Finishing Touches: One Still-Life at a Time

 As I am wading into Cezanne and his painting I am finding what he accomplished quite amazing. He, along with others, have been called the Father of Modernism. The length and breadth of the impact of Modernism across European society and beyond is breathtaking. I find it funny that a man could sit in his studio and paint fruit and wine bottles and that this would lead to a world-wide movement. But that was the power of art, thought and ideas back then. 

Modernism is the rejection of that which was the established norm in society, including art, architecture, literature, religious faith, philosophy, social organization, activities of daily life, and the sciences. There was a sense among the educated and common people that these institutions had become empty or unsuitable in the new economic, social, and political environment of an emerging fully industrialized world. Modernism started slowly in the mid to late 19th Century and came into its mature state between the World Wars and after. 

 Cezanne was early in the development of Modernism, rejecting the realistic painting of the government-sanctioned art academies of the mid-19th Century. He literally changed the perspective of several generations by changing perspective. It was his playing around with the elements of a painting (color, line, shape and perspective) that harmonized with other transformational Modernist developments in the burgeoning industrial cities of Europe. He did this without running for elected office, without sending out a single email blast or sharing a fake news post on Facebook. He did it by being in his studio painting still-lifes.. 

And now we find ourselves in a similar situation. The Industrial Revolution is being eclipsed by the Technology Revolution. People are finding the institutions; economic, political, and religious to be ill-fitted to a new way of living out our daily tasks and activities. Again, the powerful and the wealthy have corrupted these institutions to support their power and to become propaganda-esque – championing what should be seen as the “norm” in our society. 

But the change will come. The leaders will be swept away and new systems will be set up that cater more directly to the individual and protect the earth. The last transition killed millions of people world-wide with the lessons of industrialization being applied to war in order to protect power and wealth. Can the new transition happen without massive destruction? Perhaps there is an artist in her studio, right now, applying paint to a canvas or editing a film or changing her dance movements in a manner that will propel this transition forward in a peaceful manner - protecting all forms of life. I like to think that I am at least trying.