An Evolving Greenberg

Paper Summary:

By examining two of Greenberg's articles written 35 years apart, the writer explores this critic's changing attitudes towards art. The articles examined are "Avant-Garde and Kitsch" written in 1939 and "Modernist Painting," written in 1965.

From the Paper:

"Clement Greenberg has over influenced the art world greatly with his ongoing criticism. In two of his essays written over 35 years apart, he presents two arguments which show his evolving opinion as the nature of art changes around him, despite (or perhaps because of) his outspoken opinions. The first article, from 1939, discusses exactly what the title indicates: "Avant-Garde and Kitsch" and frames them in the social attitudes of the time. He criticizes kitsch, stating that avant-garde art, which is only understood by the cultural elite, is the one true art. The second is called "Modernist Painting," written in 1965. This piece seems to accept kitsch as part of our culture, and as part of Modernism. By analyzing the ramifications of what Greenberg says in these two essays, I am able to determine the relevance of his arguments from my own perspective, which is obviously different from his."

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