Contemporary Art

Contemporary Art

Throughout history, art has been a form of visual expression, dating back to the eighteenth century. The term art can mean a diverse variety of media, ranging from painting, drawing, sculpture, decorative arts, photography, printmaking, and installation. Although those are the traditional forms of art, art can also be expressed in a variety of other media such as pottery, basketry, enamelwork, glassware, stained glass, interior design, furniture, rug and carpet, floral decoration, lacquerwork, mosaic, tapestry, and metalwork.

What is the history of Contemporary art?
"Contemporary Art initially grew along with Modernism; however, it is now viewed as divergent from that school. In 1910, Roger Fry and his colleagues founded the Contemporary Art Society. At the time, this was simply a private society where artwork could be purchased for public museums. Through the 1930’s more institutions were founded with the same terminology.

Scholars in the field distinguished Modern Art as a specific style that did align with a specific time-period. In contrast, the contemporary style continues to progress as over time, which adds to the wide variety of approaches and outcomes." (IESA - International studies in history and business of art & culture, 2019).

Video: Introduction to Contemporary art. (Khan Academy, 2019).

Visual arts range from aesthetic purposes to utilitarian purposes and therefore distinguish between the terms artist and artisan. An artisan is one who gives attention to the utilitarian purposes of art. In the mid-1800s, art schools began to open to separate these forms of art from more utilitarian media. This separation continued until the late 20th century.

The definition of visual art from the United States copyright definition, is any art form such as painting, drawing, print, sculpture, and still photographic image. Visual art is art that is visual in nature. Applied art such as industrial design, graphic design, fashion design, interior design, and decorative art are all considered forms of visual art. Performing arts, conceptual art, and textile arts all involved aspects of the visual arts.

A recurring question; What is actually performance art? Let´s dive into Khan Academy. "Is it theatre? Can it be dance? Where does the "art" part come in? These are all fair questions when it comes to performance art, an interdisciplinary art form that brings together elements of time, space, bodies, and audiences.

The origins of performance art date back to the First World War and Hugo Ball's Dada Manifesto, which rejected a world that could be consumed by war and called for a new society–and a new form of art for that society. The Dadaists prized nonsense, irrationality, and intuition over reason and logic, and performed songs and actions that reflected this attitude. The Futurists and Surrealists shared a very similar anti-establishment outlook." (Khan Academy, 2019).

Here´s an example, Video from Tate Modern: The art of everyday behaviour...

Things began to change that challenged traditional definitions of art in 1917. Dada artist Marcel Duchamp submitted a sculpture of a porcelain urinal to a public exhibition in New York City, implying that it was sufficient for an artist to decide something is art and submit it to a public venue, thus challenging art institutions to determine what was and was not considered art. 

Video below: Marcel Duchamp interview on Art and Dada (1956)

Other experimental forms of art such as this Video: What is Conceptual Art? | Tate Kids:

Video: All You Need to Know about Conceptual Art

...and minimalism surfaced in the 20th century, and by the turn of the 21st century, more forms of art, such as video art, challenged the traditional definitions of art.
Video: Minimalism Art Movement Documentary

As a form of realism expression, CA - Contemporary Art, is a straightforward approach to represent certain thoughts and ideas. They are literate in concepts of: Art modern, but instead work in a more traditional form. It can be described as a certain artistic style of movement that started in the 19th century and lasted up to the 1970s. Many historians in the art field of study, tend to agree on some things. One of the core things they agree about is that fine art actually shares some overlap of time with the contemporary movement. "Contemporary" means, “art that has been and continues to be created during our lifetimes.”

Maybe we can make a little outing and let science meet art. Join me at Stanford University so we can listen to their perspective together: "Science and art are often regarded as distinct – either a person can’t be serious about both or an interest in one must relate somehow to work in the other. In reality, many scientists participate in and produce art at all levels and in every medium." (Stanford University, 2019).

Video: How to Learn About Contemporary Art

Many contemporary realists in the nineteenth century that dabbled in this art form, media started out as abstract artists. They went to school where the professors and theorists dismissed representational painting and therefore, the artists moved into contemporary realism art. Some of the best-known artists that came out of this movement are William Bailey, Neil Welliver, and Philip Pearlstein. 

