Eden Parsley’s dissertation ‘Anti Intellectualism and Contemporary Visions: A Cultural Refusal’ has inspired Year 10 student Amelia Hogan, from Bohunt School (Worthing) to reflect on the relationship between art and criticality during her work experience stint with us. Below, Amelia details some of the questions Eden’s research has prompted her to consider.
“This project caught my eye after I recognised the phrase “anti-intellectualism”, which, as a topic, I seem to spot a lot on social media these days- I’ve also seen many critiques and dismissals of contemporary art. I hear the phrases, “I could do that” and “the door was just blue! There’s no meaning behind it!”. If you don’t know much about contemporary art, all of this discussion will give you the drastic impression that it is hardly an art form at all, and it’s easy to get swept away in these beliefs without looking below the surface. However, this dissertation asks us to look at things from a different point of view. It made me think about my own disregard, and it made me wonder. What is it about contemporary art that makes it so looked down upon? What will we find if we try to engage with the pieces? Have we all been engaging in anti intellectualism without meaning to?
I believe that the answers can be found in Eden Parsley’s dissertation. They discuss the history and context of contemporary art right alongside the ideologies of anti intellectualism: how it affects both us and the art we may encounter. We learn about this by looking at two artistic case studies and discuss the harm that this has had on contemporary art forms. I hope it will open the eyes of others and that we can all try to engage in and be curious about things we may not always understand, rather than dismissing or mocking them.”
– Amelia Hogan
