#art, Does Art Evolve?

People like to use words that they think have special meanings and that clarify their arguments, but in effect they are simply mis-employing terms. One is «evolution.» According to the muckety mucks, namely one Charles Darwin and his parishioners, man evolved from a monkey that decided one day that he would walk on two legs, stop eating bananas and instead of living in the trees, moved to suburbia. Well, mister brilliant scientist, you missed the boat because monkeys (like most animals on Earth) are much more adapted to life on this planet than we (Homo Sapiens) are. For one, they do not need governments, they do not pay taxes, they do not suffer from sunburn and they do not have spinal maladies like a lot of us men and women of the world. So if we take your theory with a grain of salt, we can logically deduce that we we are the de-evolution of a monkey. Imagine that!

And what about art you are asking? I will tell you. Art has never evolved. Art, since the first rupestrian paintings in the caves to Egyptian, Roman, Byzantine, Arabic, Indian, Chinese, Japanese, Aztec, Maya, Navajo, has existed completely and fully. It has not grown flippers, lost legs or gained wings. The idea of art evolving is ridiculous at best and at worst a lie perpetrated by those who would like to control art history. Ancient art, Renaissance art, and the art of every epoch throughout history has changed, as it should. Developing new styles, new techniques, new paints, new brushes, new canvases etc, does not mean evolution. Each period in art history has its art and it is still as valid today as it was when mande and if you don’t believe it go to an auction at Sotheby’s or Christie’s and see what people are paying for such masterpieces.

Here I leave you with a short video of art that is as precious (and as complete) today as it was the day it was done. No evolution required. The painter, the artist, or the sculptor needs to grow with the times, capture the spirit of his time and work with it. That is how art develops.

CHEERS