find meaning. The only meaning I got out of it was that it was a waste of my time, so I went to a better section of the museum.
💸🚿
That is the story of art university as well. People need to learn to approach art like they approach music, enjoy the art you enjoy and don't worry about what some elitist brain dead snob has to say about anything. For some reason the "art world" has hoodwinked the entire western culture into believing that they need an "expert" to explain what art is.
Oh well. These are very good indeed. To train you in patience.
Some years ago I watched an art program on the BBC (I think). The 'expert' was showing the presenter around this exhibition in a converted, whitewashed warehouse. On the pillars were hooks on two of these hooks on either side of a pillar were old Singer sowing machines. The lady presenter asked him about this. He went on a lengthy explanation involving the 'obsolescence of technology' to which she replied "you're just making it up as you go along, aren't you?" He was speechless.
This is so well-thought out and presented with honesty. Your philosophy is as beautiful as your paintings, thank you.
First, I’m not even halfway through this video and I’m already loving it lol The facial expressions…😂 Fantastic! Ok so, full disclosure…..I have a 4’x5’ ish white painting. Yup. Hanging right smack in my living room. And I love it! Now having said that….I didn’t buy this painting. I didn’t paint it myself either. In fact, it was one of I believe 12 that was painted for a theatre production called…..you guessed it “Art”. It was a play about a man who bought a white painting for 200,000 francs and his brothers response to that. It was actually a really great show! I worked at the theatre that was showing it. So I had insider knowledge of how this painting was created. I asked the scenic artist about it and she said the writer of the play was VERY specific about the lines and brushstrokes. Each of the 12 canvases had to be identical. Should be easy right? They’re all white. Nope. It was a challenge. Because I’ve been looking at it for about 16 years (wow. I’ve had it that long??) I can see all the little nuances. The graininess of the paint (I think she added some sand to the paint), the vertical lines, the horizontal lines etc. All very much obvious when you look at it. Yes, we all joked about it and we’re just as confused as the brother in the show. We were like “It’s white. That’s it”. But the whole production was so good and the painting got people talking. So I thought “Ha! What a conversation piece! A big white rectangle!” 🤣 And for 16 years I have NOT been disappointed. It certainly HAS been a conversation piece. I admit, after all this time I am very attached to this painting and I love the story behind it because I love theatre. Do I think it’s beautiful? I think at this point I do, but not because of how it looks…but because it’s been part of my life for so long. Now, as a new artist myself….I sometimes do look at it longingly when thinking about taking on a big project. But then remind myself that it is NOT my canvas for painting on. But boy it’s tempting sometimes. Anyhow, because I have this painting, this doesn’t mean I think all art like this is even remotely interesting. MY painting is interesting lol. Because I decided it was. I completely agree with what I’ve seen so far in the video. So anyway, just my two cents as someone that owns a big white beast 😂
You look at something that has no value - "you could do it yourself but you didn't". That is the neat point - I see no value in doing something that will have no value.
I feel the same as you about the white canvases, and looking at the great artist of all generations, I’m embarrassed that they are auctioned for stupid amounts of money ☹️
Money laundering is all this is
So many of these paintings just serve two purposes now--investments and as I am U pointed out, money laundering. I think originally that there were many interesting and great takes on what "art" actually is. But the value built around these art pieces, and ESPECIALLY the push in many art master programs to devalue traditional art practices, is ridiculous. Personally I hate self-insertion into art. If I want to express myself I will paint a painting with meaning for myself, to share with others. And probably wouldn't be able to sell it for the cost of the canvas and paint, because it's not seen as either "art", nor an investment because my style trends to the Romantic.
The good thing about contemporary painting is it always get people talking,let it be in a positive way or negative way. ❤️❤️
You are absolutely right in everything for me it is kind of "let's ruin art' as many have ruined many other things like environment,values and much more.
You were very polite talking as more of them just want to cheat on peoples mind and get money.
Thank you for your real concern about what is art.
Well said! Perfectly well-balanced and educational. Please make more of these! 🙏
Sometimes the art world just reminds me of a dog marking its territory.
