Sheherazade Thenard

Enc 1102

4/7/15

Unit 4 Assignment

Introduction

There is rarely a time in history where there is an absence of a classifiable art movement.

Many argue that society today is too scattered for one to assemble, but under their noses, a

new and prominent movement was formed. In 1998 Odd Nerdrum, a painter and philosopher,

founded an international movement for classical painters based on his philosophy called the

Kitsch Movement. Since Nerdrum declared himself as a Kitsch painter he, and other artist,

clarified kitsch philosophy in his books On Kitsch (2000) and Kitsch more than Art (2011). Unlike

many art movements, kitsch is more philosophically inclined and reinforced by dogma opposed

to other art movements such as impressionism, which is established through technique.

Because of this, the criticism and research assert a different tone than they would most other

movements. Kitsch as a concept has been researched extensively throughout history, with

emphasis of defining kitsch, its place in the history of art, and its aesthetic value or

worthlessness. In my research I have found a disparity between the various research of kitsch

and a clear gap between their descriptions. In this paper, I will bridge the gap between these

definitions and explain how each side establishes identity within the artist. Since the founding

of this movement, artist today keep the superstructure of kitsch philosophy flowing by

incorporating it through various genre in a discourse community. Art movements utilize many

genre to facilitate their ideas, but what I would like to present and focus on is the product

artwork’s distinction between high and low kitsch, the philosophies behind the pieces and the

criticism that ensues. By the end of this paper I would have liked to have answered these

questions:

1. What are the critical philosophical differences between high and low kitsch?

2. How does the Kitsch Movement establish identity within the artist?

Discussion on Discourse Communities and Genres

John Swales is a successful linguist professor who studies and expands on the concept of

discourse communities. He defines them as being a cluster of academic disciplines and social

groups that maintain communication and meet six criterions. As shown my community is

considered a discourse community because it fits the six criterion Swales used to define them:

1. The first characteristic is to have a set of common public goal/goals. The public goals of

the Kitsch movement have mid-European origins from a philosophy that kitsch art

simulates what is conventionally viewed “high art”. The artwork created has a lone

function of flattery and reassurance. This is to create a sense of recognition in the

viewer to remind them of great works of art, religion, philosophic remarks, deep

emotion, and patriotic feelings. Making the artwork created from this movement both

parasitic and self-congratulatory.

2. The second is to have a system/ mechanism of intercommunication among its members.

While many of the founders are no longer living because the initial philosophy was

conceived in the 18th century, the word kitsch was popularized again in the 1930s by art

theorist. Following these events it became an international post contemporary art

movement founded in 1998. Today there are several “spokes people” who vocally

defend and define the movement including: Roberto Ferri, Rose Freymuth-Frazier, Per

Lundgren and the more publically accessible and vocal Odd Nerdrum, Jan-Ove Tuv,

Helene Knoop & Richard T. Scott, . Intercommunication among this discourse

community includes international conferences, meetings, gallery exhibits,

telecommunication, artist residencies, and conversation among all levels of members.

3. The third is to ensure that the members use the participatory aspect to provide feedback

and information. Participation in this discourse community has a heavy emphasis on

personal discovery. The artist must be willing to commit to a certain level of

craftsmanship in their product. During or after this process, the artist can contribute to

the group’s wealth of knowledge through their findings.

4. The fourth implies that discourse communities must have more than one genre. The

genres utilized in the Kitsch movement include written text, books, articles, and

museums. Additionally to adapt to more modern transitions international social media

groups are held. Making younger members more inclined to join and participate.

5. The fifth requires a community to acquire lexis. The lexis in this community shares much

of the same jargon other artistic communities utilize to communicate. Lexis more

specific to the Kitsch movement include ars/techne , geocentric, egocentric, and

heliocentric. The most important are ars, a Roman term used to define craftsmanship

among artist while techne is Greek with similar meaning; both are used interchangeably.

When referring to kitsch’s in a philosophical place in time artist will often use the term

zeitgeist.

