Art has traditionally been defined by rebellion. Whether it be rebelling against political and social forces or against reality – it has always been a challenging force that has stood up to convention. However, in recent times it has been suggested that the millennial generation is not disruptive enough to result in an avant-garde movement – what do you think?
Many different factors are affecting this generations ability to express themselves and challenge convention. First, there is the matter of space. Studio spaces and galleries are being converted into luxury living complexes, whilst attacks on social housing are on-going. To live, let alone exhibit as an artist in London is increasingly more difficult every day.
It is argued that any politically charged, cultural sub movements that once were the root of artistic rebellion are close to non-existent, in the consumer ridden world we live in today. Words like punk, DIY and popup have been taken by business. Punk is now a way to sell beer, not an avant-garde art movement. There is little escape from business in this hyper connected world. It is this world of inauthenticity this that modern rebellious artists are challenging.
An example of this is Amalia Ulman, who created an entirely fictitious online persona over the course of a year. She staged narcissistic images of herself and her enviable life in an attempt to challenge common online personas. This could be considered to be quietly challenging, rebelling against a social norm that has developed with the rise of our online lives.
Collaboration is another way that young artists are responding to this modern world. Collectives like Auto Italia are on the rise as it is impractical for a single artist to work alone in an expensive studio. Auto Italia’s most recent exhibition ‘Golden Age Problems’ involved 12 artists who explored the seduction of mass media through various mediums.
Simon Denny is another more conventional artist who is challenging the corporate world but not like the punks of the 70’s. Having exhibited in NYC MOMO, The Serpentine and Venice Biennale he is gaining some notoriety. Denny repurposes management and re-contextualises it to challenge the meaning. For him, the changing face of business has made it harder to rebel against. People like Steve Jobs are heralded as creative visionaries on par with artists and he thinks that this is how new start-ups see themselves. When business is seemingly a creative playground it is harder to rebel against with creativity and expression.
So, it is not that the artists challenging convention don’t exist. The idea of convention has changed making rebellious art more conceptual and far less tangible. As this online world expands more and more – the number of artists rebelling against it and challenging the social conventions it creates will only increase.