Yes and the damage it does to your lawn is unfortunate
May I use your analogy? It's actually very insightful. Thanks!
More then often, when I watch your videos I feel that your are person with outstanding mind and intelligence.
Absolutely loved this video! I’ve learned so much, thank you Florent for taking your time and filming this for us 😊
Wow Florent, m impressed and so happy you're expressing your ideas. I love your work and the commentary adds dimension, great nuance. Keep it up my Philosopher Friend!
Florent, thank you so much for your very thoughtful and interesting video. Very educational and valuable. Am so appreciative of the quality of your videos. They are always so worth watching. Thank you for sharing your knowledge and insights.
You are very welcome
Well said . Art is an expression of the artist intent. Value is the expression of a buyer’s desire. Apples and oranges
You crack me up. I love all your content. But your sense of humor really comes out in your philosophical/commentary videos.
Your right Florent, your kitchen wall was way more interesting than that painting. 😂
It could be, but is it art? One definition of art is Intention.
I just want to say that I literally, absolutely and unconditionally love you. Really. Thank you for your existence.
Brilliant video! Can't get enough of this channel. Thank you for sharing your knowledge
In my life I have created many, many large white on white objet d'art, although most would just call me a house painter and my canvas are otherwise known as walls and ceilings haha. Interesting thought..I challenge you Florent Farges to paint an all white canvas painting using paints with varying ratio of pigment and binder that could change throughout the day and vary depending on the angle of the light source hitting the canvas. It would be possible using combination of matte to gloss finish (paint reflectivity) paint to create an all white painting that has incredible detail but cannot be seen when viewed stright on, but only seen on an angle..a kind of hidden painting.
I ve watched a TikTok where a teenage girl makes paintings/drawings you can see only when you use light forensic investigators use 😂. Are you suggesting people should study about your art before they see your paintings? or is it for those with e sixth sense?🤐
Splendid analysis and very well worded take on the modern "art". Have recently discovered your channel and now binge watching it, often while arranging my art supplies or sketching. Thank you for sharing your knowledge and thoughts. I enjoy painting a lot, but I have a long way before I can confidently render everything I see in my minds eye, your generous videos have helped me a lot. Now working on improving my drawing. Thank you for your wonderful content! Have an inspired day!
Thank you, Florent! Postmodern thinking has tried to eliminate any sort of objectivity in life by making all things relative with no fixed points of reference. By doing that, no one can "judge" anything (such as art) because there are no comprehensible standards.
My art teacher at school defined art as "An intentional experience that, when experienced as intended, produces some kind of emotional change in the observer". Basically saying that as long as it is intended to be art and the observer has some kind of reaction to it, it is art. I don't quite agree with that, it's too broad of a definition for me, but I like the approach. I do agree that even as a basic definition art is subjective. Something can produce emotions in you and make you consider it a masterpiece, while I don't consider it art at all. Neither of us has to be wrong, we can share the same definition of art and agree on the same criteria and still arrive at different conclusions without either of us having gotten it "right". I like this type of definition that acknowledges subjectivity in the very basic definition of art without forcing conflict.
Your art teacher probably can't draw or paint
@@robdog114 ... okay? What he hell made you decide to post a random insult to a random acquaintance of a stranger on the internet? Does it make you feel better to randomly insult people?
I LOVE your art teachers simplistic definition! 100% agree, they said my opinion also in less words.
I really liked your comparison with the sound/musik and what is relevant when talking and/or criticising art. It's also important to things into the right context and place emotions aside at the same time it's ok to like or dislike something. Really like your videos and input
Why this video is so unseen?? I'm sharing it everywhere. Good job Florent~
I agree with everything you have said here. There is definitely an elitism in the art world, but we must continue to express ourselves in our own way and stick to our own artistic values, thank you for another great video.
