High and Low Cultural Art

Traditionally, the word "culture" has been used to describe a community's improvement or cultivation process (Simmel and Levine 2015, pg. 22). Different definitions of high and low culture have been drawn during the evolution path. High art has been associated with "everything that is best" in creation, literature, or global thoughts (William 2015, pg. 28). High culture has been described in academic circles as a "collection of cultural items" that the community holds in the highest respect (Fortin & Tuchman 1989, pg. 78). The term is relentlessly linked to the elite and ruling classes who have the means and ability to procure such exquisite creations as well as the aristocracy. On the other hand, there is low culture, which on a less disparaging term is also known as popular culture. Regarding this level, the emphasis is based mostly on the art’s “display value”. It is regarded to as the lowest form in the art’s field that is completely lacking in the terms of creativity. Pop culture can be greatly associated with mass culture in the society or as Theodor Adorno refers to it “the Culture industry” since it not established by the masses but it is for the masses (Adorno and Bernstein 2007, pg. 98). Nonetheless, despite their crystal clear differences, the artists involved in both of them are driven by a radical approach, technological ideas of positivity, and major narratives of the western world domination. In this paper, examples of high and low cultural artifacts during the 20th and 21st century will be discussed together with the social, political, and historical contexts that surround them. Some of the examples of high art discussed include paintings, classical music, sophisticated graphic novels, ballets, and operas while the low culture includes games, reality shows, popular music, and afternoon gossip programs.

A good example of a high art is the graphic novel “From Hell” written by the 21st-century author, Alan Moore (Callahan et al., 2012). The book is sophisticated when it comes to its texts that require thorough reading for better comprehension. The author analyses the corruptions and political power in England. The novel’s prologue starts with several epigraphs with one being the salutation to Ganesa who is the Lord of the beginnings. Another one is the definition of the word “autopsy” from the dictionary; one is also a quote from Fort Charles who is a paranormal researcher with the last one being from Sir William Gull. In the novel, Sir Gull, who is the physician to Queen Victoria in England, is the knight’s final solution founder. The author posits Gull as the Jack the Ripper and also illustrates the deep conspiracy whereby a prostitute is murdered in Whitechapel in the process to cover up a royal indiscretion. From hell seems just like a complete and uninterrupted graphic narrative work. Every page is clearly written thereby showing that indeed it is not a work for hire comic book storytelling. It is tightly packaged and concise. Basically, this text is much more perfect than most of the books that many authors write. Its annotation has well discussed any questions that may linger in minds of readers thereby being a high art.

An example of a high culture that began in the early centuries and even continues to inspire the elites is classical music. The music is mostly associated with powerful, wealthy, and high social class in the society. One of the 21st century well known and best classical performer is Max Richter, a composer from Berlin who is an emotionally compelling and resonating artist. He has worked with other great acts such as the Future Sound of London and Piano Circus. Richter’s music has been heard in the masterpiece of Scorsese movie “Shutter Island” with his album “infra” remaining to be one of the best this decade (Maxrichtermusic.com, 2017). His music basically is for entertainment and also driven by emotional healing especially when one needs to escape all their problems. The tickets to his concerts are usually expensive thus being reserved mostly to the elites in the society.

Another example of a high art in the 20th century is the paintings. One of the best with an inspiring political story behind the art is the “The Tree” by Ibrahim El-Salahi that was released in 2003. He began his studies in painting in Khartoum during the 1950’s. Then after, he traveled to London to master the art in Slade School before returning to Sudan in 1959. He was then appointed an undersecretary in the culture department under the regime of Jaafar Nimeiri before he was accused of committing acts against the state thus imprisoned in 1975. In the prison, he drew on the small pieces, which he buried on the ground to avoid being noticed by the guards. After he was released in 1977, he moved to Qatar where he started a ministry of culture. In 1998, El-Salahi returned back to Oxford, England to continue with painting. Throughout his itinerant life, the artist has freely infused Arab, Islamic, African, and Western culture into his drawings and paintings to portray his personality and events that he went through. The painting “The Tree” was as a result of inspiration that he got from the Haraz tree that is found along the River Nile. For the artist, this tree symbolizes Sudanese character because it only thrives during the dry season and sheds its leaves in wet periods. Its vertical lines rigidity is softened mostly by the color bands, which look like they are floating across the surface. The author's remarks regarding the painting are that “there is no shape without painting thus the reason why there is no painting without drawing and in the end, all images can be reduced to lines” (Artspace, 2015).

