Principles of Modal Realism in Arts

Art is a reality. Modal Realism in Arts declares that every work of art presents a possible world. We reject the limitations of "abstraction" or “representation” as labels. They reduce the metaphysical significance of art. Art is not "abstraction" or “representation". The artist creates and reveals alternate realities. Every artistic form contains all possible manifestations. In a multiverse of infinite possibilities, where every reality exists in its own form and substance, art is the way through which these realities are accessed. Every artistic act has consequences beyond its immediate perception.

Wodeman, Inframodal, oil on canvas, 2023 - 2025

Principles of Modal Realism in Arts

1.   Art as Worlds. Every artwork is not a representation or abstraction but a realization of a possible world. These worlds exist interdependently with the artist during creation, becoming interdependent with the participant – viewer, listener etc. - once completed or performed. What some call "abstract" is, in fact, a visualization of a world with its own order, possibilities, and existence. Every choice of color or sound, every brush- or keystroke, every tone, every wave, every move and every vibration manifests not just what is, but what could be. Each interaction with an artwork activates a new possible reality, making all interpretations valid within their possible, but not necessarily necessary, worlds.

2.   Rejecting the Label of "Abstraction". To call an artwork "abstract" denies its ontological status as a reality in itself. What is dismissed as "abstract" is not a removal from reality but a revelation of the multiverse - glimpses into the worlds unseen but no less real. Modal Realism refutes this linguistic laziness, as the term fails to recognize the complexity and integrity of alternate realities presented in art. Instead, we must adopt a vocabulary that honors the integrity of these visions. Non-exclusive list of terms includes transdimensional, interreal, metaversal, or simply modal.

3.   The Artist as World-Creator. Artists are mapping possible worlds. Each artistic decision initiates new possibility.  Each created object or experience is a record of a possible world that exists. The swirling or straight forms, vibrant or muted hues, different sounds and moves, familiar or unfamiliar geometries, comforting or challenging phrases are attempts to find and share alternate realities. When an artist chooses blue over red, both worlds exist - the blue-painted world and the red-painted world maintain equal existence, although one of them has been revealed and the other remains possible or gets revealed in a different world. The artist's role is that of a facilitator, helping possible worlds to appear.

4.   Everyone is an Artist. Everyone is an artist, but not everyone talks to the world as such. Being an artist does not necessarily mean practicing art in the traditional sense - such as creating artifacts for recognition or pay, pursuing creativity for introspection, or using creative processes as means of relaxation, meditation, or therapy. Every person creates their life, their everyday events, and their relationships, and in doing so, manifests new worlds. To speak as an artist, however, involves engaging with the shared, sensory world by offering something tangible that others can see, hear, touch, taste, or smell.

5.   The Space-Time of Creation. The void is the birthplace of new worlds, full of possibility and transformation. Every object or event within the artwork manifests a modality, whether harmonious in order, harmonious in chaos, or balancing across order and chaos. Harmony exists in structured and unstructured forms within the void of creative space - a Modal Realist discovers and reveals them by creating the possible worlds from the void. There’s no absence of anything in modal realism arts, and "empty" spaces offer the boundless potential of what could be. Art exists beyond linear time. The moment of creation is a confluence of all possible moments of creation across all possible worlds bringing specific possibility or necessity into being. Work is simultaneously complete and in progress, ancient and contemporary, understood and yet to be conceived.

6.   The Lexicon of Modal Realism in Arts. Modal Realism necessitates a new lexicon for artistic discourse. Words must capture the expansiveness of what is seen and felt. Terms such as "abstract" must be replaced with descriptors that affirm the realness of the art. Terms of the past can be used when they specifically describe art styles and movements without overgeneralization and unnecessary grouping. As new ideas require new terminology to fully express themselves, artists are called to coin specific new words and terms to describe their works to the audience. Inframodal is one example of a new term to describe art objects or events that reveal basic elements of the multiverse.

7.   Rejecting Reductionism. Inherent Value. Modal Realism rejects restrictive frameworks and harmful labeling practices that seek to define art through dismissive terms or rigid hierarchies. No work is 'formless,' 'nonrepresentational,' or 'abstract'; no work is 'over-academic,' 'mechanical,' or 'derivative.' Art must be celebrated for its capacity to reveal, not dismissed for its deviation from a specific perception of reality. All forms of art - whether highly conceptual or intuitive - possess inherent value.

8.   The Ethical Responsibility of the Artist. Artists have a moral duty to treat their creations and creative processes with respect. Each artwork is a window to a lived reality. Every artistic choice resonates beyond its immediate perception, influencing modal connections across all possible realities. Modal Realism demands the rejection of commercial cynicism, deliberately formulaic creation, or art made solely for decorative appeal. While works of Modal  Realism can also serve decorative purposes, artists practicing it find it essential to approach their work with sincerity and authenticity, recognizing their connection to the act of creation and realizing their responsibility for the worlds they bring into being and the realities they manifest. 

9.   Towards a Multiversal Aesthetic. In modal realism, the boundaries between artistic disciplines dissolve. A painting is also a performance is also a poem, a piece of music is also a picture is also a story, an object of digital art is also a dance is also a sculpture — each artwork contains within it all possible forms it could take. Modal Realism in Arts does not prescribe a singular aesthetic. Art celebrates the infinite variety of the multiverse. Works may appear chaotic, ordered, beautiful, ugly, joyful, scary, colorful, monochromatic, bright, dull, dark, light, big, small, easy-to-do, labor-heavy, simple, complex, static, dynamic, minimalist, maximalist, digital, analog, outdated, or actual - each is a manifestation of reality and a reflection of what is possible.

10.   Modal Realism in Practice. Artists of Modal Realism:

o   recognize that everyone participates in the co-creation of worlds, and strive to discover new intersections of perceptions and interpretations in multiple interconnected realities of beings and the worlds they create and live in;

o   create with the understanding that every work is a window to a possible world;

o   refuse the term 'abstract' and other dismissive terms, actively correcting their misuse;

o   create new terms and words to fully express new ideas.

o   advocate for the recognition of art as a manifestation of seen and unseen realities.

Wodeman, Being and Possibility, oil on canvas, 2024-2025

Instead of Conclusion

Modal Realism understands creativity as a means of manifesting possible worlds. It calls upon artists, audiences, and individuals to recognize that every action, relationship, and creation is an act of world-building.

By rejecting reductionist and dismissive terminology, including the misuse of labels like 'abstract,' Modal Realism honors the complexity, integrity, and realness of all artistic expressions.

Through its ten principles, Modal Realism celebrates the infinite variety of modalities - where the “chaotic” and “ordered”, the “beautiful” and “ugly”, the “complex” and “simple” coexist as manifestations of alternate realities.

Modal Realism calls for expanding the language of art, respecting our creations and сreative processes, and discovering the boundless possibilities of new worlds.

Art is an act of living in engagement with the multiverse, and the work of art is everything it is, everything it could be, everything it might have been, and everything it will become.

This manifesto invites everyone - artists, viewers, readers, listeners, players, and creators of all kinds - to embody these principles in their practice and lives and contribute to a shared vision of Modal Realism in Arts through creative acts that shape new realities and reveal the limitless beauty, strength, and wisdom of the infinite worlds.

Wodeman                                                                                            

January 2025          

P.S. This manifesto is just one of the possible realities that exist. Like any artistic vibration, it invites you to its world while countless other invitations remain possible.