Cultural Motivations of an Artist

It is an accepted fact that a work of art must be examined within its cultural context to be fully understood. The motivations that cause an artist to handle the elements of a style in a particular way then become apparent. For the past century and a half, a constantly increasing specialization has been gradually divorcing the artist more and more from the main streams of our Western culture. The various facets of our culture have developed in a zealously defended compartmentalized vertical fashion. Inter-relationships between these facets tend to become weaker with each passing decade. Perhaps the over-emphasis on historical depth within each compartment is partially responsible. Perhaps, also, the neuroticism of a period that has known little security or promise of security is to an extent to blame. Our standards of values are unstable and, unfortunately, constantly shifting. We are subject to pressures that, again unfortunately, are proliferated by radio, television and an intensive press throughout ou...