Clement Greenberg's Modernist Flatness and Medium Specificity
클레멘트 그린버그의 모더니즘 회화와 매체 순수성
The defining formalist modern art theory asserting that the essence of Modernist painting lies in the self-critical elimination of illusionism in pursuit of medium specificity—most notably the literal flatness of the canvas.
| Field | Aesthetics & Art Theory |
|---|---|
| Level of analysis | Micro · Individual |
| Paradigm | Structuralism |
| Key figures | 👤 Clement Greenberg (클레멘트 그린버그) |
| Year | 1960 |
Key Claims
Clement Greenberg formulated modernist formalism: each art discipline must eliminate every effect that it might borrow from any other art. Modernist painting self-critically abandoned three-dimensional illusionism and sculptural shading, embracing the unique two-dimensional flatness of the canvas support.
Further Reading
- Greenberg, C. (1960). Modernist painting. Forum Lectures (Voice of America).
- Greenberg, C. (1939). Avant-garde and kitsch. Partisan Review, 6(5), 34–49.
Related theories 2개
A critical aesthetic theory positing that authentic modern art must preserve its radical autonomy and resist commodification by presenting difficult, dissonant, non-identical forms that challenge ideological false reconciliations.
A foundational contemporary philosophy of art theory asserting that what elevates an object to the status of art is not its physical appearance, but an atmosphere of artistic theory and historical knowledge—the "Artworld".