Paul Cézanne, Mont Sainte-Victoire, 1904.

In response to Greenberg’s views regarding Modernist Art, I do agree on the point that Greenberg made that Modernist Art became like a continuation of what was already established in the past while trying to be a new ground for the curation of a foundation of trying to implement a movement that is homegrown in its own time in history—meaning that it must take into consideration the events of its surroundings in order to criticize itself and become whole. 

The painting that I wish to discuss as a response is Paul Cezanne’s Mont Sainte-Victoire. It is a well-loved piece by an unappreciated artist of his time. His past experiences took hold of what he put out through his artworks—it became his own solace from the chaos that he has participated in and thus he created a picture of what the world seemed for him. The work offers liberation and an invitation to non-conformity as it leads the way for Cubism to flourish. 

If we were to look at Cezanne’s artwork, we can see that it is flat, undefinable, free from borders and the colors do not seem to match what we expected the plains to look like, but that is simply the beauty of modernism—it provides a space for artists to even express themselves and their personalities in their artworks without any reference from the restraints of traditional art. It is not just the same sculptural methods that we have seen from renaissance paintings, as it has more heart and offers a newer perspective for a new world.

Modernism has not just become an art movement but also a philosophical one as it implores the nature of the works themselves. It defines itself to be logical and to be a great supplement to what was emerging that time: the industrial revolution is fast approaching and there is the need to be inventive. There is a need for a reformation of the traditional ways of doing things and that includes art. 

The question of “what is art (at this time)?” took hold of many during this time and this then opened up several discussions as there are aspiring beliefs that are needed to be catered. The integration of logic inspired by Kant has put everything under a microscope and things are now being deliberated if this specific thing is hindering development: if it is, it must be reformed or rebuilt. Spectators of modern art pieces experience a rush as the works “speak” to themselves by hinting if they are actually “living in their own accord,” which explains the alienating features of this movement in order to inspire a new way of thinking and of showing things.

Word Count: 445

As a response to Walter Benjamin’s essay, I would like to focus on his take on films by referencing Erik Matti’s Buy Bust (2016). 

Buy Bust has provided a new set of perspectives that might have actually happened during President Duterte’s war on drugs, mainly about police corruption and how people in the slum areas suffer greatly as an outcome of these operations compared to those who are the big fishes of the problem on drugs.

To expound on this, the film had exposed its audience to the harsh reality of the world through controversial topics that are seemingly undetected at first glance as the director manipulated the story’s narrative to espouse a reaction from its mass audiences. Films like this aim to challenge the people who watch them to analyze similar instances that can be seen in reality while trying to open up a discussion to correct the issues stated in the film, therefore opening an emancipatory outlet for progression and development that would be beneficial for humanity. Watching films like this one is now readily available for people to consume because of the rise of mechanical reproduction and will now increase our sensibilities regarding societal problems and will then increase the chances of overthrowing such issues and rising above them as a community.

Through Walter Benjamin’s essay, we are reminded of art’s power, making us realize that as the world around us begin to change, we are molded by the media and art-objects that we consume, and the way that we perceive art should also begin to change. I reiterated these notions because I would like to magnify the importance of involving people to the things that are happening around them in society:  meaning that we must be able to criticize the problematic ideals set by those who are on top, to stop a “leader” and their fascist ideals from reigning over us. 

In my case, I see films that are like this to be a continuous communication among those who view it, since it is something that one would ponder upon even days or weeks after watching it. Films allow us to have a seemingly instant confrontation without having to know its background or who made it, and it also allows us to create our own interpretation outside of what is blatantly shown on screen. It goes deeper into our reality by immersing us into it, even subconsciously at first, but will eventually be apparent once it has settled.

Photos from: https://www.afar.com/places/memorial-to-the-murdered-jews-of-europe-berlin

In response to this week’s discussion, I will use the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe made by Peter Eisenman to reflect my thoughts on the topic, but before that, I’d like to elaborate on the opinions of both Plato and Aristotle.