Nature of Abstract Art (1937) by Meyer Schapiro was written as a direct response to Alfred Barr’s essay on Cubism and Abstract Art. In his response, Schapiro critiques Barrs formalist view point. Barr was one of the first historians to create a visual flowchart to map out the history of modern art but his assumptions appear to lack a understanding of nature, representation and the nature of abstraction, according to Shapiro. Nature of Abstract Art addresses Barrs disregard of social context within art history and the notion of art as moving in one defined direction. Shapiro argues that Barrs essay proves ‘unhistorical’ as well as discrediting his ideas of ‘pure aesthetics.’
Meyer Schapiro was one of the most influential art historians of the twentieth century. Schapiro considered himself a marxist and would apply that in his studies of art history. He closely examined social context of the time using materialist interpretation; Thus his work mainly focused on the impacts culture, politics, and society had on artists. Nature of Abstract Art discussed Barrs ‘Theory of Exhaustion’ which attempts to explain the development of abstract art and the stylistic changes seen in the twentieth century. Stating that artists have grown board of representational forms, and that they have exhausted objects to the point where the only next logical step for them would be towards abstraction. “By the common and powerful impulse they were driven to abandon the limitations of natural appearance.” (Barr 1936, p3) This seems to be an oversimplification of human behavior in Schapiro eyes; implying that artists interests are completely separate from the social contexts and political interests that surrounded it at the time. Reducing art history to complete autonomy.
Schapiro expresses his opposition of Barrs neglect for the human experience by giving evidence that shows how these stylistic changes are undoubtedly linked to a shift in the values and perceptions of the time. He does this with examples from the Impressionist movement. Impressionism took place at a specific moment in our history; in the middle of the nineteenth century it was a time for change in France, this was a radical style of art that rebelled against classical subject matter and embraced modernity. It had a desiring to create works that reflected the world in which these artists lived within. “The reactions were deeply motivated in experience of the artist, on a changing world with in which they had to come to terms and which shaped their practices and ideas in a specific way.” (Schapiro 1937, p7) Schapiro is attempting to display the importance of social analysis in art history and how it proves careless overlook it. He strongly believed in historial materials; that material circumstances put pressure on people to behave in a certain manner, thus influencing artists. Nothing just evolves, in the viewpoint of Schapiro, the conditions of life give rise to new things which affect how we see and interpret our world.
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According to Shapiro, Barr’s interpretation depends on the supposed opposition of realistic art to abstract art. Barr operates this theory on the assumption of the nature of painting. Seeing representational as purely a mirroring of nature objects; believing that abstraction is purely aesthetic, unconditioned by objects and are based on their own laws. Claiming that “the abstract painter denounces representation of the outer world.” (Barr 1936, p11) However Sciopero expresses that there is no ‘pure aesthetic’, that all art is representational, always trying to represent something whether that is a feeling, or an idea. Abstract isn’t simply independent from the material and social world. “All fantasy and formal construction, ever the random scribbling of the hand, and shaped by experience and by non aesthetic concern.” (Shapiro 1937, p12) Schapiro is trying to convey that form and context are undoubtedly linked to one another. Abstract elements do not have the same expressive characteristics or emotional focus apart from representational; to abstract them completely from their representational content is to change there effect. What Barr fails to account for is that connection, that this form of art has expressive values that go beyond its’ purely aesthetic qualities. By simply assuming these artists based their work on boredom and ‘looking for something new,’ ignores any kind of lived experience; Barr seems to miss the point entirely.
Barrs theories appear to be in direct opposition to shapiro’s view that social relation plays a vital role with in the history of art; Shapiro believes in the deep innerconnection we have to art. Believing that the work of art and the artist cannot be separated, and that the artist is inextricably linked to societal conditions. Barr completely remove the the impact of social influence in his theory of exhaustion thus missing the expressive qualities that arises within it.
