FINAL #1 Greenberg and Medium Specificity

Question 1

Clement Greenberg *

Answer 1

• He is associated with the high modernism period (high art = fine arts and aesthetic.. vs low art = commercial mediums etc…)
• Believes art is based more on meaning verses being realistic.
• Defines modernism as art that exposes the surface- he believes in exposing the surface.
• Finds painting special b/c of its flat quality (2D)
• Against painting looking 3D and against incorporating the frame in painting… it should be separate.
• Believes that painting is a place for you to travel with your eye (not with you body)… it’s an optical space. It’s essence is its 2D quality.
• Paintings should not be too abstract b/c then it becomes an object again.

Question 2

Medium Specificity *

Answer 2

• Greenberg interested b/c to achieve purity.
• involves self criticism (theory he borrowed from Immanuel Kant) b/c it eliminates effects borrowed from other mediums.
• meant to stabilize art disciplines.
• takes away everything except the things that make the art medium unique.
• Ex. in painting the unique aspect is flatness… paintings should emphasize it’s flatness and avoid the illusion of being 3D. Also it shouldn’t be so abstract and flat where it then includes the frame b/c then it becomes an object again.
• THEATER (performing) > SCULPTURE (3D) > PAINTING (2D or flatness)

Question 3

Jackson Pollock *

Answer 3

• He is an Abstract Expressionist (ABEX)
• Paints on ground instead of standing up… this affects how paintings look b/c of lack of control… dripping paint - its process and chaos over composition.

Ways to look at his work:

1. Rosalind Krauss (student of Greenberg) focuses on the meaning behind him doing it.
   - She see that he disturbs vertical orientation b/c he paints on the ground.
   - This leads to an association with scatological… low… shit/piss/gross bodily fluids… etc…
   
   • It is the inverting of moral qualities.
   • It is also similar to Dada’s chance operation.
   • Believes he is challenging morality by putting painting on the ground.
2. Greenberg believes that his work is meant to be visually interesting and different.
   
   • He sees that the paint defies gravity b/c of how the paint dries on the ground. It makes it look like the paint is floating… Greenberg loves Pollock.

Question 4

Abstract Expressionism

Answer 4

• aka ABEX
• It is a combo of European Abstraction and Surrealism (taking automative drawing from Surrealism and combines with abstraction).
• Meant to be purely expressive… to see artist’s insides… artists have signature styles.
• Meant to access artist’s subconscious.
• Opposite of readymades b/c it paintings are truly intimate and give direct access to artist, but are similar to the chance operation.
• Greenberg sees it as post-painterly abstraction… utilizing the painting medium to further abstract… to create an optical space… a purely optical plane.

Question 5

Edouard Manet… Olympia

Answer 5

An example of high modern art… it is flat and exposes the surface.

Question 6

Optical Depth *

Answer 6

• A place for the eye.
• According to Greenberg, paintings should only be a place for optical depth…. a place for the eye.
• example of ABEX painters are Noland and Louis… purely optical place.
• Art should not include the frame or hint of the frame’s existence.

Question 7

Centripetal *

Answer 7

• moving or tending to move toward a center.

- medium specificity…. art moves to center.