On the Problems of Art with Originality Contexts, Dilemmas, Challenges

Authors

  • Ryszard Solik *

    Faculty of Humanities, University of Silesia, Katowice 40-007, Poland

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.55121/card.v5i2.280

Keywords:

Originality , Art , Breakthrough of Modernity , Modernism , Cultural Change , Multi-paradigm

Abstract

The sketch discusses selected contexts that are decisive for the narrative of the originality of art. These include historical, cultural, and discursive conditions. Hence the diachronic and culturological perspective of the analysis. This results from the confrontation between the past (tradition) and modernity, as well as from the conviction that culture and respected cultural premises determine the specificity of all phenomena and discourses. As a result, three issues are at the center of the text’s considerations: the context of a culture with low dynamics of change, the turning point of modernity, and the paradigmatic reorganizations of 20th-century art and the problems (challenges) associated with them. The first element is related to the discourse on the originality of art in a culture oriented toward the past. The second marks the breakthrough of modernity, which, in the name of Enlightenment progress, change, and modernization of the world, redefines the concept of originality, while unleashing the extraordinary capacity of art for transformation and artistic innovation. Within the artistic transgressions of modern art, the background for reflections on the originality of art is set by the multi paradigmatic nature of art. This is fundamentally linked to radical and comprehensive transformations in the ontological nature of the work of art (the diversity of art: from the object to the process and event of participatory and interactive art). The originality of art is understood in the text as a dynamic and contextual problem, constructed ad hoc and resulting from many variables.

References

[1] Adorno, T.W., 1994. Aesthetic Theory. Transl. Krzemieniowa, K. PWN Scientific Publishers: Warszawa, Poland. p. 3. (in Polish)

[2] Oxford English Dictionary, 2025. Originality. Available from: https://www.oed.com/search/advanced/Meanings?textTermText0=originality&textTermOpt0=WordPhrase (cited 13 January 2025).

[3] Glowiński, M.; Kostkiewiczowa, T.; Okopień-Sławińska, A.; et al., 1988. Dictionary of Literary Terms. In: Sławiński, J. (ed.). Ossolineum: Wrocław-Warszawa-Kraków-Gdańsk-Łódź, Poland. p. 332. (in Polish)

[4] Ankersmit, F., 1990. Narration as representation. In: Pomorski, J. (ed.). Methodological problems of historical narration. UMCS Publishing House: Lublin, Poland. p. 79. (in Polish)

[5] White, H., 2000. The historiographical text as a literary artifact. In: White, H. The Poetics of Historical Writing. Transl. Domańska, E.; Łoba, M.; Marciniak, A.; Wilczyński, M. Universitas: Kraków, Poland. p. 94. (in Polish)

[6] Rosner, K., 2003. Narration, Identity, Time. Universitas: Kraków, Poland. pp. 14, 76, 77. (in Polish)

[7] Szahaj, A., 2008. The Captivating Power of Culture. In: Fish, S. Interpretation, Rhetoric, Politics. Selected Essays. Transl. Abriszewski, K., et al. Universitas: Kraków, Poland. p. 15. (in Polish)

[8] Bal, M., 2012. Traveling Concepts in the Humanities: A Short Guide. Transl. Bucholc, M. National Center for Culture: Warszawa, Poland. pp. 36, 164. (in Polish)

[9] Fish, S., 2008. Ordinary circumstances, literal language, direct speech acts, what is normal, colloquial, obvious, self-evident, and other special cases. In: Fish, S. Interpretation, Rhetoric, Politics. Selected Essays. Transl. Abriszewski, K., et al. Universitas: Kraków, Poland. p. 29. (in Polish)

[10] Margolis, J., 2004. What, in essence, is a work of art? Lectures on the philosophy of art. Transl. Chojna, W., et al. Universitas: Kraków Poland. pp. 114, 20, 126, 28. (in Polish)