Very good video and you make a lot of sound points in this. Around 23:00 you talk about the "extra work" that people have to do to get the "value" from these kinds of paintings, I think (and find in my own experience) the same applies to conceptual art and this all suffers from the same problem - turning art as a primarily emotional and sensory engagement and experience into an intellectual puzzle-solving game in which you are either clever enough to pass the test and join the insiders, or you're not and can be sneered at or wearily pitied or ignored. Tomorrow I shall pick up my brushes and return to the next stages of a landscape painting, refreshed and inspired by your excellent videos... Thank you and Best Wishes for 2023!
The art critic E H Gombrich, in his introduction to The Story of Art, said ," Theres really no such thing as art. There are only artists. "
and narratives 😉
I will tolerate any art, if I feel that the artist had passion and a vision. I may not like it--but I respect the intent.
Clearly, however, some ,
'artists' don't have that. They may have been demoralized and destroyed by training they received--lost all confidence and self belief, and are taking vengeance on the art world. Or perhaps they realize that now they have learned the jargon and can recognize what will fly and what won't and have learned how to predict coming trends --the can work the system for praise , recognition, and possibly money
For me good art is any image that makes me want to look at it. The better the piece is the more I get out of looking at it. I did not think much of abstract or minimalist art for a long time. I am also open to the notion that a particular piece is simply beyond my limited ability to appreciate. This all changed when I came upon a panel in the De Cordova museum in Massachusetts. The piece was an 2 meter panel that looked like a base wash of with midnight blue with some swirling white giving the impression of clouds. As I looked at the painting my own mind began to add to the picture adding this landscape of Greek style buildings and people. This does not work with all abstract or minimalist art but in this case the artist produced an interesting scrying instrument. My goal as an artist is to see the beauty in the world and capture it in my work. My own work has been criticized as so representational. I love your work and I will have a delightful time learning from you. I also think you are a fantastic subject.
Florent, I for one will say, please make more content like this; discussing other art and your own, the different movements and their history, along with your own insights into the art world. It is very interesting to listen to, and quite thought provoking in itself :)
Wonderful plaidoyer Florent! Thank you.
The key question is that anyone COULD do that, whereas no one looks at the Mona Lisa and thinks the same.
But isn't the Mona Lisa quite boring? Unless someone points out the weird smile she has, is it really that fantastic towards other paintings of the time?
@@leighfoulkes7297 The Mona Lisa was just an example, but it could be any painting that you like. Something from Francis Bacon, for example. Not classical, but not easy either, right?
Is it? I think the key question is: "if it isn't art, what is it?" The easy answer is, "pointless garbage/a waste of materials," but that is a value judgement that could be reframed as, "bad art I don't like." Surely we can admit the possibility that bad art we don't like can become absurdly valued.
@@TomatoBreadOrgasm "if it isn't art, what is it?" Narcissism.
@@fabrizio483 Hah! Good answer!
I love your style and the thoughtful way you think about art. I plan to check out more of your videos.
Art at that level is tax fraud. It doesn’t matter your skill level, most everything has been accomplished. It’s about self promotion, becoming famous and getting the rich to buy your paintings from dealers in order to donate them to museums for tax right offs. Just make art for you, and sell it if you can, the art world not accepting you doesn’t mean there is something wrong with you.
@@SaraKhan-nj4nl disagree. Look at the past, look at the artists in generally painting. They were a guilt, commissioners; painting a definite subject matter that would satisfy the church for ex. The killing of Issac by Abraham, or something similar to this name, by Caravaggio; I hope you know which painting I have in mind. If Caravaggio would not be asked to paint it for reward, money, then he probably would have spend his time painting something different ma’am ;)
That's part of it, certainly, but it's even bigger than that. A handful of mega-dealers and their collectors have crafted what we now have as the high end art market, and it's about acquiring "art" in order to essentially buy more money (think about that; we normally think money is used to buy goods/services/property, but art is now the currency used to acquire more money so it has turned the whole concept on its head), and it's about competition between status conscious and status insecure people trying to build more status and image. It's not about art at all, at least at that level.
And now a lot of the silly nft phenomenon can be explained with this. Some people, mint an nft, put it up for silly amounts of eth, then use a separate wallet to buy it from themselves. Hence making the nft's value being... A silly amount of eth.