6. The sixth requires that there should be a threshold of members that know varying levels

of content and discourse expertise. From my experience in this discourse community,

members are gained through personal relation and experience, a realization that their

artwork has potential to grow in the company of like-minded artist. New members

begin by requesting admission from a current member and researching past material.

The more experienced members interact with the new members to create balance in

knowledge. There are also members who function without associating with group input.

To elaborate, genres are particularly important to the members of the Kitsch Art Movement.

Swales interprets genre as “types of text that are recognizable to readers and writers, and that

meet the needs of the rhetorical situation” and “textual tools used by groups of people as they

work toward desired ends; genres and the conventions that guide them change as the group’s

desired ends change” (216). Because the Kitsch art movement is philosophically inclined the

members are left to interpret their goals personally. Meaning that the members of this group

use these genres in tandem to produce their desired outcome; however they choose to express

it.

The principal means to which I will be analyzing my discourse community is through genre

analysis presented by Kerry Dirk. In Kerry Dirk’s article “Navigating Genre” Dirk states that

genre are important tools used to communicate in communities. Lloyd Bitzer claimed that when

something new happen that requires a response, someone must create that first response.

Then when that situation happens again, all other persons who elicit responses will use that

initial response to base their own opinions, resulting in the creation of a new genre (Dirk 252).

As an example Thomas Kulka in his research book does a great job of analyzing genre specific to

the kitsch community. He does so by evaluating kitsch from both the positive and pessimistic

view points of previous research and formulates questions as his secondary response. Kulka

also utilizes the content in kitsch paintings to prove his points of research. In the following

research, I will be utilizing philosophy and other kitsch art forms to analyze my chosen genre

set.

Discussion on High and Low Kitsch Art

As previously mentioned Kitsch as a concept has been researched extensively throughout

history, with emphasis of defining kitsch, its place in the history of art, and its aesthetic value or

worthlessness. These topics are delved into by Thomas Kulka and Clement Greenberg. They

explain that kitsch is a word coined in the “1860s and 1870s in the jargon of artist and art

dealers in Munich, and was later employed to designate cheaper artistic stuff”(Kulka 18). They

claim the Kitsch Movement can be seen as phenomena of both the Romantic Movement and

the Industrial Revolution. As a result Kulka states that Kitsch cannot be divorced from

socioeconomics. Although it was reborn in the second half of the nineteenth century it

maintained its status as a word used to “imply the notion of aesthetic inadequacy”(Kulka 19).

Since, one can hardly turn without seeing kitschy art found on billboards, restaurants, fashion,

etc… it is noted that kitsch art has become an integral part of modern culture. Kulka ask, if this

was the case, why have so few aestheticians conducted focused research on kitsch; this is

answered with, the concern of modern aestheticians is on

beauty versus ugliness and what defines as art “good”. What

these aestheticians have failed to notice is the endearing

quality kitsch art has on the public. Kitsch has proved to be

commercially successful alongside serious art and is is highly

exploited by advertisement agencies to promote flagrantly

comical versions of high art (Dutton). Clement Greenberg

identified political kitsch as serving the uneducated masses

sentimental objects to wonder at and admire. As exploited by Hitler’s Germany and Stalin’s

Russia by providing oversized public monuments that glorified their respective regimes.

As the word implies, can Kitsch truly mean art in bad taste? I don’t believe this is the case

but rather should be viewed as a lower tier or facet of kitsch. I’ve found that the characteristics

that define low kitsch are very similar to their higher counterpart, but place higher value on

product opposed to technique, and lack the philosophy and dogma that will be explained later.

The function of modern art has changed considerably since antiquity in that it does necessarily

need to be connected to religious, ethical, or political influence, but can exist purely for

aesthetics. Kitsch relies on naturalistic and or realistic depictions of its subject. As pictured to

the left, in the 1960s Margaret Keane capitalized on the school of art “Big Eyes” and it took

middle class America by storm. To the right is a modern example of kitsch sculpture created by

artist Shary Boyle, titled “Ouroboros” in her series of porcelain kitsch oddities. Upon looking at

these images you know exactly what is happening, one evokes a sense of pity while the other

humor. The deciphering of said subject should be instantaneous or the impact of kitsch is lost.

