opinion

The Art Cycle and the Decline of Genres

Editor Andrew Castanea

The Inevitable Life Cycle of Artforms Leads to Both Their Own Decline and Eventual Revival.

There exists a cycle within many popular forms of art, made especially visible by the modern day when art resources are more accessible than ever before.

The concept starts with a common artform with many different pieces but all strongly relating to one another. The longer this phase endures, usually the lower the quality declines. Sooner or later, an innovator steps into the spotlight to redefine the genre, to which their new ideas gradually become the new norm for the genre.

The bane of this concept is simple, though unfortunate: some people are just less adequate at producing good art. Many are familiar with the stereotype of the hometown up-and-coming Soundcloud rapper or garage rock band. As the stereotype goes, many of these artists never see fame or fortune, but this isn’t necessarily an evil, as very little of these artists produce music of any genuine quality.

Because of new modes for streaming video and music (i.e YouTube, Soundcloud) which also allows basically anybody to upload art, the scope, or rather the neighborhood, of these up-and-coming, less than adequate artists, just became a whole lot bigger.

It’s common for these artists to borrow themes, ideas, and musical concepts from the artists they know and love rather than producing from their own creativity. Successfully, they end up tainting the name of art, which has always been about *SELF* expression, not just the repetition of ideas which have already been expressed in a more pure, more adequate fashion. The goal of an artist is to bring something to their work that only they can bring. If an artist fails to do this, an artist has successfully done nothing.

The modern consensus among many audiences in the modern day is that country music is a bad genre. Many believe the genre to be uncreative and unoriginal with themes resonating many of the same basic ideas.

These notions are not made in vain. A tendency for lack of fresh, creative elements in a popular genre is not new, and has been seen many times before in genres such as pop, trap, and even classic rock’n’roll to say the least.

Not all art has to be groundbreaking. It doesn’t all have to be the next big thing. Art, as much as it is about self expression, is also about self enjoyment and entertainment. With this notion, however, must also come the knowledge that the product of an artist “just having fun” does not always constitute a good piece of art. Despite everything, the factors that constitute good art are passion, creativity, and originality.

There’s a good lesson to be learned from good art. In order to see success, in order to be recognized and admired, one must be themselves. Like any other person, an artist is not recognized for being like everybody else, rather they are loved and recognized for the characteristics that they may call their own.