> What’s the difference, really, between the music of the 1990s and the 2010s—between the music of Madonna and Lady Gaga, of Mariah Carey and Adele? Between the heavy metal or rock or rap of the 1980s and those genres now? Nuances distinguish them. You don’t need to resort to nuances to tell the difference between the music of the 1970s and 1950s or the 1950s and 1930s.
I find this comparison completely ridiculous. It is not just that I can tell difference between Madonna and Lady Gaga or 1980 metal against todays one. It is also that the actual difference between 1970s and 1950s music is that they changed genre. Metal must be metal, if it was different then metal if would not be metal. It just so happens that new genres did appeared between 1980 and now. Contemporary techno progressive music is incomparable to anything in 1980. Also, 1980 music is ridiculously easy to distinguish as 1980 music. And not just that new genres appeared, the music in 1980 was not consumed the way it is consumed now - all the time for free huge selection by own personal choice. Back then, you had either to pay or listen to one of radio stations. So the people moved more in lockstep.
> Renaissance linear perspective for the visual arts ... By mid-century, with a few admirable exceptions, the modern art world seemed determined to make itself the butt of jokes, as Tom Wolfe memorably described in The Painted Word (1975).
I personally like modern art more then renaissance, but that is personal taste - what I find fun.
The big reason for abstraction being the thing in art is that realism is largely figured out. People can do hyper realistic drawings today, the ones that are hard to distinguish from photography. They are stunning pieces of craft. But, at this point, it is craft that you can learn if you study enough and have talent. You are not discovering something new when you do it - but if they are your thing there are artists focusing on this particular thing. There are books you can read that teach you how to render, analyze and draw.
I find this comparison completely ridiculous. It is not just that I can tell difference between Madonna and Lady Gaga or 1980 metal against todays one. It is also that the actual difference between 1970s and 1950s music is that they changed genre. Metal must be metal, if it was different then metal if would not be metal. It just so happens that new genres did appeared between 1980 and now. Contemporary techno progressive music is incomparable to anything in 1980. Also, 1980 music is ridiculously easy to distinguish as 1980 music. And not just that new genres appeared, the music in 1980 was not consumed the way it is consumed now - all the time for free huge selection by own personal choice. Back then, you had either to pay or listen to one of radio stations. So the people moved more in lockstep.
> Renaissance linear perspective for the visual arts ... By mid-century, with a few admirable exceptions, the modern art world seemed determined to make itself the butt of jokes, as Tom Wolfe memorably described in The Painted Word (1975).
I personally like modern art more then renaissance, but that is personal taste - what I find fun.
The big reason for abstraction being the thing in art is that realism is largely figured out. People can do hyper realistic drawings today, the ones that are hard to distinguish from photography. They are stunning pieces of craft. But, at this point, it is craft that you can learn if you study enough and have talent. You are not discovering something new when you do it - but if they are your thing there are artists focusing on this particular thing. There are books you can read that teach you how to render, analyze and draw.