Aesthetic Cosmopolitans Analysis

‘Aesthetic Cosmopolitans’

“The increasingly international nature of the art world has resulted in many artists becoming aesthetic cosmopolitans” (pg.32), as stated by Storer, R (2013). The concept of ‘aesthetic cosmopolitanism’ aims to encapsulate the ability that artists of the 21st century have to create artwork that engages a connection with other cultures. “Cultures circulate more broadly and visibly” because multi-culturalism has become a part of everyday life. It has become easier to communicate and be aware of the issues that others around the world face. Art is a means of global communication because it breaks the language barrier between nations. It allows artists to respond to the uncertain and restless present, and ultimately make

It has become more prevalent for people to be speaking out about their opinions. Issues like race, gender equality, feminism and the LGBT community rights are widely commented on and are relevant on both a local and global scale. The ‘aesthetic cosmopolitans’ of social concerns aim to provide links between the issues prevalent in different cultures globally within their artwork. The artwork titled Untitled #188 by Cindy Sherman (3) is a collage of different objects dumped together. This aims to encapsulate the “throw-away” attitude that society has adopted. The use of the blow up doll in the centre of the piece is a comment on violence towards females. The way in which the doll has been positioned with it’s body bent and red paint around its mouth represents the violence that many women are subject to today. The artwork titled Home Décor by Gordon Bennett (4) examines the foundations of cultural identity through the appropriation of different artwork techniques. Religious symbols and cultural representations are displayed in different sections of the art piece. The fish, cross, and image of Christ directly relate to Christianity, whereas other figures relate to indigenous artwork techniques. The crossing of these symbols in a piece give across the impression that Bennett is commenting on racial concerns and society’s acceptance of these

So much so that nearly all areas of life revolve around the use of technology. The insurmountable value that technology has for increasing the efficiency of simple and complex tasks is unquestionable. However, some of the technologically inspired ‘aesthetic cosmopolitans’ explore the pros and cons of technology for humans on a global scale. The artwork titled Truck Babies by Patricia Piccinini (5) examines the often blurred relationship between humans and technology. As technology has become more evident in everyday life, Piccinini aims to comment on the relationship that children of the 21st century have with technology and whether or not it is ethically right. Globally, this is a problem that society must focus on because the future outlook on technology will be decided now. The artwork titled Hello? by Tony Oursler (6) was created using video technology. The subject of the video is focused on the trauma associated with mass media and technology. The ‘trapped’ doll in the wooden box combined with various voices speaking over the video create a chilling representation of how technology almost ‘infiltrates peoples consciousness’. Thus, providing a global depiction of the affects of technology on