This painting would make a great painting surface.
LOLOL
beautifully broken down Florent! All I can think is DAMN! When I was in school I did a study in black (after obsessing over Rembrandt and chiaroscuro). The piece was huge, 8'x4', and was a minimalist geometric study of the full spectrum of blacks that existed (warm, cool, red, blue, green, purple, etc.). I could say it was "art" because it was the realization of a concept or thought that previously only existed in my head. It was an exploration of an idea from the mental into the physical. Was it good? I don't know, I created it so I am not objective. All I can say that it was successful in so far as it achieved its goal of being an exploration of Black. My teachers absolutely lost their sh*t over it which I totally didn't understand at the time. When I left school I just left it after the final show....IDIOT! I could be a millionaire!!!! (I joke).
“You could do this, but you didn’t.” “Yeah. Because I didn’t wanna.”
Your presentation is very interesting and logical. In the past I was critical of your presentations being too slow and boring. Now I very much like every new video presented by you. Thank you for intelligent and truethful lessons. John Turel
Great analysis! I agree with everything you said. Thank you for the video. Keep up the good work!
This was really fun to watch. I ve read about a painting that also got sold for good money, only there was no painting to see anywhere! an empty room with som boundaries on the floor and emptiness. The artist insisted there was a painting in the senter of the square... so a white canvas is at least something you can see, hehehe. From what I ve observed, if you have a whole explanation behind something, people get fascinated even if many art work I wouldnt even display at my wc. Great point. Thank you for the courage to share your opinion despite the dislike :)
Loved your perspective in this it makes it much more understandable, also so glad you openly said you didn’t like this kind of art, I agree. Also do you think it is arguable that minimalist art has a lot to do with entrepreneurship and being able to make a name for yourself rather than actually appreciating the art their are making?
"This thing is closer to the philosophy than art" - such a good point.
Amazing surrealism of this time. I'm working in my canvas during weeks or some months. The values it's about 10 dollars. Max price is 20 dollars. Andrevic arts, Hell de Janeiro city.
keep on painting 😉
Someone sold my "polar bear in a snow storm" concept...damn...
LOLOL....Good one!
Great video Florent. Love your point of view. I personally think a white canvas may make a statement but is not a reflection of a draftsman’s skill. It is the skill of the artist that draws me. An unknown artist that has skill gets my respect.
Bravo, merci, tu as réussi à capter mon attention 30 minutes, un exploit considérant le sujet... vraiment très bien fait et très humble.
The emperor has no clothes! Lol.
I love that florent exhaled deeply after 10 seconds of the video lol
Actually the "silence" music exists, it's 4'33" by John Cage. But that was written some 70 years ago, it was an innovative achievement to reach and it's kinda sad that we still have to talk about it. Nevertheless 4'33" is still an uplifting and enlightening experience to have in a concert hall, but to write music like that or paint something like Ad Rheinhardt feels old to me, we are in the 2020s. (And I actually created a few Rothko-ish paintings and enjoyed it a lot, so I am guilty of this nostalgia too.)
Silence is part of music but of course you can't compose something without sound. Otherwise it wouldn't be music
@@vekkdrums John Cage's idea comes from zen and meditation. In normal environment there is no such thing as silence. You can observe while listening to 4'33": people coughing, moving, turning pages in the concert program notes, etc. If you listen to it at home you hear dogs, birds, cars, all kinds of things. Cage wants you to be aware of your sorroundings and notice them. And in his opinion every noise is music, that's why he uses everyday objects as instruments in a lot of his works: newspaper, tea pot, bathtub, etc.
Actually, he didn't really think of 4'33" as his opus magnum masterpiece, but for sure it made him famous.
But this is old stuff now, and trust me, you need a lot more patience to some of the contemporary music now, for example the movement called 'new-complexity'.
Rothkos paintings are made to be seen in person. Implying theyre "simple" or the painters equivalent to 4'33" is a bit of a disservice. If youve never seen them in person you might just call them "those paintings of rectangles" without ever noticing the changes in texture and medium and what have you.
