We explain what contemporary art is, its origin and characteristics. Also, what are its currents and what is conceptual art.
Contemporary art is complex due to the variety of currents it encompasses.
what is the contemporary art?
Contemporary art includes artistic expressions that emerged from the 20th century to the present daywhich is why it is also called modern art. The term contemporary It means what is happening in the present era and includes all the artistic creation of today.
It is a complex art form due to the variety of movements and disciplines it encompasses. Contemporary artists create their works in multiple forms and are influenced by various themes and social issues, unlike artists of the past who often relied on religious or mythological themes.
Contemporary art is usually multifaceted and capable of reflecting popular, technological and often questions society’s values and assumptions.
See also: Neoclassical art
Origin of contemporary art
contemporary art emerged as a consequence of preceding movements, such as pop art of Great Britain and the United States of the 1960s, which was characterized by the use of images and objects of popular use, such as advertisements, comics, product brands or film videos, among others.
Pop art broke with the abstract expressionism of the early 20th century, which was characterized by the artist’s spontaneity, especially in painting. Expressionism turned out to be a non-figurative art, that is, abstract and that sought to cross the limits of what was conventional or what was rationally correct.
Pop art took elements of everyday life and represented them in irrational contexts or situations., imaginary or contrary. It resulted in a criticism of the new society of consumption and mass production, in which image and materialism were the new values of society.
A new conception of art emerged, no longer considered as something beautiful or as a commodity, but conceptual art was more important than the commodity itself. This experimental movement sparked off contemporary art which included various movements, such as Dadaism, Surrealism and Cubism, among others.
Characteristics of contemporary art
Among the main characteristics of contemporary art are:
- It is the art of the moment or Current period.
- It includes the artistic expressions that They broke with traditional styles and with socially acceptable concepts.
- Reflects innovationboth for its mode of expression and its techniques.
- It is based on a experimental style and with influences from abstract art.
- Is a Criticism of the new materialistic society based on mass consumption.
- Consider the art as an end in itselfand not as another consumer commodity.
Types of contemporary art
The surrealist style often reflects dreamlike concepts.
The main types or currents of contemporary art that shared the ideology were:
- Cubism. It stood out for being one of the first avant-garde currents, emerging in France, it broke with the Renaissance style and was one of the most influential for subsequent currents. It was characterized by representing the world through geometric figures that recreated fragmented images. The colors used were usually from the same tone palette. The Spanish artist Pablo Picasso is considered the father of cubism.
- Dadaism. It stood out for being one of the most influential currents of contemporary art. The word “Dadaism” refers to fantasy, to the first sounds that infants make and to that which is far from reality. The term was applied by the Romanian poet Tristan Tzara to designate this movement that originated in Germany. Dadaism was based on a strong criticism of traditional art, breaking with styles, concepts and methods. It freed itself from any type of restriction, to such an extent that it abhorred the concept of beauty imposed and valued the meaning or intention that the artist gave to the object, over the object itself. It reached multiple disciplines, such as literature, sculpture and photography.
- Fauvism. The name comes from French fauv which means “wild” and refers to an intense and characterful art. It was noted for its simple drawings, energetic brushstrokes and the use of intense colors that were different from the colors perceived in reality. For example: a lemon could be emerald green or trees, intense orange. The French artist Henri Matisse is considered the father of Fauvism.
- Constructivism. It stood out for its abstraction, flat geometric shapes with exaggerated perspective, collage-type compositions of photographs on backgrounds with geometric images, and contrasting colors. It originated in Russia as a popular art in rejection of the art of the bourgeoisie.
- Neoplasticism. Also known as Dutch Constructivism, it emerged in Holland in 1917. It was known for its use of straight lines and primary colours in a two-dimensional manner. It sought to express the purity of art through simplification and basic geometric forms, eliminating all superficial elements.
- Expressionism. It stood out for its excessive use of colors and unrecognizable or distorted shapes that alluded to the world of dreams where reality is perceived differently or irrationally. He originated in Germany and manifested himself in multiple disciplines, in addition to the plastic arts, such as literature, music and photography.
- Surrealism. He stood out for the great influence of Dadaism with fantasy representations, related to the irrational and the unconscious. It emerged in France, in 1924, after the publication of the “Surrealist Manifesto” by the poet André Bretón in which he outlined the post-war situation of that time and demanded from society the need to delve into the depths of the human being. The point of view of Sigmund Freud’s psychoanalysis was incorporated as a method for surrealist creations and it resulted in an incongruous art, linked to dreams and original.
- Futurism. Also known as dynamic cubism, it stood out for representing images of the world through dynamism, strength and sensuality. It was an art that emphasized war and everything considered new and technological. It emerged in Italy in 1909, after the publication of the “Manifesto of Futurism” by the writer Filippo Tommaso Marinetti, in which he exalted the speed, power and movement of new technological machinery, such as industry and the automobile. It manifested itself in multiple disciplines, such as architecture, graphic design and advertising, cinema and poetry.
- Minimalism. He stood out for the minimal and basic use of elements and for representations of the world reduced to the essential. It emerged in Europe with the German-American architect and industrial designer Ludwig Mies Van Der Rohe, considered one of the pioneers of modern architecture. The term minimalism It was designated by the English philosopher Richard Wollheim in 1965 and refers to everything that is reduced to the basics, stripped of accessory or excess elements. Minimalism sought to express the essence of things and eliminate the superficial.
Conceptual art
Conceptual art manifests itself through various media.
Conceptual art emerged in the 20th century and, after continuous change and evolution, continues today. Conceptual art includes any expression that prioritizes the concept of the work over the object or the type of art. It is a multidisciplinary manifestation that transgresses the norms, styles, techniques and traditional concepts of art, making it completely free.
conceptual art It comprises multiple disciplines, such as philosophy, psychology and logicIt manifests itself through various media, such as: audiovisual art, multimedia art, found art, graphic design, collage and conceptual photography.
Continue with: Symbolism