traditional art

Decline Of Traditional Art In America

Definition Of Traditional Art

Traditional Art is a generational teaching of an art, its methods, and apprenticeship to acquire the skills needed for that art.

Historically an art was taught through either families from one generation to the next or through a guild process.

The purpose of this article is in understanding the shift of the art world as it further evolves away from these methods. We must also consider the preservation of traditional art.

What are the primary causes of this shift and the future direction within which art will thrive?

Traditional Art In The 1900’s

At the turn of the century into 1900 Traditional Art was alive and well. In fact it was thriving.

Men like Picasso learned from his father the arts which later he would become world famous for. It was through movements such as Art Nouveau and later organizations born from Art Deco like the Surrealists which shaped the future.

Art Deco came to its maturity not long after its birth in the 1920’s. While there was always a slight rift between the educated arts and that of the street artist, each thrived within their own world.

Something began to take shape towards the end of the 20th century.

One major shift which began after World War 2 was a change in how artists held influence within decorating and design.

In years past a patron would hire an artist to have a hands on renovation to the look of a home.

Home decorators arrived on the scene within the Mid Century Art era and with them came far more corporate marketing. By the 1980’s the fashion and designer world was ruled by these giants.

Art galleries themselves also underwent dramatic shifts yet the world still continued to turn.

It would not be until the 1990’s that a new invention within communication would arrive that would forever alter the landscape of art. The internet would revolutionize the reach a single individual could have, but would it come too late?

Economic Impact On Traditional Art

In the early 1900’s many businesses were small, family owned, and ran generation to generation. Art existed in this same manner as it had for generations before.

Yet it would be the industrialized world that would begin a change which would alter this landscape.

People would flock to cities to take jobs in factories and the common man began to rise economically. Industry also would allow for mass production so that this common man could afford things that before he could not.

The changes which took place were not bad. It just had an unintended impact upon the world.

As small businesses began to disappear so did the Traditional Artist. By the mid 1900’s an artist was more often than not produced out of education through schools, or sponsored by galleries and guilds.

Traditional Art as history would know it was almost dead.

The corporate world added to the difficulty of a single individual being able to stand out from the masses. Woodworkers for example thrived more locally in their home towns.

Artists who painted or sculpted cultivated local names.

While it was still possible for Traditional Art to exist the economics of the world made it easier for someone to work a regular job. Paying the bills and getting ahead could be done more easily working for someone else than fighting the tide to be noticed as an artist.

The decline of Traditional Art seemed to be set in stone never to change.

Post 2000 Traditional Art

As the internet was born no one ever envisioned the power it could hold. What began as a few websites in the 1990’s no one really saw it as a potential market.

More people thought of it as being an online encyclopedia. How to monetize the vehicle would take a little time to discover.

By the early 2000’s several soon to be giants figured this formula out and with it came another revolutionary change.

The ability to communicate through not only text, but also pictures, video, live streaming, and cross platform posting from a cell phone altered the landscape.

Artists today can realize this power through personal online galleries. Many use social media to promote their cause.

As the world moved towards 2020 many economic changes would be ushered in. In the midst of these changes came a unique power for the individual to once again be seen.

Yet this time the power would be in their hands to be seen by the entire world rather than a mere local venue.

Traditional Art and its present trajectory may still be in question. Nevertheless the technology has allowed for other industry to make headway in terms of small business growth once again.

More people began to shed the corporate life to work at home for themselves.

In recent years this trend has also begun to play out within the world of art. With this trend has come some surprising impact in the art market as well as how an artist becomes known.

Rethinking Traditional Art In The Modern World

The decline of Traditional Art may not be a negative thing. Historically it was often out of necessity that the trades and artists came to be be what and who they were.

In a slower more closed off world it was not as easy to change ones mind to become someone else in a new life.

Institutional thinking through education came to be the forefront of art in the industrial era. Yet today we are beginning to see these same institutions become weaker and outdated.

Again it is due to technology that we see New Media Art thrive in digital mediums whether for marketing, movies, or video games.

Formal arts schools may be suffering yet their counterparts with technology thrive. Galleries too who came to be a hub and gathering for artists in the industrial age are also in decline.

The individual artist is no longer bound by its rules, locations, nor structures which reigned over all.