@@glumsulk Rothko is very personal and emotional, so actually Morton Feldman would be a better musical counterpart. I brought up 4'33" because Florent had the same idea in the video.
@@marcellmagyari I wouldnt waste my time with them. Were not welcomed to this world since we have to be robots in order to be "human"
Thank you very much for your brilliant analysis and insights. I have had my suspicions about the elites confirmed and entertained at the same time. A great presentation.
I truly think what white monochrome paintings are all abt is their capacity to cause pain.
I am a painter. I am a student of art. And I am a disciple of creativity. And I can assure you that I could in myriad ways cause you feel pain in several degrees of depth and tone and also cause you to have tremendous visual experience with hightened aesthetic pathos with just one white painted canvas and a hammer . And I could do that in a museum too.
My self promoting aside, I respect your work as a painter and as a superb teacher you are. I learn a lot from all your videos. :-)
This channel is so interesting. Florent is really smart. Math, a philosophical definition of art, and so much more. I think this is my favorite channel. I wonder if this is the reason some people like me are afraid to paint. I love paint itself, i love color, i love having fun and learning but i don’t have some deep meaning to express so how can I paint? Anyway…Oscar Wilde said There is only one thing in life worse than being talked about, and that is not being talked about. But still I like the art. Even white canvasses😊
Art is defined by the reaction it creates.
I love what you say at 22:40. Absolutely true! At least in my country art galleries are being closed down because nobody goes there to see their pretentious paintings.
This is such an extreme price for the work like this! I would pass by this painting in the museum with no hint of thought/reflection.
A deep thinking person, with analytical mind or a philosopher can make up a profound explanation or interesting idea of this painting. While I was watching the video, my made up thought was “could be an absolute motivation - if one has fear of white canvas he/she can paint a white canvas on the white canvas -to overcome the fear as you 1)painting and 2)basically nothing scary happening. Then I looked at the painting closeup on Christies website- nah. And I wouldn't think of it without watching the video and without being brought to ponder over it by the video.
The “Lot Essay” written under the painting on the Christies website - this is true art of words entwining around the painting, which reminds me of “The Naked King” by Hans Christian Andersen.
Tulip bulbs sometimes sell pretty high.
Thank god there are still good artist like you that still paint as in what we call art with capital letter A. Rest is ahh…..well at least the artist wasn’t a starving artist 😂
Florent, i just want to say that i LOVE what you said here. The correlation that you made between the decrease of notority in painting because of the hierarchy of the ''thinking' over the 'seeing. And how that relates to people prefering videos games and movies to search for aesthetic pleasing images. I used to be a big fan of contemporary art, i didn't really understood it but i liked the philosophical part in it but now i'm definitely more into visual paintings and kinda disappointed with the pretensiosity in this modern moviment
I'm with you on this Florent. From the earliest human history our ancestors have tried to express themselves through cave paintings, imagine if they just left the cave walls blank...even in children we can observe human nature, when they're faced with a blank canvas or paper they either draw or color or whatnot...it's creativity...art is to create...building a white canvas is "art" in itself so credit to its maker...but if you dont do anything with it...well...ummmm...meeehhhh.....
A lot of modern art is basically the classic sketch of two people walking through a street carrying an invisible pane of glass
I agree with you lol I laughed when I saw this. I am traditional too haha but when I see that price tag 🏷 for that white painting I think 🤔 to myself what the Hek am I doing with my life haha 😂
Very insightful. I agree with you 😊👨🏽🎨🎨🖼😊
If I painted a canvas with only a text on it, a text that said: "This is not art!", it would be art, and revolutionary art, something nobody has done before, would provoke many questions about art, and represent an entirely new idea in the concept of art.
Not unless you're already famous... :)
@@MelanieMaguire It wouldn't provoke much discussion, unless I could somehow market myself or already had done that, right.
But you miss the point. Being famous has nothing to do with the case. It still stands just as I stated it.
And it's why it's beneficial to recognize a quality property of art.
I wouldn't display or take care of all-white paintings or paintings stating "This is not Art". If I can't fool someone to pay a lot of money for them, I'd burn them as the trash they are.
