Snorting Art History on the Sidewalks of Shanghai

Art History is highly addictive. Following the emotional abstraction of Monet and Matisse, the "pop" of Warhol and Lichtenstein, and the plain, bold colors of Reinhardt and Klein is like an adventure video game.

Art History is more addictive than ever before because it is immediately gratifying. Websites like Wikipedia and ARTstor (an art image database) have revolutionized the Art History world. With these electronic libraries at my disposal, I can synthesize masses of information and ideas far faster than any life-long art historian could fifty years ago. I can compare images from museums around the world, read critiques, and even access online journals in a few clicks of my laptop pad while still in my bed. In just a few days of studying, I feel on par with any 1950's art historian who spent his days traveling to and from museums and libraries. Now more than ever, the gratifying nature of art history puts it on par with any sort of drug I know.


Of course, downsides exist - repetitive, formulaic research, the ever-changing art world, and the improbable nature of coming up with any truly "unique" ideas (at my local library alone, I saw over a dozen large textbooks named, "Art History", "The History of Art", "Historical Perspectives on Art", "Art, in a History", "Art: A New History", and several other permutations of the same words). But I will continue to ignore these because learning about Art History buys one a fresh perspective on culture. And addictions are kind of fun. This is one drug, however, that is sold only in this century. But we'll use it to rush ahead and unveil what hasn't been by traditional scholars.

This is the promise of the new generation: to learn faster and make more on-the-fly connections about the world to maybe make it a better place. The depth of knowledge might be sacrificed, but it's a small price to pay.