Kaleriya Krupina. KITSCH AS A COMPONENT OF MODERN MASS CULTURE

An analysis of the causes of a widespread component of mass culture, known as “kitsch”. The author compares kitsch with some modern subcultures, popular among the masses, analyzes similar features, differences, and inter-connections. Art in the postmodern period is examined, gradually supplanting the foundations of classical culture and reducing the intellectual level of a major part of the population. The phenomenon is emphasized of capturing mass consumer consciousness as a result of the global commercialization of kitsch and other streams of mass culture. The important question: “did kitsch exist in the early cultural development of Europe or is this a product of the era of capitalism?” has no definite answer.