English Version | Art for beauty’s sake

31 Oct 2023
By Mariana Silva

Arts Issue

When the French philosopher Victor Cousin wrote the famous phrase "l'art pour l'art", he couldn't have imagined that, two centuries later, he would be justifying the purpose of beauty. But the truth is that art doesn't need a reason. Art is created because it is art. Beauty is born because it is beauty. And art is also a vehicle for beauty. Or is beauty a vehicle for art?

Dadaism

Its most popular symbol is a urinal - or a "fountain", as Marcel Duchamp would call it in 1917. However, the Dada movement doesn't end at this bizarre spring of water: it embraces the absurd and plays with unusual humor to make some of the most poignant social criticisms of the 20th century. In beauty, it's about having no limits, and accepting that to be different is to follow your own path.

Expressionism

Spontaneous brushstrokes that follow the natural movement of the artist's hands. Strong emotions, communicated through a diverse color palette. Above all, an ode to imperfection and its ability to transport us beyond reality. Just like in the world of make-up, where the fingers guide the application, and the products are the ultimate expression of their user.

Futurism

At the beginning of the 20th century, Futurism reflected the sovereignty of machines, innovation and the unknown. In 2023, little has changed. We continue to be surprised by technological revolutions, which arrive at our homes in the form of alien devices. Could Giacomo Balla have imagined the benefits of LED technology? Umberto Boccioni certainly wouldn't have known how to slow down the skin's ageing process. But beauty does.

Pop Art

Can we all be Marilyn Monroe as portrayed by Andy Warhol? No, but we can recreate one of the most emblematic images of Pop Art. In general, they are distinguished by their bright colors and references to popular cultural themes (which can be celebrities or cans of soup). Their cartoonish appearance can be recreated with a simple eyeliner, but it's the satire that brings them to life.

Realism

The world as it is, according to the eyes of the beholder. Of all the artistic movements, Realism is perhaps the one that best conveys the purpose of contemporary beauty: to care for and accept the skin we have, rather than transforming it according to unattainable stereotypes. With light coverage and natural-looking formulas, beauty is becoming more and more realistic.

*Originally translated from the Arts Issue, published November 2023. Full credits and stories in the print issue.

Mariana Silva By Mariana Silva
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