[11] Szahaj, A., 2014. The Limits of Interpretive Anarchism. In: Szahaj, A. On Interpretation. Universitas: Kraków, Poland. Ebook. (in Polish)

[12] Baudrillard, J., 2006. The Conspiracy of Art. Aesthetic Illusions and Disillusions, with Interviews on The Conspiracy of Art. Transl. Królak, S. Sic!: Warszawa, Poland. p. 137. (in Polish)

[13] Krauss, R.E., 1986. The Originality of the Avant-Garde and Other Modernist Myths. The MIT Press: Cambridge, MA, USA. p. 160. Available from: https://monoskop.org/images/d/df/Krauss_Rosalind_E_The_Originality_of_the_Avant-Garde_and_Other_Modernist_Myths_1985.pdf (cited 22 January 2025).

[14] Eco, U., 1998. Semiology of Everyday Life. Transl. Ugniewska, J.; Salwa, P. Czytelnik Publishing House: Warszawa, Poland. (especially part one: Journey to hyperreality). (in Polish)

[15] Attridge, D., 2007. The Individuality of Literature. Transl. Mościcki, P. Universitas: Kraków, Poland. pp. 59, 63.

[16] Szmidt, K.J., 2010. The ABC of Creativity (O for originality). Available from: https://ksiegarnia.difin.pl/imgs_upload/abc-fragment.pdf?PHPSESSID=22bb19035521b7272321ff1024ad7b87 (cited 20 January 2025). p. 136. (in Polish)

[17] Welsch, W., 2005. Aesthetics Beyond Aesthetics: Toward a New Form of Aesthetics. Transl. Guczalska, K. Universitas: Kraków, Poland. p. 139. (in Polish)

[18] Gadamer, H.G., 1992. The Heritage of Europe. Transl. Przyłębski, A. Aletheia: Warszawa, Poland. p. 54. (in Polish)

[19] Dziamski, G., 2000. Art after Modernism. Odra. 10, p. 61. The Book Institute and the Center for Culture and Art: Wrocław, Poland.

[20] Berman, M., 2006. “All That Is Solid Melts into Air”: On the Experience of Modernity. Transl. Szuster, M. Universitas: Kraków, Poland. pp. 17–18. (in Polish)

[21] Szahaj, A., 1996. What is postmodernism? Ethos. 33–34, pp. 63–78. Catholic University of Lublin Press: Lublin, Poland. (in Polish)

[22] Fish, S., 2008. Is there text in the exercises? In: Fish, S. Interpretation, Rhetoric, Politics. Selected Essays. Transl. Szahaj, A. et al. Universitas: Kraków, Poland. pp. 59–80. (in Polish)

[23] Gombrich, E.H., 2007. On Art. Transl. Dolińska, M., et al. Rebis: Poznań, Poland. p. 163. (in Polish)

[24] Białostocki, J., 1982. The problem of originality and evaluation in studies of the iconography of early Christian miniature painting. In: Białostocki, J. Symbols and images in the world of art. PWN Scientific Publishers: Warszawa, Poland. p. 57. (in Polish)

[25] Kasperski, E., 2012. Romanticism and Its Predecessors, Around Prefoundational Discourses. The World of Texts. Rocznik Słupski. 10, 10–11. Available from: https://swiattekstow.upsl.edu.pl/images/publikacja/10/kasperski.pdf (cited 23 January 2025). (in Polish)

[26] Young, E., Conjectures On Original Composition. In a Letter to the Author of Sir Charles Grandison. p. 339. Available from: www.case.edu/affil/sce/authorship/Young.pdf (cited 20 January 2025).

