Crude Reality in Art
Art has got to express honest feelings, otherwise it is sterile. Now that the baby boomers are starting to pass, it is only natural that the up and coming generation favor different ways, different taste, and of course, different art. There is a contemporary current in art I have chosen to call “Stark Reality”, (perhaps after the reality shows )portraying subjects such as transvestites, extremely obese characters, battered women, dead animals with their guts showing, or open-legged nudes.
More than a current, this “Stark Reality art” has become a pretty strong tide. So much so, that I could not but ponder upon it continuously, since I find it everywhere. Museums, galleries, internet and the media in general carry an increasing number of such samples. This adds to the sad events which have always existed, but never before would be seen so clearly as now through through youtube or even the daily news: wars, assassinations, decapitations and gruesome accidents. Since there is now a very high probabilty that any event will be recorded by cel phone cameras, we can see them in detail and even play them back or forward them to acquaintances. What used to be a sicko type of film known as “snuff” is now constitutes everyday news coverage and may soon become “normal”.
As a painter artist, I of course feel for my fellow man and long to share in the feelings behind social currents; I definitively do not want to become passé or feel left behind. I decided to consult with young artists, designers and other professionals, in order to get a better understanding. A woman architect provided an explanation for the motivation behind this new contemporary art which I think is plausible: “When you, baby boomers were young, the world seemed wide open. Even without much money, owning a VW and 5dollars worth of gas could take you far to open spaces and give you an effective illusion of freedom. The war of wars had passed, man was on his way to conquer space and there was a general feeling of wellness and prosperity, playing out on the streets was safe.” Which is mostly true, I remember that feeling when I was a child...although there was also the threat of an atomic bomb suddenly being dropped on us.
“Today” she continued, “we feel trapped. We are being handed down a polluted, over-populated world; a decaying planet which we now know, is impossible to leave. If we have money to buy the expensive gasoline, we can’t go too far because it’s either unsafe or congested. Not to mention that even schools are unsafe nowadays. We are a generation without alternatives.”
So, after hearing these arguments, I thought it would be fair to pass them on to you, readers, so you can decide for yourselves. While I will not stop painting flowers, fruits, landscapes, women and pleasant scenes in general, I sincerely admit I see the point of Crude Reality. Yet, didn’t the greatest generation fight WWII and experience enough crude reality and pain? They are now my clients and I don’t hear them complaining. Email to a friend.
Federico León de La Vega
E-mail: federico@estudiocafe.net
Website: estudiocafe.net
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Author Note: This is a chapter of a book I am writing about my adventures as a painter artist.
The Federico León de la Vega Estudo – Café is open to the public and is located in Paseo de la Marina 31, Nuevo Vallarta, Nayarit. Opening hours are Monday to Saturday from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Sundays from 8:00 to 11:00 a.m.
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