The Democratization of Art: Media and the Art of Publishing on Art

Art Style | Art & Culture International Magazine

Abstract

The historical approach to democratic ideals is based on the relationship between art, technique, and industry in its creative conception and the cultural influences of its practice in the process of economic, social, and political development. However, in order to better understand this relationship, this article seeks to understand the place of art and communication in the origins of Western knowledge through a brief retrospective of the evolution of verbal and visual languages. Through this panorama, essential to the meaning of art and communication, the article presents an analysis that considers the historical significance of art publications in the process of democratization, freedom of expression, the press, and art from the Renaissance to modern times, while focusing mainly upon the period from the 20th century to the present day. The purpose of technique in its global dimension is fundamental to human existence. Such technical transformations are the consequences of social achievements in the search for conquests and freedoms. However, the quest for freedom is paradoxical. Consequently, through a theoretical foundation in art, culture, and technological evolution, the article seeks to understand the development of art publications better, using examples of significant publications in the history of Western culture. On the one hand, the creative practices considering the resources and socio-cultural stimuli from Johannes Gutenberg’s work with the printing press to the 20th century and the transition to the 21st century are observed. On the other hand, within this article, this publication practice is also related to the leading art magazines, and aesthetic and social reflections upon the cultural context in Europe and today’s globalized world.