Because of this instant identifiability aspect figurative art is more desirable to abstract. By

creating kitsch artwork the artist is attempting to elicit a shallow response from the viewer by

triggering unreflective emotion. Psychologically the artwork should congratulate the viewer for

the proper response. As stressed by Milan Kundera “Kitsch causes two tears to flow in quick

succession. The first tear is shed out of pity; the second is shed in recognition of the feeling of

pity. It is essentially self-congratulatory.” These factors are what make low kitsch so universally

appealing.

Odd Nerdrum, the founder of

kitsch as a movement, along with his

circle of students have a different

approach to how kitsch should be

presented. In response to criticism

of his work being likened to a master

of exaggeration, sentimental,

unoriginal, and kitsch (as pictured

above) Nerdrum created a school of

thought and craftsmanship. This

powerful group of minds formulated

a movement that would sweep the modern art paradigm(student artwork). Odd Nerdrum

formulated the kitsch dogma in which several important principles are shared including

(excerpt):

“Kitsch is never ironic. In kitsch, all human beings are rendered with respect- regardless of age and social status. In a kitsch composition, human beings shall have contact. If your foremost goal is originality, then you are no longer making kitsch. Kitsch seeks intensity,

not originality. The goal is to approach the best of the old masters as closely as possible, A kitsch creator seeks to develop his skill rather than give priority to the new. A kitsch creator does not dictate nature, he studies it. A kitsch creator is dissatisfied with his lack of knowledge. For a kitsch creator, the standard of development is if he has reached the standard of previous

masters. If you hold back out of concern for the demands of the time, then you are no longer making

kitsch. Kitsch will always be in conflict with the university, the state and the bureaucracy. Because it represents human vulnerability.

High kitsch exposes the clichés of power. The three stages of kitsch:

The egocentric- look at me.The geocentric- look at what I can do.The heliocentric (which can only be reached through the geocentric)- look at what I have revealed.” (Nerdrum 290)

This dogma distinguishes high kitsch from lower forms of kitsch as previously discussed. Many 0of these

clauses are highly contested among fine art critics. Kitsch movement is highly sensitive to Hellenism (300

B.C . 100 A.D.) and the Baroque Renaissance (1500-1670). It wasn’t until 1830 that art makes the

transformation in fine art. As Jan Ove-Tuv puts it The Greco Roman artwork was focused on Pathos,

learning, and archetypes this gave way to fine art which focuses on distinction, originality, and time.

Kitsch is a direct product of fine art in that it focuses on the exaggeration of the subject, replication and

honing of technique (techne a skill that can be learned and taught), and old fashion in that the creation

needs to contribute to society.

Discussion on Creators Identity

Anne M. Johns expanded on the abstract concept of a discourse community by applying lenses

to them. Elizabeth Wardle continues to explore the concept of a lens by applying them to

identity and authority in relation to the Activity theory. Identity being a “construction of the

various signifying practices … formed by the various discourses, sign systems, that surround

them” (Berlin 18) and the next “writers’ desires are [not] completely determined, as evidenced

by the fact that textual instantiations of a genre are rarely if ever exactly the same” (Bawarshi

91). Meaning the subjects ideas and actions are influenced by their environment. Additionally

the things the subject involves themselves in can impact prior activity they associated

themselves with leading to conflict. When further analyzing the genres that The Kitsch

Movement utilizes an interesting question can be explored RQ: How does the Kitsch Movement

influence the identity of the artist? To answer this, an analysis must be conducted on the

group.

