Jasmin Schlesiger MFA

"Relations between dilettantism and quality in contemporary art lie in the focus of the present work. Contemporary art deals with current themes that are recognized by society as modern and progressive. There are no fixed forms, media or materials.

The concept of quality in art splits into the terms of quality, nature, grade and value level. Both, the material value and the social value of contemporary art are considered. These attributes lead to the concept of the 'ideal' and its meaning for the quality of art. Here imperfections, repetitions or perfected techniques come into play. Progress and further development are recognized as decisive factors, as they usually lead to novelty, the most important quality feature of contemporary art. However, quality characteristics also evolve with society and art and have a different weighting in different epochs. The aim is to reflect experiences and emotions. The ability to call up these emotions is particularly given by the presence in society.

Since quality characteristics in contemporary art are continuously developing with an increasing pace, artists must be able to keep up with this evolution. Then they can trigger emotions in many individuals, which in turn will lead to social value. This goes hand in hand with financial value that in turn enables them to continue following their artistic passion.

Based on a characterization of the concept, dilettantism and its meaning in the era of contemporary art are discussed. The central point here is the 'will' to create art, which motivates both the studied artist and the dilettante. Furthermore, it is interesting to understand the artist as a dilettante of his subject. Artists often use subjects in which they have only superficial knowledge, but this also opens up the possibility of recognizing and exploring connections within or between subject areas more quickly.

Looking at dilettantism in contemporary art, it is clear that in our fast-moving times, art serves both as an active and passive hobby to increase the quality of life and provide an antipole to everyday life. 
The “hobby artists” often find relaxation and the opportunity for self-reflection in craft. The question of whether the dilettante can be seen as a pioneer in contemporary art leads to several views, including the idea that dilettante work can be seen as a unique technique and does not necessarily have to have negative connotations.

The concept of the “ideal” is basically about how close one can come to the ideal image of an idea. The ideas of perfectionism and beauty seem to go hand in hand with this concept. However, the further development of techniques and tools has a great influence on the image of the ideal. This specifically relates to the external ideal, while the inner ideal concerns the transmission of emotions and statements. In contemporary art striving for the ideal is no longer in the center, but mistakes, imperfections, damages are provoked and enhance a work. The process and experimentation are coming to the foreground.

Discussing quotes from art professors, it is observed that academics are not necessarily critical of dilettantism, but rather see it as an opportunity. Knowledge, skill and intuition are inseparably linked. It seems that the amateur tends to rest on a happy accident, while the learned artist knows that the process and the investment of time often lead to a better quality of the work and thus to a critical view of the work and to a further development of artistic skills.

Contemporary art is particularly concerned with distancing itself from craft and therefore also from 'skill' and 'knowledge'. Instead, the focus is on reinventing the criteria. The process becomes an important part of the work and includes research and experimentation. If the dilettante is less interested in the work than in the idea or intention that led him to create it, it is not surprising that he is gaining in importance in the world of art, as emotions and statements of the work are in the focus. However, the urge to create art is necessary for both groups of artists. The skilled artist can adapt the dilettante way of working as a method. The dilettante needs more time to learn through various experiences and may sooner or later become an expert, too. Dilettantism will therefore only exist for a certain period of time as an artist develops, and will be replaced by 'knowledge' and 'skill'."