Is the era of ‘high art’ coming to an end ?

This subject remains debatable in the art world recently. Artists and art movements have been challenging the exclusive and parochial world of ‘high art’ since the dawn of Pop Art in the 1960s. Pop Art saw the celebration and integration of consumer culture, notably advertising, comic strips, cinema and music, into art.

Andy Warhol democratised access to his prized works by designing the cover for the first album of The Velvet Underground, as did Robert Rauschberg when he designed the cover for the Miami Herald and the album cover for the Talking Heads. Later on, Takashi Murakami has continued to democratise art through his Superflat style, which he coined and inaugurated in 2002. He has collaborated with a multitude of brands, created films, album covers, music videos and multimedia experiences which enable virtually anyone to access his art.

Art is no longer only accessible in museums or exhibitions, and equally, owning art is not something only those in the upper echelons of society are able to do. Anyone who bought The Velvet Underground’s debut album owns a Lichtenstein, anyone who bought Speaking in Tongues by the Talking Heads owns a Rauschberg, and anyone who bought a MoMa Design flower pillow owns a Murakami.

An important step in the democratisation of art is through the evolution of art prints. Prints allow art lovers to own the copies of original artworks at accessible price. This variety of artwork allows people from a variety of socio-economic backgrounds to explore the world of art and bring it into their own homes. Collecting prints and featuring them in the home allows every individual to curate their own exhibition which evokes their style, interests and mood, something which is impossible to experience at a museum or gallery.

The reproduction of art is a controversial topic, as not every artist has given consent to their work being turned into print form. Equally, not all art styles can be replicated; Pop Artist Richard Hamilton wrote in 1968 that ‘Parthenon, Picasso or Polynesian maiden are reduced to the same kind of cliché by the syntax of print; reproducing a Lichtenstein is like throwing a fish back into water.’  Modern art can often be encapsulated in a print, which enables art museums to offer prints to art lovers as a means of self-expression, a memento to take with them, and a souvenir of a specific exhibition, museum, or city.

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TiA Talent is a Paris-based hybrid artist agency specialised in art management and unique art experiences. We promote local and international emerging artists who align with our values and share our agency’s visionary spirit. Together, we shape a world where creativity has no limits and commit to sustainable, ethic, humanist values.