The hub of today’s world in art are places like Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, blogs, and websites. The footprint of an artist can exceed any other system of history.

The truth is that Traditional Art is not needed, or at least it is not as functional to our society as it once was in history.

Within our present world an artist will choose to be who they are out of their own passion and desire for art rather than necessity. It is not a trade as so to speak which is handed to the next generation for that is what they are supposed to do.

Where we find ourselves now is at a unique position in terms of potential direction for aspiring artists.

Dangers Of Forsaking Traditional Arts

There is an inherent danger in leaving the old paths behind. While technology may have set us free in a manner of speaking allowing people to choose their path, it too has unintended consequences.

Just as the industrial age impacted Traditional Art so will technology play its role in a similar manner. Among the many things which we have seen lost to time are the techniques and methods that past artists have used.

Many of these techniques were unique to family or generational teaching that were not documented.

There is a wealth of history which becomes left behind that would have served as an invaluable resource for artists today. The problem is that it can be virtually impossible to bring this knowledge back to life.

In the ages past some may have looked at Traditional Arts and trades as almost like a caste system. While it certainly can have this feel at times one must also recognize the value and depth which was given from one generation to the next.

This leads us to other inherent dangers for the future of the arts.

Confluence of Education, Guilds, And Technology In Art

While many formal art schools have suffered, and with them also we find many guilds in this same position, we need them to survive.

If we instead allow them to continue to suffer and become obsolete we too will once again lose a great wealth of history.

It is understandable that art education must evolve and incorporate more technology to compete in our present world. Yet they should not let go of the past and leave behind where they came from.

They are our last link to the past and all artists who came before us.

The guild systems today serve in no function compared to that of history. Yet the present systems which still exist at least allow for artists to interact and share ideas, techniques, education, and stir interest in their field.

It is unfortunate that the present guild structures are in decline.

The problem for these modern guilds is that there is no way to intervene in the decline as could be done with education. At least with schools they have the power to innovate and provide more to future students in order to become more relevant to our time.

With guilds it has become more about marketing the guild, events planning, and attempting to draw crowds to generate revenue for the guild and the artist. Little is left in the way of innovation towards the end of preserving history.

As more artists turn to technology there will be less dependency upon that system. In this present moment there is a quiet struggle within the world and the advances in technology are winning.

Is Traditional Art Dead?

From a historical perspective in how past societies functioned across the globe one could say that Traditional Art is dead.

This is also a very narrow minded view through one lens. To better understand what Traditional Art is becoming we need to understand what the internet is.

With the online world we capture information. Unfortunately it does not have the ability to aid well in terms of apprenticeship but it does at least retain information.

With this ability comes a new birth of Traditional Art.

Ones work can inspire and influence someone a world away. A technique that may have never been within that culture may be adopted and find a new home with a new meaning.

I would never go as far as to say that Traditional Art is dead, rather it has transformed. In some ways genuine artistic expression has flourished despite the many problems we face today.

The vehicle by which the idea of Traditional Art exists may have changed yet the art itself is still very much alive. What is taking place within our present world may not fit the old definition yet it does not mean it has disappeared.

Responsibility Of Artists Today

There are still many artists today who are alive and practicing which came from a more Traditional Arts background. There are within these corners of the world a wealth of information and techniques that still remain but are not yet documented.

If this information is not passed on to another generation it is at risk of being lost forever.

There is a responsibility which artists have in the preservation of this knowledge for posterity. There is no reason to allow this knowledge to pass away in time.

I do wish more artists would come to realize the necessity of this preservation.

With the power of blogs, websites, and becoming involved in communities like wikipedia this knowledge could be documented. I know this goes against the grain of traditional thinking where ones techniques are to be kept secret.

It is understandable that as long as an artist is functioning for their path in life that these trade secrets should be kept.

Yet if there is no generational teaching nor apprenticeship I do hope that there will be those who record their steps in history. We have lost enough to the past as it is.

New Definition Of Traditional Art

The new definition of Traditional Art may come from the knowledge of the past which influences an unknown artist of the future.

Someone who did not come from a generational background in the arts might discover a passion and love for art.

With this, the knowledge of those who came before being in the online world can guide them. Education through schools should reinforce this as well as prepare them for the world in which they live.

In this way the Art will persist and live on to that next generation.