They're still art, but we can't just keep all trash just because it's art. If some people want to put a high monetary value on it, as an investment, tradeable object, fine. It doesn't concern me. It's still bad art, trash.
Art is in the eye of the beholder as the saying goes ,one person’s trash is another’s treasure it’s all about perspective.
As for me if I could sell a painting that is nothing but all white for a few million I’d be one very happy Chappie!
What you say around 26:00 is that "the path is more important than the goal". And it is so damn right in almost everything: without the experimenting, the context, the self involvement, the search... the answer is useless, no one care.
I really enjoy your vids, Florent. Very thought provoking! I'm going to take a stab at this..
When I see a piece of artwork I don't understand, my thought is 'what was the artist trying to convey?' Allot was going on when Malevich was alive and painting. Malevich was trying to create artwork that conveyed his thoughts/hopes/fears during a time of (dangerous) political and social change. I can respect that piece of artwork as a piece of history.
After that, any white on white was simply an attempt to copy a style or statement while totally ignoring that the whole point of the original was to see it in context with the time period it was created.
I wouldn't put it on my wall though...
Well said! I was thinking the same thing.
Amazing video, thank you
Thank you!
When i was at art school so many students went down the monochrome or two colour rothko'ish style when they had ran out of time before deadline day, essentially a way to have a full sketchbook to give to the teachers. This was a get out of jail free card for some easy A's at the time (and maybe still). We essentially created an internal collective movement for instant gratification, make believe descriptions and justifications. The teachers couldn't argue with it, due to the nature of the grading criteria, and students that did study hard were too fearful to question it incase they looked ignorant to what we were trying to achieve, which again, was simply easy grades. Can't argue with easy grades, same as you cant argue with easy $$.
Amazing video man
@Florent Farges, dude you probably won’t remember me, but I watched your videos since 2017. This right now, helped me define the meaning of art in a better way then I can construct, and I have been studying art now for couple of years. Also thanks to inspirational videos like yours :) I hope to get more informative videos like this one in the future. Talking about art is passion! :) Btw: why you disagree? the boring is your opinion. The art is an object and it is respective to the viewer which in fact changes from generation to generation. The audience who is 70 now has sent different things at their 20s then today’s guys who are in their 20s. The premise is still true, the audience is a new generation but it receives things different due to the time. For instance, the culture is going astray the religious path. Therefore, there is no need for artists to emphasize as strong about the religion. Again, respectively in the current time.
Also, I buttered my bedroom walls in a very interesting way before applying colors. That is my opinion that I like the application of gypsum I put on. That is me and I call it art :) If you like the way you sculpt anything or paint on the wall with just a paint but leaves marks which creates shadows for themselves, then you can call your kitchen wall a good looking wall, different then your neighbor, that is art 😌
Loved this video thanks 😊
I Love Your sense of humour Florent.
i am definitely a more traditional painter and prefer traditional art however i can fully understand why with context these pieces could be so profound, maybe their lover died and all they could bring themselves to create was a white canvas, or maybe the viewer of the artwork also was experiencing some kind of loss of emptiness and found comfort in the representation of this in such a literal sense in the context of art i dunno lol, great video i love ur content
But thats not the motivation. And its NOT profound. If that was the purpose, it wouldn't be incredible or groundbreaking, it would just be sad and that artist would need support and therapy, not piles of cash
If you must read about art first before you can appreciate it, then we should create a new category and call it;may be; read before viewing art;. although art is hard to define..., it s basically visual. If an interpretation makes you value some piece more it s then the narrative that is art and not the object itself- Somia
I enjoyed your talk and agreed with all you said……..I don’t like white, black, red or yellow canvases either or messy rings with a mud colour in the middle
Would like to add this. This piece looks like an advertisement for a paint manufacturer. "Our paint will cover anything you have on your walls. Even red." If you want squares try Piet Mondrian. His works are art.
