Hans Hess T-shirt: Art Creates Art

Hess in his lecture on the art of the French Revolution discusses the relation of art and history, and art and political consciousness. He writes that usually ‘a change of outlook’ precedes a revolution, and it is this change that is sometimes reflected in works of art. He writes that artists view the world of art as a world of its own. ‘Art depends on its own past history’: artists are acutely aware of what came before them in terms of artistic conventions, styles and language, and this is the context in which they work. They can decide to continue these traditions, or break them – thus, ‘art creates art’. The artist needs new kinds of forms for new kinds of thoughts, leading to innovations in content and form. But Hess stresses that ‘revolutionary’ does not necessarily mean ‘new’. The French ‘revolutionary’ artists like Jacques-Louis David chose classical antiquity as their model, using Greek sculpture and classical harmony to express the mood of the French revolutionaries who wanted to establish a republic based on the idealised Roman model of democracy.

The texts gathered in Hans Hess: Selected Writings are tools for thinking about and questioning art, the artist, art history, and ideology. Expanding on the writings of Marx, Hess discusses the evolving role and status of the artist. Art and the artist have always played an important ideological role in society – and in the class struggle. A work of art cannot be understood if taken out of its social and ideological context. Art has always been an instrument of power, especially for the ruling ideology. The first volume focuses on art in the 19th century.

PRODUCT DETAILS:
100% Cotton
Classic width, rib collar
Taped neck and shoulders
Classic fit