“Utopian” and “Dystopian” in the Context of Visual Arts

The paper explores the interdisciplinary trajectory of the terms "utopian" and "dystopian". It acknowledges the fact that "utopia" and "dystopia" are originally terms from literary theory that refer to specific literary genres. In the light of a recent crossover of the term "dystopian" into the vocabulary of art criticism (exhibition reviews and catalogues), as well as a current curatorial fashion of devising exhibitions on the basis of binary opposites of "utopian" and "dystopian", the paper aims to define the range of meanings, connotations and denotations of the terms "utopian" and "dystopian" in visual arts, by means of discussing the particular contexts in which they are used. The use of the term "dystopian" is discussed in the context of the following artists: Alexis Rockman, Michael Kerbow, Fabrice Monteiro, Kushal Tikle, Alice Tye, Jon Rafman, as well as in the context of Croatian artists Jasenko Rasol and Sebastijan Dračić. The term "utopian" is discussed in the context of theoretical discussions about avant-garde art, the socially engaged artistic actions of artists from the second half of the 20th century (in particular, Joseph Beuys), as well as in the context of Croatian art, specifically of Ivan Rabuzin's paintings. The paper argues that, though the terms "utopian" and "dystopian" are transmedia terms, their range of meaning differs in relation to a particular kind of art they refer to. During the approximately last one hundred years, the term "utopian" has been used in theoretical considerations as a means of describing art movements, practices and works. Sometimes it refers to a specific artistic principle, that is, an "impulse" or intention of art that implies a desire for social change through art; at other times, it refers to the visual aspect of an artwork, implying idealistic and/or idealising imagining and visualization. The term "dystopian" has been employed in the context of visual arts only recently, that is, approximately in the last ten years. It is used with the aim of describing a certain mood or atmosphere. It is usually related to the specific iconographical aspect of a work of art. Art works described as "dystopian" most often explore the themes of ecology, consumerism, oppressive social and political systems, power relations and inter-species dynamics. Both utopian and dystopian art is created as a critical response to social reality.