85. Advertising is dearly the most influential art form in this century. It is therefore " j& {2 A% B* J3 w/ _" F
tempting to think it is also the most important. However, great artistic achievement is
+ m% B0 Z- G! kdetermined by criteria beyond mere influence. And when examined against these ; G. i, }. R% k' | E
criteria, the genre of advertising does not measure up as truly important.; B0 d# }0 e2 z1 X# }
To begin with, great art inspires us to look at the human situation from new 4 E1 D D# K- j% Q0 h
perspectives. For example, early impressionist paintings challenge our thinking about
- C- x' W) u8 c; C, kvisual perception and about the nature of the reality we assume we see. Other works, $ G2 G8 w. h$ s! F9 ~& [0 G
like Rodin's "The Thinker," capture for our reflection the essential value of human
& H0 B, H6 ]2 Prationality, in stark contrast, advertising encourages people not to think or reflect at all, ' k$ O7 U, {5 n9 A- K
but simply to spend.
! n; @$ ?8 [/ M- }; [ In addition, the significance of great artistic achievement transcends time, even
B- W6 K7 S, _$ Vwhen it reflects a particular age. Yet advertising, by its very nature, is transient; in an 7 e1 x6 x: C U% X* Q; A
eye-blink, today's hot image or slogan is yesterday's news. Of course, the timelessness
, ^+ u2 A) g5 y; g, H6 Oof a work cannot be determined in its own time. Still, it's hard to imagine even the most $ v8 t9 }$ ]* J$ K, j" K
powerful advertisement living beyond its current ad campaign.
0 b6 u" _! C5 K0 \" q, s Admittedly, one ad—Andy Warhol's painting of the Campbell Soup can—has
1 m4 R. R) n7 u& pachieved timelessness. But notice the irony; the packaging or advertising image was
) l# q) t; E* U* \banal until it was elevated above mere graphic design to high art. The lesson here is that % c( A* {, K p3 Y
advertising, in itself, probably will not achieve great importance as art. But taken up by : ~# G: E' ~8 ~: _7 u
the artist as content in a larger commentary on society, it can become transcendent.- @2 K+ c9 f* \! [- ?- g: \% C
In sum, artists will no doubt continue to comment on advertising and on the ( L7 {3 Q- x- J3 }) L" V5 e
materialistic values it reflects and promotes. But the ads themselves, however influential
9 V, p& {6 B) A1 U( Oin marketing terms, fail to fulfill all the criteria for important art. |