Modern Art versus Anti Intellectualism

Recently, you may have seen a resurgence in modern art pieces. However, this popularity also brings criticism. Why is this, what are these criticisms based on, and how are these claims linked to anti-intellectualism?

Modern art, as a term, may sound ambiguous, given that its name could be applied to every era. However, from a historical perspective, modern art spans the period between the 1860s through the 1970s and the style and ideology of the art produced in that time frame. Postmodern art is the successor of modern art, this time as the name suggests. That being said, it still does not refer to the historical art era we are currently in. The era of art we are currently in is referred to as the ‘contemporary era’, which has intersections with the modern era; however, the postmodernist idea is argued to be still alive as an art form, but only as a subsection of the contemporary era. 

The link these eras have with anti-intellectualism is more nuanced than the definitions suggest. Anti-intellectualism is often characterised as doubting the worth or applicability of intellectual endeavours, such as philosophy and education. The idea also entails rejecting art, literature, history, and science as unfeasible. 

So why does it matter which era of art we are in? These distinctions are important not only because they help producers, historians and consumers to identify and distinguish the different characteristics, but also because they arise from political and cultural changes. The United Kingdom government does a relatively good job of infusing art programmes in schools. That being said, whilst the main objective of these classes should still be for kids to express themselves from a young age, it should also have an equal distribution of artistic approaches throughout the classes. 

The devaluation of a specific type of art and the artist who creates it, which may have been noticed recently, is not a novelty. Understanding how attacking one style of art makes way for other styles of art to be separated as well, gives insight into how this could be a tool for anti-intellectualism. As control over the idea of an art style being better than the other could

eventually evolve into a means to control thoughts and preferences. One of the best ways to tackle this lies in cooperation from both the people and the state. If the state were to arrange workshops and exhibitions, the people may become more inclined towards art, which helps critical thinking, helping the fight against anti-intellectualism. 

Accessibility to the aforementioned is also a problem, given that around ten million people are living in rural areas across the United Kingdom. Not only getting art to these areas, but also getting art from these areas, is essential for a diverse understanding of art as well as the cultural context of said artistic pieces. The representation of different practices of art, alongside the different cultures they are from, would make for an incredibly rich catalogue of art where everyone could find something for themselves. 

Policy Recommendations 

1. One of the aims of the Department of Education in the UK is to “know about great artists, craft makers and designers, and understand the historical and cultural development of their art forms.” In relation to this aim, making art classes more inclusive of various types and eras of art, and especially emphasising the current eras of art, would be of substantial help in clarifying these distinctions. 

   
   

2. As per the latest UK Government report on participation in the arts, culture, and heritage, there is an upward trend of people engaging with the arts (post-pandemic), though only 33 per cent of all engagement is in exhibitions and museums. In contrast, 67 per cent of it is to heritage sites. Also, there is an incredible difference in the number of minorities’ engagement with the arts, which can be forestalled by promoting the aforementioned exhibitions in neighbourhoods where there is substantially less engagement. 

   
   

3. Funding contemporary artists to help increase the number of exhibitions possible. This will not only help with the quantity of art pieces but also the quality and its diversity, as more approaches would have the platform to show their different understandings of different genres and styles. This would not only be an opportunity for the consumer but for the (especially new) creators as well.

Concluding Remarks 

Fighting anti-intellectualism is a long process, and changing only one aspect may not change the entire system. However, by setting a solid foundation today with tangible policies that oppose the reasons for these ideas to resurface in the twenty-first century, we might have a more understanding and diverse tomorrow. Using art to build this foundation helps people to be engaged in these types of conversations, as art is a subject that anyone can consume as well as create, and find something personal in doing so. That is why it should be understood that both the implementation and the effects of these recommendations may take some time to make an appearance. That being said, anti-intellectualism is a tool for governing powers, as questioning the status quo isn’t in their best interest, which makes the fight against anti-intellectualism harder.

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