I don’t remember where I heard this, but somewhere I heard a work of arts final step is to have a spectator, an audience what not. That it’s not complete until that final step. That’s what completes the piece brings it full circle. Anyways I feel that one of the most important things about art is how it makes people feel. And the fact that we have all spent this much time thinking about this piece is pretty amazing. Whether it’s good, bad great, horrible… it’s thought provoking. Whoever bought this piece may have felt, over rules, over authority.. idk lol
If everything is art, nothing is art. If we want to categorize a set of something, then it should be defined by objective standards. The "art" like the one discussed here is about hype and connection.
Thank you for making this video...I have been an artist for many years...and this bullshit is exactly why I have never been able to be a part of the "art community".....I have never fallen for the type of bullshit of the ridiculous people in that video and I never will....I create what I create and I enjoy doing so. I cannot tolerate being around the pompous self important eggheads trying to sell me bullshit concepts. They are so boring and ridiculous. Some artists are so full of themselves it is hilarious...and sad.
I know you said you didn't want to get into the financial aspect, but the art world is highly motivated to establish a perception of value so that paintings like Ryman's can sell for millions of dollars, and then once they do sell for that much, they feel highly driven to *justify* that value through videos like this one, precisely so they can sell more such paintings for high values. The money and the pretentiousness are part of a self-enforcing cycle.
I"m reminded of the modern art piece called "Trees". It was painted by a four year old with watercolors. This 20M piece of art has no difference in artistic value than a four year old with a large brush of white paint. This is a statement piece. It's 'we can call anything we want art'. Does this painting have any more real value than any other all white canvas? No. It's nothing more than a statement.
A white monochrome canvas is in need of a painting for fullfilling it purpose.
I enjoyed your view and humor.
Im gonnatry it with a Red Square
What I find disconcerting and a bit hilarious is, how the 'Art World' finds the need to bash 'Abstract Art', something they themselves undeservedly put on a pedestal decades ago, in order to now, replace it with this 'New Art'.
That's a pretty limited view tbh, pretending that "the art world" is basically one person, and exactly the same person for decades.
Is your comment about the content in this video? what do you mean with "New Art"? thank you.
It's like Joshua Bell playing one of the greatest pieces of classical music on a 3.5 million dollar violin in a Metro station in Washington DC--and having hundreds of people just walk by without stopping and listening--except for a kid who was dragged away by a parent. They didn't know how good it was because they had not been told--and they hadn't spent $100 for a seat at the concert hall.
A brick lying on the sidewalk is just a brick. A brick sitting on a pedestal in a prestigious museum with a printed card next to it saying 'Untitled'--is art.
A piece of rusty steel in the street may be appealing to look at (if you notice it). But in a museum--it becomes art.
It's like the act of 'framing' something and pointing to it makes it art?
all these comments condemning this type of art and yet every single one filled with emotion.
Is the art for it's pure aesthetic or to elicit such artful responses? YOU buy it to hang on your wall, it is art because the intent was to create art and it is displayed as such, and the owner saw it as such, and when they bring their friends over or at parties and people question the art, the owner explains it because it has a story, because it has the intent of art, and then looks for the reaction. Is the art...the art, or in the reaction. Like at the end, a Rorschach test for those who come to view it, a tool to look inside people. Personally I love the minimalist with texture that has intent, where through the pieces you see the emotions and I adore videos like this seeing people get all butt hurt because they couldn't market it and sell it. I don't know, for me art has always had soul, it's when one puts a little spirit into their work, which in effect also makes it marketable, it has a story, a "life". When you slap a bit on white paint on a canvas without a little spirit in it, no matter how elaborate you try and create the story behind it, it never works because there is no soul. I think people that buy fine art, usually feel that and that's what they look for in a purchase. Not just to shove some random imagine on their wall, they could get a print for that, they are buying the soul within it. I hope this looooong reply help with a little extra perspective 🐼
Well, despite what others say about modern art, I like it. you can share your feelings without painting an object, or something not realistic, etc. I'm going to still continue to do both, but i do appreciate modern art from other artists as well
You might be a bit of a contrarian then. Or are you one of those people that think Jeff Koons is a genius? Thats the type of horseshit i think of when people talk about "modern art".
