The art that a nation deserves

FALLS VILLAGE —According to local artist Peter Pettus, modern art is in serious trouble.

“The art that is in the forefront of the contemporary art scene,� said Pettus, “simply reveals a scene of such barren vulgarity, such monumental triviality, that any reasonable viewer can only turn away in despair.�

Pettus presented these and other provocative criticisms of the state of contemporary art in a one-hour lecture and slide show on July 21. The talk was the latest installment of the Tuesdays at Six lecture series presented by the Falls Village – Canaan Historical Society.

In an art career spanning more than 40 years, Pettus has produced work in a variety of media, including photography, pottery and painting. He devoted the first half of his talk to reviewing and narrating some of his pieces from that period, and then used those examples to provide a basis for his commentary on the direction of the modern art movement.

“What I was trying to do, I now think,� said Pettus, “was to find some way to reconnect art to the deeper currents of serious intent that I felt were fast eroding away.�

One of the major reasons for the decline in the quality of modern art, according to Pettus, is a growing disconnect between artists and the spiritual values that had traditionally motivated their work.

“I became increasingly convinced that at its best, art must be related to deeply held spiritual values. The evolving contemporary art of that time was turning away from those ideals.�

He said he was able to connect strongly with that spirituality through his work on Zen pottery, studying with masters in the field. According to Pettus, he was drawn to the deep mystery of the medium. “I came to believe that the whole universe could be contained in a single pot,� he said.

Historical events may have also strongly influenced the direction of modern art, Pettus said. After the end of World War II, Americans had grown tired of the abstract nature of the modern art being produced at that time. They instead turned increasingly to “art of irony� of the sort typified by Andy Warhol, said Pettus.

“This was definitely not high art as I tried to understand it,� said Pettus. “I was more interested in trying to understand the depths, to try to look deeper into the origins of the artistic impulse itself.�

During an extended question-and-answer period after Pettus concluded his remarks, several audience members indicated their agreement with Pettus’ views on modern art. He said that the direction of American modern art can be a touchstone for the general direction of the country.

“It’s perfectly clear,� said Pettus. “It’s a somber and sorry tale, because the work is really often crude almost beyond human belief. Every country gets the art that it deserves.�

Artist Allen Blagden, who lives in Salisbury, said he shared this view. “If art is a reflection of the culture we live in, we’ve slipped,� he said.

Some questioners offered counterpoints to Pettus’ remarks. Lakeville resident Mary Close noted that art has historically been driven by commercial interests. She also argued that perhaps the comparisons between modern art and pieces from earlier periods are unfair because only the highly acclaimed classical pieces are remembered in the discussion.

Afterward, Close praised the nature of the talk. “It generated a lot of questions about what the purpose of art is,� she said. “We needed more time to go into the nuances of the issues.�

Next week, on Aug. 4, the series will continue with a talk entitled “John Brown: Abolitionist,� by Falls Village resident Mary Atwood. The talks are held each Tuesday at 6 p.m. during the summer, at the South Canaan Meeting House, located at the junction of routes 7 and 63 in Falls Village. They are free and open to the public.