Poll Gauguin, Vincent Van Gogh and the concept of "the mad genius".
Somerset
Maugham has a novel “the Moon and a penny”. In it, under an assumed name Poll
Gauguin - the artist left for
Gauguin's
life has developed originally enough. Its artist has worked the most part ‘in office’,
and only being already ‘for forty’ has thrown all (including family) and has
devoted itself to art in which it was the layman.
Maugham the
good writer, but short stories go right to it better, than novels. It is
possible to tell and about “the Moon and a penny”. The writer divides here
typical stamps of time about “the ingenious unknown artist, the innovator worth
outside of morals”, etc. Not clear, as such primitive barbarian whom Gauguin is
written by Maugham, could before kind two ten years regularly goes to office,
be engaged, carry out all formalities, and to be quite ‘the successful person’.
The idea of ‘the
mad creator’ has enough eaten into our consciousness though recently it is
superseded glamour by type of the successful
artist (more likely - the designer). However there is prospering type of the swindler
in avant-garde selling not his picture, but his brand. Just he need for legend
of ‘the mad genius’ and for this purpose he is ready to bark a dog.
It is
difficult to name non-figurative art by ‘avant-garde’ as it is old as the
world. Before hunting man represented wild animals, quite realistically, but in
the ritual purposes to provide success of the future enterprise. Meanwhile
women decorated utensils and clothes with an ornament. So, probably, division
of art into "realistic" and "decorative" has appeared. And,
down to present time, to the first direction, as a whole, men are more inclined
to the second women.
At 20
centuries distinguishes absence of a rhythm from an ornament. That is the given
direction represents a certain hybrid of realism and an ornament. Also there
was it, as some kind of "mutation" during very intense historical
period on the eve and during the First World War and Revolution (though its
occurrence was prepared by all development of the fine arts in 19 century).
Then existence of avant-garde has been understood, as expression of time spirit.
Now
(actually, since the fiftieth years of the last century) a picture other.
The represents of avant-garde are stimulated is artificial, by the most
powerful advertising support and great financial injections. Without it the
avant-garde would decay very quickly, and the overwhelming majority of its
adherents would engage something to another (but too bring profit). It is
clearly, what presently to speak about avant-garde as nonconformist art it is
possible only due to a misunderstanding.
Some
historical details are interesting. During the post-war period, Japan has
achieved sensational successes in development of the hi-tech industry. Accordingly,
the Japanese elite has got fantastically grown rich.
But on the country there was a brand of the defeated aggressor. To erase it and
enter in world (more precisely, western) elite, it was necessary to divide its
values, including from area of art taste.
Japanese have
addressed to the western critics, those have advised to buy up Van Gogh.
Naturally the price for pictures of the mad Dutch have
sharply jumped up. The last decade we had pleasure to observe an amusing
incident. Japanese have got Van Gogh's picture "Sunflowers" for the
record sum on those times – 22 million dollars. And, soon, like it would be
found out, that she was written not by the unfortunate madman (who did not
dream such honorary) and the doctor treating it, also playing about painting at
leisure.
To the unbiased
person it is completely clear, that everybody for she does not represent any
art value could write a similar picture. Van Gogh was reclaimed posthumously,
as ‘the modern history of arts’ was written at that moment and the Dutch has
been built - in it in quality of ‘the forerunner of avant-garde’.
Alex Fantalov.
Richard Wagner and “The ring of Nibelung”.