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In his famous essay, “Modernist Painting” , Clement Greenberg, views the progression of art as an unfolding tradition. Greenberg’s careful attention to the formal properties of art, stern approach to criticism, and thought-provoking ideas about modern art has made him an influential figure for art historians and critics alike. Greenberg begins by claiming philosopher Immanuel Kant as the first “real” modernist. The same way Kant used logic to establish the “limits of logic,” modernist art, as proposed himself, consists of a reconciliation between the act of painting and its limits through a self-critical examination from within.
Moreover, he said, “what had to be exhibited was not only that which was unique and irreducible in art in general,” but also, there should be no specific subject matter for a painting to retain its originality. Under modernism, each artwork strives to achieve “purity” and in the purity, absolute autonomy, from mundane life, popular culture, and even politics. Greenberg popularized the term medium specificity (i.e., the characteristics of artworks is constituted by the raw materials it shares with no other art forms).
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Notably, he characterized the flatness of its two-dimensional plane and purely optical experience as distinguishable features of paintings as a type of art making practice .
Modernist painters emphasize the nature of painting itself by subtracting, “the barest suggestion of a recognizable entity” that could subvert a painting’s essential qualities. Preceding, the “Old Masters” of painting preserved the integrity of the picture plane by focusing on humanism and pictorial space. His remarks considering the works of “Old Masters” were mainly uncontested, but his statements about modernist paintings still stir contention among people.
Despite his authority, some of Greenberg’s arguments are a generalization that cannot be reckoned as universally objective ideas. These assertions will be analyzed through queries of three well-known paintings, Rafael’s School of Athens, Henri Matisse’s L’Atelier Rouge , and Jackson Pollock’s Autumn Rhythm.
Between the 14th-16th centuries, Renaissance painters focused on greater realism due to the re-emergence of art and science, leading to a heightened perspective in painting. The School of Athens, by Rafael, is painting which is the epitome of great composition during this time. It is a dynamic fresco illustrating a public square with eminent scholars of the ancient world – men whose wisdom was demanded during the Renaissance. The eye gradually moves inward from the far edges towards the middle of the painting using a central vanishing point above the two figures, Plato and Aristotle, generating immanent depth . The lofty arches, polished building architecture, and mosaic flooring detailed in this painting are rendered in perfect spatial relationships with one another. Rafael demonstrates his mastery of skills in not only through painting but also the important figures and thinking of that age through visual and aesthetic choices. This poses the first question countering Greenberg’s claim about modernism needing to achieve virtual flatness: is dimensionality the only bridge past visual cues? As such, do modern paintings genuinely have no sense of depth at all?
The effect of sculpture has been decreasing in modern paintings as “the greatest feats of the Western painting are due to the effort it has over the last four centuries to rid itself of the sculptural”. As mentioned, modernism tends to reassert the two-dimensionality of the plane, which Greenberg believes is the best method to view any picture whereas sculpture is three-dimensional. Space in which positive and negative areas are demarcated in a body of work – is an open invitation for one to envision themselves inside the painting. Would then pure flatness be unwilling to generate a space that is inhabitable to its viewers? Greenberg touches upon this concern, but he fails to explicitly mention what kind of space is being depicted in modernist painting.
For example, Matisse’s painting L’Atelier Rouge utmost pushes the borders of flatness in representation. The color palette of the studio’s red interior evokes feelings of warmth and intimacy, which boldly clashing with the objects in the scene. An illusion of depth exists in the painting, although the typical representation of a four-walled room using a linear perspective is entirely skewed. The upper left corner is missing a clear perpendicular line that we know to be an intersection between two walls supporting his statement, “a modernist sees a picture as a picture first”. However, the space Matisse drew lies between the peripheral boundary of complete flatness and sculptural space, which allows one to use not only their visual cues but also their vivid imagination. Matisse seems to be “beckoning in on us, by focusing on perspective and raising the horizon”. As a result, the painting defies traditional conventions of space, and yet still feel utterly inhabitable by the viewer. Leading us to the next question, what type of modernist is Greenberg referring to when trying to prevent any inauthenticity of three-dimensional space onto a two-dimensional surface?
The abstract expressionist work of Jackson Pollock’s Autumn Rhythm would most likely resonate with Greenberg’s attitude and tastes. This particular painting reveals how movements using a dripping technique and inherent gravity can create unseen visual forms on a horizontal canvas. We can attempt to use Greenberg’s analysis to try to understand how one can inhabit Pollock’s ‘drip’ paintings. Autumn Rhythm provides a visual account where one can see how the painter immerses himself in the painting through free gestures. While the painter concentrates on accomplishing flatness in his work and removes his hand from the direct canvas; it still cannot efface his sentimental feelings while creating the artwork. The artist is giving meaning himself to the painting, making it deeply personal and exciting.
Consequently, the self-criticism in modernist art permeates in a subliminal way where individuality is encouraged. Ultimately, despite Greenberg’s radical theories and critique proving his historical importance in art historical standards, the objectiveness of his ideas can be disputable as many of his classifications of what constitutes modern art is too broad. Furthermore, its viewing is not inclusive of all Modernist Paintings created during his time as well as trying to achieve the impossibility of praising a work based only on its purest form.
Summary: The Application and Discourse Of Clement Greenberg’s “Modernist Painting”. (2024, Feb 02). Retrieved from https://studymoose.com/summary-the-application-and-discourse-of-clement-greenberg-s-modernist-painting-essay
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