Perfection yielded to imperfection in modern art, which celebrated process. Where different fine artists have always held back from embracing the raw parts of their creative expression for so long, more contemporary artists only recently started embracing these aspects. These have always opposed flawless craftsmanship and perfect finishes because the process may be more integral to the final product.
Imperfection as an Art Form The modern artist often defies the traditional ideal by embracing imperfection. Whether it is careless brushstrokes, rough textures, or a composition left unfinished, mistakes, accidents, and imperfections are frequently working elements of the modern artist's art. They do not like to correct and hide these mistakes but use them in telling a truer story.
For example, works such as those with abstract expressionists like Jackson Pollock turn spontaneity and imperfections into paramount elements of the painting process. For instance, the dripping work done by Pollock is so grand that it is the epitome of working with process instead of striving to achieve a perfect end result. His wild, free-flowing strokes on the canvas in such works befit embracing the unpredictable. Instead of making for a perfect outcome, his work became about capturing that moment of raw emotion and movement.
Process Over Perfection Another vital point in modern art is focusing on the process itself. And even now, there is an overwhelming desire in artists to define that moment when they are actually creating rather than the final product. This way, a great part of the artistic narration is in this process-creation of selection, reduction, and rethinking.
The process-oriented nature of modern art allows the artist to go about exploring without constraints of ideas about what the finished piece should look like. For example, take Olafur Eliasson's immersive installations that incite the viewer to be involved with the work as it progresses around him; this shows how art evolves in real time and sometimes the process is more intriguing than the final piece itself.
The Beauty of Imperfection Modern art is now not just challenging the definition of beauty, but letting art engage with human consciousness in a much more open way and reflective way. So, imperfect pieces normally make us see beauty in the unrefined, unfinished, and emotionally sensitive. This makes for an almost intimate engagement, as people who go to look are nudged along by the fact that life itself is messy, unpredictable, full of surprises, and therefore abundant in its beauty.
In essence, modern art begs us to rethink the way we create, not particular end products that should be flawless, but imperfection and process are what makes the beautiful object—and thus, life—makes art beautiful.