@@glumsulk i was sharing my opinion and my thoughts, no need to push it on too others!
@@glumsulk I just think differently! I don't "see" the world you do
@@ms.pirate lol i was just askin a question.
I'm one of the people who does enjoy the combination of technical nuance and conceptual boldness in monochromatic work. Yesterday, I was enjoying Klein's monochromatic blue "IKB 74" alongside Rauschenberg's monochromatic white and black works at SFMOMA. One thing that goes overlooked in a lot of these discussions is just how *enormous* these paintings are. A Rothko looks simplistic in a book or a poster, but it's so very detailed and monumental in person. The beauty of these pieces just doesn't come across well in photographs and videos, and so many of the "I could do that!" comments are based on a vast underestimation of the artistic and technical skill involved.
I agree with you. It's the effect a painting does on you. I guess that kind of effect comes stronger when looking at a work in a museum unless someone has such a house where a 15 ft tall painting can still be placed with enough space around. Which is why we need to go to museums as much as we can.
Technical skill? Thats hilarious. You can be impressed by the "artists" ability to manipulate people into thinking they have done something of value, because that is truly mind boggling, but dont insult actual skillful artists by saying there is anything technically good about monochrome art.
@@acaciarogersart I am an "actual skillful artist" familiar with the technical skills necessary to do things that non-artists think are trivial, like painting with texture, painting on very large canvases, or developing and printing film. Those are not 20-million-dollar skills, but they are far from trivial, and I'm honestly surprised that another artist is unable to see that.
@@acaciarogersart I am very sure that you have studied art history. Then you know that each of these non figurative painters had an extensive classical painting training. They could paint anything at a good level. They just asked themselves "Does the world need one more of my landscape, or portrait, or still life?". They realized that perhaps, at least in their case, the answer was "Not really" and so they went out looking for something else. I have done a few non figurative field colors works, a la Rothko, and I found them rather challenging. I know how to paint an apple perfectly, even at iperealistic style, or a landscape or a portrait... But I struggle to paint a 15 ft canvas monochromatic. Don't be fooled. Is not so easy :)
@@giovannisiano574 You are much more diplomatic than I am! It does all remind me of the way people mocked the Impressionists, telling Cezanne that he didn't know how to paint apples. (Maybe he didn't? But that's not what's important about his work.)
The Emperor's New Clothes - who would dare say he was naked? :-)
its a shame that so many keep their mouths shut, but they do
We must understand that it is a business, it is not about art, it is about doing a business, the more incomprehensible the better because they do not have to explain what it is about, so it can be sold at any price.
I love white canvases...
To paint something exciting on it!
🤣 me too
So I did a quick search to find out more info about this artist to try to better understand his artwork. After reading that he was a jazz musician before becoming a painter I found myself asking the question...did he simply paint “white noise” 🤔
You're smart !
You don't even need to do anything, canvasses come in white, all ready to paint on. $20 gets you a canvas at least one foot square. I ask myself though, would it be an original or a copy ? I could drive myself mad trying to answer that one.
I wouldn't say Vox "being here" for people getting upset over modern art is alienating the rest of and going back on what they said they wanted to do, the narrator simply finds in entertaining that something so mundane as a white canvas or a red circle on a white canvas can evoke such emotion while having little to no real substance to it at all. I paint monochromes as I find them enjoyable to paint however I will admit that there is no real originality left in the genre or in art in general. Digital art mediums are constantly expanding but as far as physical media there isn't much left to do. That's my take on it anyway
I agree to an extent. I've been in a lot of homes and just recently became aware of the type of art people have on their wall, It's mostly abstract. These people obviously saw something they liked and purchased it. While I don't personally see any value in a white painting or a banana taped to a canvas -- someone does.
I agree. It is conceptual.
"you could do it, but you didn't" of course I didn't...I am normal
I don’t like those kind of art, but it made me think about the wall colors, the materials and the furnitures of the environment that those canvas get into. So, it’s not about the artist’s canvas skills, but the lack of it.