Kunstwollen: Can't Beat that Artistic Urge

This weekend I've been writing a paper on the Nineteenth Century art historian from Austria, Alois Riegl. I was first attracted to Riegl's interest in artistic periods that had been commonly overlooked by his contemporaries. Riegl had a special interest in ornamental art, but he also studied late antiquity art. He based many of his theories on the idea of "Kunstwollen." Literally translated this means "artistic urge" or "will to form." It was his belief that all art is a product of an artistic urge, and these urges are influenced by how artists perceived the world differently. In this way, he felt all art plays an important role in the development of art through the ages. I like the idea of Kunstwollen.
I was reading a converstaion between two contemporary theorists. In the book "Conversations before the end of Time" Ellen Dissanayake, author of "What is Art For?" speaks with Suzi Gablik. Ellen considers all art a form of biologically based behavior, reflecting a universal human need to make things special. This applies to all art forms including the contemporary. She uses Barbara Kruger as an example. Because Barbara Kruger chooses to single phrases or ideas out, she is choosing to make that phrase special, draw attention to it. Ellen says "she's putting them into a frame, instead of just telling somebody, "Oh, I had this really amusing one-liner thought today: 'I shop therefore I am'." She actually takes the trouble to set it down, and then to set it apart..." I agree with both Riegl and Ellen. As artists we create out of a natural tendency, but it is also our own choice what we will create and set apart. Artists feel an urge to create, and we respond to that urge by making our own choices.

(image by Barbara Kruger, 1987)