The idea of art for art’s sake has been around for at least 150 years, ever since James McNeill Whistler claimed that art should be independent of the “claptrap” of serving the state, church, or any other institution.
Whistler believed that art should “appeal solely to the artistic sense of the eye,” leading the charge of the 19th-century Aesthetic Movement, which placed value on art entirely for its visual qualities.
Now Pepperdine’s Frederick R. Weisman’s Museum of Art brings a 21st-century take on that idea with its new exhibition, “Art for Art’s Sake.”
“Most of these works were done after 2000, so they reflect a new, contemporary perspective,” museum director Michael Zakian said. “The artists in this exhibition are mostly in their 30s and 40s and belong to the first generation that grew up on the Internet. Their art reflects the feeling of being barraged by an overwhelming amount of images and information.”
Indeed, if one could describe the exhibition in auditory terms, it would be “loud.” The exhibition is big, bold and rife with vibrant colors, shapes and references. The first piece found in the museum lobby, “Untitled” by Thomas Burke, reflects the Las Vegas artist’s self-description as a cross between “contemporary graphic design, digital technology, Op and Pop Art.” Rendered in acrylic on metal with a spray gun and masking tape, it undulates like a waving flag, throwing off ripples of energy.
A sense of order amongst bedlam was evident in several pieces. Brian Porray’s massive psychedelic landscape “DARKHORSE” uses mixed media on canvas to capture a rough and tumble detail, purportedly inspired by a light that shot out of the top of a pyramid at the Luxor Hotel in Las Vegas. It does seem to inhabit the “controlled chaos” Zakian described the exhibition to be.
“Each image seems chaotic, but there is a subjective and emotional sense of order in each work,” Zakian said. “I think these artists are grappling with how individuals maintain a sense of personal balance in a world that is growing increasingly busy, hectic and complicated.”
Despite the blazing color and geometric images evident in many of the works, Zakian believes that these artists differ from the classic Pop artists of the 1960s, such as Roy Lichtenstein, Andy Warhol and Claes Oldenburg.
“Classic Pop Art style tended to use imagery taken directly from popular culture such as newspapers, commercials and billboards,” Zakian said. “The paintings in this exhibit are all entirely abstract. These artists are responding to popular culture, but in a less direct way than Pop Art. They tend to abstract the large ideas and the basic patterns of what they see and feel in the world around them.”
All pieces in this exhibition are on loan from the permanent collection of the Weisman Art Foundation and one is left, once again, with a sense of profound gratitude for the generosity and vision of great private collectors. “Art for Art’s Sake” allows modern-day viewers the luxury of appreciating great artistic statements, without having to figure out what it means.
Exhibit is on view through November 24. More information may be found at the website http://arts.pepperdine.edu/museum/2013-2014/weisman-foundation.htm