To consider yourself a part of an art movement, one must internalize the movements basic

concepts and create a product that embodies the philosophies. As I’ve mentioned the artist

within the kitsch community internalize a humanistic nature in and it is shown in the

objectivism in the work they produce. Much of the kitsch philosophy focuses on past

observations and experimentations. As mentioned according to the high kitsch dogma, the aim

of this art form is not necessarily originality, but rather sentimentality. Kitsch does not punish

the artist for being inspired by the historically classic painters. As Jan-Ove Tuv states, “kitsch

relieves the artist of the self-doubt associated with fine arts by adhering to a different set of

values.” An artist working with kitsch has their identity influenced a greater sense of

individualism and liberty to work on their craft then then would most other art movements.

While the Kitsch movement is more geared toward studio art many other artistic communities

look to the innovations for Inspiration as well, for instance photographers, writers and

musicians. While one can practice alone, many seek solace by communicating their finding with

other members ranging from the founders and advocates to the new and interested members.

The artist within kitsch are focused on creating art in a way that is addressing our current

human condition beyond changeable contemporary problems.

Conclusion

The linguists who have contributed to the discussion on discourse communities have proved

very helpful to those seeking to understand their community and maintain order within their

system. The research done on genre and identity can be applied to virtually every community

and are great tools to further explore said communities. Due to this research I have been able

to critically analyze how the identity of a kitsch creator influences the form of genre they

produce. I see now how artist who produce a lower tier of kitsch have a different set of criteria

that influences their creations. As Thomas Kulka and Clement Greenberg state, low kitsch

places a higher emphasis on product opposed to technique. The higher counterpart to kitsch

has a higher emphasis on craft in which time is not a consequence. High kitsch is reinforced by

dogma that the artist internalizes and shapes their identity as stated by Jan Ove-Tuv and Odd

Nerdrum. In summary, this research uses Swale’s six criterions for a discourse community and

Johns’ and Wardle’s research on lenses to explore how research affects the identity of an

individual and their actions in a community.

Works Cited

Dirk, Kerry. "Navigating Genres." Writing Spaces: Readings on Writing. Eds. Charles Lowe and Pavel

Zemliansky. Vol. 1. West Lafayette: Parlor Press, 2010. 249-62. Web.

Johns, Ann M. “Discourse Communities and Communities of Practice: Membership, Conflict, and

Diversity.” Writing about Writing: A College Reader. Eds. Elizabeth Wardle and Doug Downs.

Boston: Bedford/St. Martins, 2011. 499-518. Print.

Swales, John. “The Concept of Discourse Community.” Writing about Writing: A College Reader. 2nd ed.

Eds. Elizabeth Wardle and Doug Downs. Boston: Bedford/St. Martins, 2014. 466-80. Print.

Wardle, Elizabeth. "Identity, Authority, and Learning to Write in New Workplaces." Writing about

Writing: A College Reader. 2nd ed. Eds. Elizabeth Wardle and Doug Downs. Boston: Bedford/St.

Martins, 2014. 284-301. Print.

Ove-Tuv, Jan. ""Kitsch" as Superstructure for Representational, Narrative Painting." TRAC: The

Representational Art Conference .2014. California, Ventura. Reading.

Kulka, Thomas. Kitsch and Art. Pennsylvania State University Press ,

University Park, Pa.1996. Print.

Greenberg, Clement. "Avant-Gardde and Kitsch." Greenberg: Avant-Gardde and Kitsch. Sharecom.ca,

1939. Web. 14 Apr. 2015.

Nerdrum, Odd and Others. “Kitsch More than Art” .Eds. Renaisance Media AS.

Schibsted Forlag, Oslo. 2011. Print.

Artwork Citations (as presented)

Breker, Arno. “Die Partei”. 1945. Berlin, Germany

Keane, Margret. “The Stray”. Oil on Canvas.Keane Eyes Gallery.

Boyle, Shary. “Ouroborous”. Porcelain. 2006

Nerdrum, Odd. “Drifting”. Oil on Canvas

Tuv, Jan-Ove. “Discovery”. Oil on Canvas. (b. 1976)