Example Video: William Bailey:

CA, as we know it today stems from the post-World War II era. Each of this spans about thirty to forty years, so art that was created in the 1960s or 1970s is considered contemporary art in the 2000s. During the 20th and 21st centuries, we began to see modern art: 

Video: Introduction to Modern Art & Ideas

...and through the previous video 'modern art' and this video below, we try to clarify to understand the difference with postmodern art forms, - hopefully.

...and the distinction between the fine arts and low arts start to fade. 

Modern artists
The Top 14 Living Artists of 2014 | Artsy

This art still challenges those concepts by mixing with popular culture. Instead of expressing beauty and purity, some contemporary artists are inspired by socially oriented ideas. This crosses the bounds over to visual art. 

Contemporary artists, example:
Over the last 30 years, contemporary art has been connected with issues such as feminism, multiculturalism, globalization, bio-engineering, and AIDS awareness. Some of the well-known contemporary artists of the 21st century include Peter Hurd, Andrew Wyeth, James Bama, Colleen Browning, Scott Prior, and Randall Lake.

Video: Colleen Browning

Contemporary Art Museum
We meet Contemporary Art Museum St. Louis: "The Contemporary Art Museum St. Louis presents, supports, and celebrates the art of our time. Our mission is to create meaningful engagement with the most relevant and innovative art being made today. With a dynamic array of changing exhibitions, CAM provides a thought-provoking program that reflects and contributes to the global cultural landscape.
Through diverse perspectives offered in our exhibitions, programs, and educational activities, CAM actively engages a range of audiences to challenge their perceptions. We are a site for discovery, a laboratory for experimentation, and a gathering place in which to experience and enjoy contemporary visual culture." (CAM, 2019). We can also meet St. Louis Museum on facebook

Art collection
"...an accumulation of works of art by a private individual or a public institution. Art collecting has a long history, and most of the world’s art museums grew out of great private collections formed by royalty, the aristocracy, or the wealthy.
A form of art collecting existed in the earliest civilizations—Egypt, Babylonia, China, and India—as arrays of precious objects and artworks stored in temples, tombs, and sanctuaries, as well as in the palaces and treasuries of kings." (ENCYCLOPÆDIA Britannica, 2019).

Contemporary Art - Permanent collection
NGA, Whashington D.C presents: "The East Building houses the Gallery’s growing collection of modern and contemporary art. A just-completed renovation adds 12,250 square feet of new exhibition space within the existing footprint of the building, including two soaring tower galleries and a rooftop terrace for outdoor sculpture that overlooks Pennsylvania Avenue. The number of works on view from the collection has increased from 350 to 500." (Contemporary Art Collection - National Gallery of Art Washington D.C. - The East Building, 2019).

Video: Contemporary Art Collection - National Gallery of Art Washington D.C. - The East Building

Another Museum is the Permanent Collection at Phillips Museum, St. Louis.
"The Phillips Collection is home to an extraordinary collection of more than 3,000 works ranging from masterpieces of French impressionism and American modernism to contemporary art. By displaying superb works in an intimate setting, founder Duncan Phillips hoped to encourage visitors to appreciate new, challenging forms of artistic expression. Art from different eras and places is often juxtaposed and changes often to suggest visual "conversations."

The museum's collection includes works by American and European masters such as Paul Cézanne, Edgar Degas, Winslow Homer, Henri Matisse, Georgia O'Keeffe, Pablo Picasso, Mark Rothko, and Vincent van Gogh. Phillips valued strong connections with artists, collecting multiple works by Honoré Daumier, Paul Klee, John Marin, Alfred Stieglitz, and Brett Weston, among others.

The Phillips holds the world's largest, most significant collection of works by Arthur Dove and the largest American collection of works by Pierre Bonnard. Duncan Phillips formed close bonds through letters and studio visits with a wide range of artists. As a patron and collector, he provided crucial aid and encouragement to many artists who are well represented in the collection.
The Phillips continues to engage with and acquire works by contemporary artists, including Howard Hodgkin, Ellsworth Kelly, Susan Rothenberg, and Leo Villareal." (Phillips Museum, St. Louis, 2019).