[27] Barthes, R., 1999. The Death of the Author. Transl. Markowski M.P. Teksty Drugie no. 1-2, Publishing House of the Institute of Literary Research of the Polish Academy of Sciences, Warszawa, Poland. pp. 247–251. (in Polish)

[28] Huyssen, A., 1998. Over the Map of Postmodernism. Transl. Margański, J. In: Nycz, R. (ed.). Postmodernizm. Postmodernism. Anthology of Translations. Baran and Suszczyński Publishing House: Kraków, Poland. p. 463. (in Polish)

[29] Le Goff, J., 1997. The Culture of Medieval Europe. Transl. Szumańska-Grossowa, H. Volumen: Warszawa, Poland. p. 337. (in Polish)

[30] Kosowska, E., 2003. Anthropology of Literature: Texts, Contexts, Interpretations. University of Silesia Press: Katowice, Poland. pp. 31–32. (in Polish)

[31] Jenks, C., 1999. Culture. Transl. Burszta, W.J. Zysk i S-ka Publishing House: Poznań, Poland. p. 135. (in Polish)

[32] Habermas, J., 1998. Modernism – An Unfinished Project. Transl. Łukasiewicz, M. In: Nycz, R. (ed.). Postmodernism. An Anthology of Translations. Baran and Suszczyński Publishing House: Kraków, Poland. p. 27. (in Polish)

[33] Weitzmann, K., 1957. Narration in Early Christendom. American Journal of Archaeology. LXI. As cited in: Białostocki, J., 1982. The problem of originality and evaluation... In: Białostocki, J. Symbols and images in the world of art. PWN Scientific Publishers: Warszawa, Poland. p. 53. (in Polish)

[34] Uspienski, L., 1993. Theology of the Icon. Transl. Żurowska, M. Published by W drodze: Poznań, Poland. p. 136. (in Polish)

[35] Secomska, K., 1985. French Painting of the 17th Century. Artistic and Film Publishing House: Warszawa, Poland. p. 83. (in Polish)

[36] Solik, R., 2017. Sketches on (in)originality. Contexts and interpretations. University of Silesia Press: Katowice, Poland. (in Polish)

[37] Lübbe, H., 1991. Musealization. On the connection between our present and the past. Transl. Paczkowska-Łagowska, E. In: Gołaszewska, M. (ed.). Aesthetics in the world. Selected texts. T. 3. Jagiellonian University Press: Kraków, Poland. p. 14. (in Polish)

[38] Nycz, R., 2006. Intertextual poetics: traditions and perspectives. In: Nycz, R., Markowski, M.P. (eds.). Cultural theory of literature. Main concepts and issues. Universitas: Kraków, Poland. p. 165. (in Polish)

[39] Popiel, M., 2006. Towards a new aesthetics. Between the philosophy of art and the philosophy of culture. In: Nycz, R., Markowski, M.P. (eds.). Cultural theory of literature. Universitas: Kraków, Poland. pp. 339–340. (in Polish)

[40] Nycz, R., 2006. Cultural nature, weak professionalism. A few remarks on the subject of literary cognition and the status of literary discourse. In: Nycz, R., Markowski, M.P. (eds.). Cultural theory of literature. Universitas: Kraków, Poland. p. 10. (in Polish)

[41] Kluszczyński, R.W. Conceptualism and interactive art. Available from: https://www.journal.doc.art.pl/pdf6/SID_6_all.pdf (cited 23 January 2025). (in Polish)

[42] Kluszczyński, R.W., 2010. Interactive Art. From Instrumental Work to Interactive Performance. Academic and Professional Publishing House: Warszawa, Poland. (in Polish)

[43] Cackowski, Z., 1986. Introduction to the Polish edition. In: Fleck, L. The Origin and Development of Scientific Facts. An Introduction to the Science of Thought Style and Thought Collective. Transl. Tuszkiewicz, M. Lublin Publishing House: Lublin, Poland. p. 11. (in Polish)

Downloads

How to Cite

Solik, R. (2025). On the Problems of Art with Originality Contexts, Dilemmas, Challenges. Cultural Arts Research and Development, 5(2), 68–83. https://doi.org/10.55121/card.v5i2.280

Issue

Vol. 5 No. 2 (December 2025): In Progress

Section

Article

License

Copyright (c) 2025 Ryszard Solik

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.