Art Must Act
6 days ago
- #Art Criticism
- #Political Theory
- #Abstract Expressionism
- Public disillusionment with politicians, experts, and media is widespread, leading to a sense of stagnation in politics and culture.
- Harold Rosenberg and Hannah Arendt, midcentury intellectuals, explored theories of action and judgment, though Rosenberg's contributions have been largely forgotten.
- Rosenberg was a key figure in post-WWII American art criticism, championing abstract expressionists like Barnett Newman and Jackson Pollock.
- Rosenberg's concept of 'action' in art emphasized breaking from tradition to create authentic, politically resonant works, rather than producing beautiful objects.
- Rosenberg critiqued the art establishment, including academics and critics, for reducing art to pedagogy or profit, diverting from its true stakes.
- His essay 'The American Action Painters' argued that abstract expressionism blurred the line between art and life, requiring existential judgment over traditional criticism.
- Rosenberg's early life and political evolution—from Marxism to disillusionment with Stalinism—shaped his later critiques of ideology and mass culture.
- He warned against the dangers of art becoming co-opted by markets and institutions, losing its potential for genuine resistance.
- Rosenberg's friendship with Barnett Newman influenced his views on art as a form of personal and political rebellion.
- He criticized the New York intellectual scene for fostering elitism and false independence, as seen in his essay 'The Herd of Independent Minds'.
- Rosenberg's later writings defended abstract art's fragile potential against commercialization and institutionalization, exemplified by his analysis of Newman's work.
- He viewed Andy Warhol as emblematic of art's capitulation to celebrity culture and capitalism, contrasting sharply with Newman's austere abstraction.
- Rosenberg's ideas on action and judgment resonated with Hannah Arendt's work, particularly in 'The Human Condition', which explored similar themes of authentic political and aesthetic engagement.
- Despite his influence, Rosenberg's legacy has been overshadowed, with his ideas often dismissed or misunderstood by later art historians and critics.