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Arts & Communication Kitsch and art

programmatists from Federico Zuccari to the Bauhaus and that Walter Benjamin described as an “aura.” In this
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the Ulm School of Design, namely hermetic, in principle context, however, societal norms and values become
unfathomable, and unknowable”. Even the term “art” itself important, as “to call something art is to have certain
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is questionable because not every culture and language expectations about its social value.” In this view, then, it
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have an “independent concept of (or word for) art – even is the audience who decides whether something is art, more
though people in these societies do engage in making and concretely, not the specialist audience, but the general public.
enjoying one or more of the arts.” 3 Indeed, contemporary everyday perceptions and academic

To approach the object, one can set different foci. This perspectives on art may diverge, as examples of artists who
article lays its emphasis on visual art, e.g., paintings or were impoverished and forgotten in their time but are
photographs. When looking at art, we can first stress the celebrated today impressively show.
work: “The fact that we refer to works of art [...] emphasizes In terms of cultural influence, it is worth mentioning
a concern for and interest in the work, both perceptual and that so-called Western art has found a lot of inspiration
conceptual”. 4 in other styles. For example, Art Nouveau is strongly
influenced by East Asian art and cubism by West African
Consequently, the philosopher Morris Weitz has defined 18
art as “an organic complex or integration of expressive masks. South Asian art has been particularly influential
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elements embodied in a sensuous medium”. Furthermore, in sculpture and architecture, as well as in textile art.
it has been stated that works of art are “something and 2.2. Kitsch
are about something.” In this context, Arthur Danto saw
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works of art as symbolic expressions of meanings and came Kitsch seems diametrically opposed to art: it is “the enemy
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up with the term “aboutness”. 7 of art” and a threat to art. Yet, it is somewhat easier
to find a definition for kitsch than for art, and there also
Aboutness does not equal the purpose, which rather seems to be more social consensus in so-called “Western”
constitutes another perspective – asking what the work societies as to what constitutes kitsch – even though many
is for. Thus, the philosopher Roger Scruton explains definitions differ.
that judging the beauty of a completely unknown object
is hardly possible without knowledge of its purpose, The first mention of kitsch dates back to a German text
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which has been often – in contrast to kitsch – seen in its by the writer Wolfgang Müller von Königswinter from
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reflexivity. Yet, there is also the concept of l’art pour l’art, 1860, in which a painter is asked whether he has “already
taken many ‘kitschen’” – apparently referring to sketches of
called “the most contradictory problem of esthetics.” In the beautiful landscape. Thus, the term could derive from
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this line of thought, “everything that is useful is ugly” “Skizze” (meaning “sketch”), i.e., fleeting painting. Such
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because it is instrumentalized.
paintings were sold to tourists as souvenirs. However, this
Another perspective places the artist him or herself could also be related to another etymological explanation,
at the center. The ancient Greek word “techne” refers namely the derivation from the Yiddish term “verkitschen,”
to “the capacity to make or do something with a correct meaning “to sell something to someone, something
understanding of the principle involved.” The English unnecessary.” Perhaps the term also comes from the
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term “art” uses the same etymology, deriving from the dialectal, onomatopoetic word “kitschen” (meaning “to
Latin “ars,” which originally meant “skill” and “craft” – sweep up mud”), which in turn is related to the Hindustani
which also points to the fact that arts and crafts are very word for potter’s clay and could also refer to early tourist
difficult to distinguish. In both cases, the person creating souvenirs. Kitsch has often been connected to the cultural
something needs certain skills. Today, when referring to “other,” e.g., to small items from the so-called “Orient,”
art, the emphasis is more on the power of imagination and especially from Japan, exemplified by netsuke (small carved
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“the expression or application of human creative skill.” figures), which gained popularity in the late 19 century.
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th
However, creativity as a trait or ability is a historically young Orientalism, the exoticization and mental recolonization of
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concept, understood as “a kind of making that produces “non-Western” cultures can be connected to escapism. This
something which is original.” This aspect is particularly includes not only centuries-old depictions of an immoral
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interesting in our context because, when it comes to kitsch, or backward yet dreamlike Orient but also recent themes
it is often said that kitsch lacks originality. in mainstream culture, such as boho fashion, ethnic prints,
Finally, one can choose the audience or the perception and the rediscovery of yoga. 22
of a work as a starting point for understanding or defining Going hand in hand with the rise of tourism, kitsch
art. In the face of art, the audience often experiences seems to be a modern phenomenon, closely linked to the
a certain feeling of sublimity and a “here and now” time from modernity onward: “Modernity has a condition,

Volume 2 Issue 3 (2024) 2 doi: 10.36922/ac.2990