Theador Adorno and the modern expression of art

Extract

[...] His main argument about the problem with modern expression of art was that it was artificial and manufactured. Adorno believed that the world had lost much of its individuality, and that people were therefore unable to create art that was original and different from the standard. Adorno used the theories of many famous German philosophers, as well as other famous individuals such as Sigmund Freud and Carl Marx. Combing the theories of these philosophers with his own unique and very critical view of popular culture, Adorno created a theory about art that was very ground breaking and still holds true in modern society. [...]

[...] When products are manufactured and sold to people without those people actually taking part in its creation, it creates a world in which people's original ideas become insignificant and not applicable. Adorno did not accept the theories of Marx in the same way that the Soviet Union did, but he to was able to appreciate and point out the problems with capitalist societies. Adorno uses the ideas of Freud when he discusses alienation in modern society. Freud had many theories about psychopathology and the causes of schizophrenia. One theory was that modern capitalism and the alienation caused by the standardization of popular culture may be causing the illness. [...]

[...] It is only in this way that new ideas can be created. Without such individuality, popular culture forces itself on an artist and instead of creating new and original expressions, the artist just recycles something that already exists and society, unfortunately, does not even take any notice. Adorno believes that in order for society to advance and not become a world in which everyone is exactly the same, artists must be unique in their expressions. In order for this to be possible, they must disassociate themselves from the medium's of popular culture, such as television, radio, magazine, and advertising. [...]

[...] Adorno held many complicated views about art and its place in modern society. He believed that essentially, art was meaningless if it was produced as a result of some non-human manufactured process. These manufactured processes, which force people to think a certain way and limit their options, are not true expression and therefore not real art. Adorno wanted us to appreciate this problem with popular culture and somehow maintain lives that are more individual and less rooted in the whims of capitalist forces. [...]