On The Changes In The Role Of Artistic Design:from The Spectator To The Participator

In this thesis, Longitudinal analysis is made about the elements of artistic works in three periods (pre-modern art period, modern art period, and contemporary new media art period), especially about the characteristics and changes in terms of spectators and participators which are brought about by the social context, artists and art spirit. Horizontal analysis is made about the artistic ideas and the creative motivations of the avant-garde artists who mark different periods, especially their attitudes towards spectators and participators, and the forms and social influence of their works.Chapter Two gives a general introduction about the elements influencing the development of spectators and participators. Chapter Three dwells on the factors influencing spectators and participators from the perspective of historical context before the modern art period, including humanistic history, political system, economic development, progress of science and technology. The position as spectators in the historical context is passive, being civilized and influenced. Chapter Four describes the characteristics of times of spectators and participators in the context of modern art period which symbolizes the beginning of self-discipline of art and emphasis on the existence of spectators. Chapter Five focuses on the rise of new media and the development of spectators and participators it brought about. The spectators are reluctant to accept passively in the situation of social democratic development. Instead, they take the initiative by taking advantage of all the conditions actively.Chapter Six generalizes the previous chapters. Compared with the traditional art, technology has greater influence on contemporary art and its participation in the era of new mass, leading to greater variety of artistic forms. One of the influences of modern science and technology exhibits in the pan artistic life. The boundaries increasingly blurred between art and non-art, professional artists and non-professional artistic creators. Art often blends with life. Bio-technology, nanotechnology, computer remote control, network terminals applied in art are influencing and changing the appreciation and evaluation of artistic works, people’s life state. Participation of spectators and participators and technology adds to the multicultural value of the contemporary new media art.Undeniably, it is a progress from being passive to being active no matter how society and technology develop, how artistic ages bloom and fade, whether we accept passively or choose actively.