The history of art and culture does not follow a straight line. Revolutionary transformations of society have produced leaps forward, not only in artistic technique, but also in the realm of ideas and creativity.
However, periods of decay and stagnation hold back cultural development, causing it to enter into a general decline. We witness this today under the crisis of capitalism.
Not all art under capitalism is bad. Good artists continue to produce fine work in every epoch. But while cultural production is shackled to capitalism, there can be no qualitative advancement in art and culture.
Only when this absolute fetter is thrown off by socialist revolution will we experience a new Renaissance, by harnessing the full creative potential of humanity.
Check out our pamphlet Marxism and art, as well as the art section of our education hub.
