Feature Essay

Making History: Contemporary Art and Diverse Cultures in the 21st Century

I knew that I had to check out the modern art of Vietnam even before landing at Hanoi's diminutive airport.  An in-flight magazine article, proclaiming a burst of local art talent, triggered my response.   That was back in December of 1994, and my feelings about art have never been the same since.  As Americans, we grew up with a host of images and conceptions about Vietnam, and the last thing on most people's mind was Vietnamese modern art.  But since visiting the country I discovered in reality that the Vietnamese people are very expressive and poetic; you can see that by the way they dress, communicate and interact with their countryside and nature.  The artworks I saw opened a new window to the beautiful scenery, life and traditions of the Vietnamese people.  Today contemporary Vietnamese art is part of the global art market, having proven itself as a viable and important art scene.

In the last ten years, the more I traveled to, inquired about and saw different countries and cultures, the more I witnessed how unique and interesting their contemporary art scenes were.  It has only been in the last decade or two that these artworks started to receive any significant outside exposure.   To understand why one must understand the history of modern art, pretty much a western franchise for much of the twentieth century.

The twentieth century has been a bellwether for the advancement of arts and humanity.  Since the Impressionist movement broke loose from centuries of traditional art practice, we have been on a warp speed train through some very creative and varied art movements.  The twenties and thirties were particularly robust decades in Europe, bringing to light Fauvism, Cubism, Surrealism and the Bauhaus style, among others.  Master artists such as Matisse, Picasso, Magritte and Klee firmly established the modernist approach to the arts and to life.  Then after world War II the dominant art scene shifted to the United States with the birth of Abstract Expressionism in the late forties.  Since then Pop Art, Minimalism, Conceptual Art, Installation Art, etc. have filled our museums, galleries and minds with more art and ideas. 

In the last century it seems the art world became obsessed with reinventing itself and offering "something new" at every turn.  Some believe that it has recently become self absorbed and overly influenced by a rising art market.  This may be true, but what strikes me the most is that although the mainstream art world has gone to great lengths to see art in new and different ways, until recently it has totally ignored the modern arts of different cultures.   Some may argue that cultural diversity has always existed with prominent artists such as Rivera (born in Mexico), Naguchi (raised in Japan), Paik (born in Korea) and Tamayo (born in Guatemala) to name a few.  But all these artists (and most others of similar stature) studied abroad, made their careers abroad, and indeed most even resided in Europe or the USA.  It is not to say that these artists did not bring their original culture into their works (for they did) but rather that they had to play by the rules set out by the art establishment in order to reach a level of prominence and acceptance in the art world.

On another level, if one studies the history of African American art, it becomes apparent how a group with a unique cultural identity was margialized.  Prior to the 1970's, African-American art was pretty much off the map of the established art world.  One could buy the works of Romare Bearden and Jacob Lawrence at very reasonable prices, if one knew of them.   Today they are regarded as modern masters and are collected by museums worldwide.   The established art world has begun to realize that the African American experience offers a valid and new perspective on art, not only for blacks, but for all of us.

The artworld of today is experiencing an infusion of international and cultural talent at an unprecedent rate.  The recent recognition of modern art from Vietnam and of African-Americans, both discussed in this essay, are very different examples of this trend.  Key changes in global politics, social equality and technology have fueled this phenomena, including: The opening of national borders (of formerly authoritative or communist nations), the social progress of minority groups in the USA and Europe, and the advent of communications technology including the internet.  As a result the world of art is no longer an exclusive club; indeed artists from as far away as Vietnam or nearby as Harlem can have an impact and influence on our art culture.  Collectively, we as a global people stand to benefit, as we all expand on our visual language, cultural understanding and notion of humanity.

Amit May

April 14, 2000