On high culture, which refers to sets of cultural products held with high regards by the society, public mourning of national figures has been the norm. Death of a person who has been grown politically, socially, or religiously amongst the people is usually felt by their followers. It started during the Victorian era when Martin Sydney died, a sea of flowers flocked to his home with over a thousand people attending the funeral. The same occurred to Princess Diana when she passed in 1997 in a fatal road crash in Paris, France. People all over the world had grown up with Diana and loved her thus her death made them feel like they had lost a great course. After her death, millions of flowers were placed by mourners at the Kensington Palace with her photos. The same tradition has been kept even in the 20th Century, for instance, after the 9/11 attacks on America, the majority of mourners all over the world joined in praying for America and the victims together with their families. Many messages and photographs were left at the World Trade Centre in mourning. The same occurred to the 2004 Atocha Railway station in Madrid after the train bombing whereby many candles were lit for the victims by mourners (Maclean, 2014). Even though the 21st high art in public mourning is not as great as it used to be in the previous centuries, some public figures who have an immense effect on people are still mourned when they die the same way but not in large scale as Martin Sydney and Princess Diana.

Operas also serve as high culture. The Minotaur by Harrison Birtwistle released in 2008 digs deeper into the historical facts of humanity. It has ancient characters and themes. Birtwistle work involves musical guts and literal blood concerning a half man whose the half is a bull thereby making the characters seem grounded (YouTube, 2011).

On the other hand, low culture basically would include a culture that is popular in the society, easy to comprehend, and entertaining to the majority of the youths. For example, pop music in the entertainment scene. The music of most of the 21st centuries has the greatest influence on many people than most of other Hollywood movies. Musicians are being idolized more with a huge following in terms of social media. Behind every piece of a record, there has to be a story that surrounds it. Christianity teachings have infused in hip-hop music of Kanye West’s Jesus Walks to guide the listeners on the path of walking to God. West explains how despite people sinning, God still forgives them without caring whether they are sinners, murderers, drug dealers, prostitutes, or saints (Quinn, 2015). Grammy Award winner Alicia Key’s song “Karma” is also another piece that teaches the social importance of being kind to others (Genius, 2017). The lyrics are very strong with good educations to the listeners accompanied by superb vocals.

Games are also part of the low art, for instance, the US television game program “Supermarket Sweep,” which is a show that entails a team-based quiz with a live timed race through a randomly chosen vacated supermarket. The cameras then follow all the competitors with shopping carts with the value of the items chosen being counted. The teams that make a wise decision in spending are awarded as winners (E! Online, 2017). The game teaches the society concerning wealth and poverty. In student’s it can be really helpful especially in assessing how altruistic they are especially if offered the chance to take whatever they want in a given situation.

Another example of low art in the 21st Century is the reality shows such as “Keeping up with the Kardashians.” The popular show has managed to capture the hearts of many Americans and even foreign nations. It explains the lives of normal Americans through the members of the Kardashian family. Generally, the show influences the social lives of every citizen who watches it on how to carry on with their lifestyle through the lens of cooking, health, and fashion wise as well as being a source of entertainment. The family members include Kimberly, Khloe, Kourtney, Kris, and Robert Kardashian. Other members also include Caitlyn, Kylie Jenner and Kendall Jenner (Truong, 2017).

After gossip programs also fall into this category. For instance, Wendy Williams show, which basically talks about all the hottest and latest news regarding the politics, entertainment scene, religious, and social issues that surrounds our society. The show is hosted by Wendy Williams herself who informs her audience about the current news that they need to comprehend. The host also ensures that the audience members comprehend ever detail by also engaging them in the conversation as well as inviting co-hosts who assist in the transmission of information. The co-hosts also take charge of teaching people on how to cook to ensure that they remain healthy, exercise, shop wisely, among other things (Wendyshow.com, 2017).

Low art has been viewed as an endless cycle of “popular culture.” The new technology has managed to lead the society to a certain demand culture whereby everything can be accessible within the touch of a button thus making this culture easily accessible and at the same time disposable. Typically, low art according to history is defined by people who consume it, such as the masses or Barbarians (Tuchman & Fortin 1989, pg. 42). The culture is usually criticized by supporters of high culture as being “commoditized.” A good example can be the alternating style of Madonna. The artist began her career as a simple girl whose main role was to entertain and nothing more. However, as time went by, she reinvented herself thereby dressing and performing provocative songs such as “Like a Virgin” (Pitchfork.com, 2015).

Conclusion

In summation, both low and high culture is the necessity in the 21st-century art despite their differences whereby they serve different people with different interests. Generally, despite the majority of young people relying on pop culture due to its familiarity it has with them especially its technology incorporation, high art is also rising in influencing them, For instance, classical music and concerts are currently rising all over Europe and America. Examples that discuss pop culture such as pop music, games, television shows, reality shows basically are driven by social, political, and historical contexts that have influenced the artists involved and continue to influence the audiences too. The same goes for high art examples that include operas, mornings, paintings, sophisticated graphic novels, and classical music. Without each of the two cultures, our life can be boring thus the importance of the society embracing all of them despite high culture being associated with elites while low culture with non-elites.



























References

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