In a day and age where the omnipresence of art is diminishing, Tech has presented its own art galleria, showcasing the magnificence and vibrancy that still exists in today’s society. Be it a gala of inspiring photography or the beautiful strokes of paint, the Tech student body presented a collage of antiquated but rejuvenated art at the Clough Undergraduate Learning Commons during the month of February for the Art Crawl. Consequently, Tech has shown itself to be a premier for not only engineering-related disciplines, but also the liberal and fine arts.
Each art piece portrays many different aspects of traditional art that today’s world seems to have forgotten. A simple but powerful perspective of the desert life resembles many art hurrahs that are present in historic works (Nicholas Barker, Universality of Enterprise). The lone peon leading the pair of camels to the right highlights the desolation of the largely barren landscape. However, the painting provides a myriad of footprints within the glazing sand to contrast the viewer’s initial analysis of isolation. On the other hand, a figurine of classic 18th century shelving shows an interesting depiction in very commonplace items (Lauren Fenner, Branching out). The clay pots and the hanging vines embellish the model, bringing out the vivacity of the inanimate.
Tech has shown the inherent creative and artistic abilities that are displayed through the conventional art system
The prominence of traditional art is definitely seeing a fall these days, especially with the rise of technology and digitalization. The once regal art has fallen out of character, disjoint with much of today’s youth. The impotence of art has spiked, often questioning the value of current art.
One must really consider the point: is art what it was? Do we really need the classic renditions of art as our primary form of expression? The time of the da Vinci’s and Michelangelo’s has long passed, and the explosion of the Van Gogh’s and Picasso’s have come and gone. We do not idolize the Monet’s and Rembrandt’s and even the O’Keefe’s, but rather the Cruise’s and Depp’s and Jolie’s.
Countless hours and innumerable amounts of cash flow into these new primary mediums of art: dance, film, television and music. Even social media has been identified as art and communication; considered some of the top ten artists of today, Jeff Wall and Sophie Calle are no-names and highly unfamiliar. It seems almost as though traditional art has become nothing more than a haunting past for art fanatics and nonexistent for art novices.
Despite the scarcity of such art, Tech has shown the inherent creative and artistic abilities that are displayed through the conventional art system. Gadget-oriented students have come up with phenomenal work, ranging from paintings to photography and modeling, showing the longevity of art even in today’s society.
The CULC’s art show is a small but important representation of present art; it has brought out mini-art geniuses. These sorts of art works show, promote and celebrate the exuberance and inventiveness of the new generation. As a continuation of tradition and a push towards creation, these art shows should be sustained and venerated as the pinnacle of the future and the past. There might not be a next generation without the support of such events.