Crossing the boundaries of Modern and Postmodern Art

Crossing the boundaries in art has not started recently. Along with the emergence of new ideas that disrupt the current order of reality, there is a continuous process of expansion of boundaries. Novelty, originality, ingenuity, uniqueness, and the unknown all contribute to art’s expanding boundaries. The exhibition itself, which took place in the art gallery “Fountains” (urinal), was a completely new artistic venture that sparked a controversy. Duchamp wants to shake up the artistic establishment. However, he is careful to ensure that he accomplishes something more: he demonstrates the impending end of art’s history and the banality of its status while simultaneously opening a new chapter in the history of art.

Also, Andy Warhol, replacing mechanical art with reproduction and ideas of banality, contributed to the demolition of existing boundaries. The famous Campbell’s soups in the sixties were a flash of modern art. Transferring its ironic everyday existence to art proved to be the next logical step toward a new level of knowledge. Unexpectedly, the goods became an art object, which resulted from you have gone beyond the traditional understanding of the work and violated ethical and aesthetic boundaries. The phenomenon of “discouragement of human existence,” or breaking away from any taboo subject, is currently linked to the phenomenon of “crossing bounds in the arts.” 

At the same time, new forms of artistic expression emerged, such as happenings and performances, in which an artist transforms into a work of art, which provokes movement and body. The reason behind it is to make an audience multiply and experience their feelings and impressions in the present moment. However, some artistic actions transcend beyond the bounds of good taste, resulting in absurdity. There are numerous instances to choose from. Acconci masturbated in the gallery, Stelarc hung for hours on the hooks, Chris Burden locked himself in boxes for days, Gina Pane mutilated her face and hands, claiming the pain was cataract, Gilbert and George exhibited themselves as living sculptures, and Marina Abramovic and Ulay slapped each other until they were exhausted. All of these cases demonstrate how art can penetrate one’s private life and breach all taboos.

It’s difficult to define the ethical and artistic components of contemporary artists’ actions in which suffering, degradation, and death are showed in ritual performances performed on their bodies. Is this kind of an avant-garde activity that reveals the world’s pathology? Or are their excesses a reflection of degeneration, lunacy, and a willingness to focus solely on oneself? How far may artists can push the boundaries of good taste? It’s difficult for art to remain caught in the paradise of earlier glory in such volatile, variegated, and ambiguous times. As a result, it is the work of contemporary man, and he bears all of his imperfections. Everyone perceives art in their way. It will be devoid of an ethical or artistic dimension for some people, while it will evoke the most profound contemplation for others.

However, the majority of them contribute to expanding and comprehending art beyond what is already known. They go against widely held ideals by executing a given concept, willing to evoke powerful feelings and depict ugliness, perversion, and agony. Because of the metaphor in them, they are frequently incomprehensible. Contemporary artists’ actions, as we have seen, might appear stupid, sad, silly, and insane. There are certainly insane people among them who only want to be heard about themselves. Others, on the other hand, use actual physiological experiences to elicit greater contemplation on a certain cultural and social problem from the audience.

Modern art has often nothing to do with what people usually mean by it. Its position in the hierarchy of human interests and activities has shifted. It also took on a new ethical and aesthetic appearance. Contemporary activities have a profound impact on our emotions, and they frequently strike at the principles we espouse, prompting deeper thought. Contemporary art, as we’ve seen, defies the notion of beautiful works. However, it remains undefined, resulting in an unsolved challenge that will be passed down to future generations.