Video: Morris Louis's Seal at the Phillips Museum

Contemporary Abstract Art
Contemporary Abstract Art is one that does not attempt to use external, actual reality but its aim is to represent the inner world of the artist by using different shapes, forms and colors. In the video below, we meet a contemporary free improvisation, enjoy!

Video: Abstract Painting With Acrylics

The thought of spilling the artistic thoughts onto the canvas seems to be very free and "rebellious" and simple at the same time. Abstract art is and has being with human race since the beginnings. You feel it each time you end up in front of an artwork that is telling you something despite the fact that you may not be put into words.

What is hybridity contemporary art? - "Hybridity and Ambivalence: Places and Flows in Contemporary Art and Culture.
Today the movement of ideas, capital and people is faster and wilder than at any point in history. Globalization has made the world more interconnected. The flows of traffic in this new network have not only accelerated to new levels, but the directions of movement have multiplied and abandoned the well-worn paths. The cultural dynamics of globalization have presented new challenges to the existing models for explaining the forms of belonging and the patterns of exchange that are occurring in the world. 

Culture is no longer understood as the discrete and unique expression of activities and ideas that occur in particular places. No culture can exist in isolation. The process of hybridization in the deterritorialization of cultures and peoples demands new theories of flow and resistance and is compelling artists and intellectuals to rethink their methods." (SAGE Journals, 2019).

Video: Hybrid Art Fair & Festival 2017

What are the contemporary art forms
Famous Contemporary Art Forms: "There is a plethora of contemporary art forms each having its unique class and ideology. Ranging from conceptualization and performance to installation and minimalism, each depicts and portrays its own methodology and charm. These art forms can not only be viewed but experienced as well."  (Indian Art Ideas,2019).

The beauty of contemporary abstract art has been considerably being appreciated by the artist and as well the common people hence making it popular. This has shown itself with the way many people are buying many collections of this kind of art. 

There are various reasons why people like to have these sorts of art canvas. This include making their houses look beautiful with unique and special pieces of art, viewing this kind of artwork as an investment or even staying up-to-date with the recent contemporary art. 
Other people buy the artwork because of the message which the artist is trying to pass in his/her artwork. from an artist's point of view, you'll notice and see that their artwork is a method(s) to express what they are imagining, their sentiments and creativity.

This can also be a way of expressing his/her feelings and sow them in an artistic manner. It takes a considerable measure of ability for someone to generate such great masterpieces given that only a few people will understand what message the artist is conveying. 

Actually many people take contemporary abstract art as a visual language that makes use distinct unique shapes, forms and colors, which implies that it doesn't necessarily provide you a picture of the natural world. Always be mindful that there are artworks that fall into the class of abstract art despite the fact that they depict partial reality and imagery. It is vital to note that there is an extensive variety of methods which might be used as a part of this particular sort of art. 

Contemporary Art Works - Paintings
"Host Paul Larson welcomes viewers aboard the Art Express. Artist Ita Bullard moves to upstate from New York City, and creates contemporary paintings. Canadian painter Karel Funk paints people from behind. Bettina Hoffman presents an experimental video." (Art Express, 2019).

Video: Contemporary Paintings

What makes people acknowledge abstract art is that it could be interpreted in a number of ways depending on the way everyone sees it. This makes the artwork more charming and intriguing as you can translate it in whatever way without feeling silly or absurd. Besides, you may as well hear how others say about the artwork. For individuals with wide creative ability, this gives them an opportunity to enhance their innovative personalities as well as express their sentiments to others.

More artworks, Video: How to paint like Pablo Picasso (Cubism) In the studio. (Museum of Modern Art, Published, Nov 14, 2017). 

We can accordingly conclude that "Contemporary Abstract Art" doesn't simply decorate the homes and surroundings but they empowers the artist to impart their interesting insights of knowledge around a particular abstract art piece. Also, when you show these art pieces to, it might be hitch up a conversation. Your visitors can contribute and discuss their thoughts or perspective about every particular masterpiece. This helps people learn to acknowledge abstract art.

The most influential Artists of 2018
"Whether they were experimenting with floating sculptures, investigating war zones, or pushing painting forward in bold new directions, artists in 2018 made exciting and eclectic contributions to the world." (Artsy, 2019).

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