Understanding Contemporary Art

• Contemporary art springs from present-day events and passions.
• It is the newest art form, amusing people from the mid-to-late 20th century to the present.
• Contemporary art is an artist's statement about life, thoughts, ideas, beliefs, and other aspects of human existence.

Characteristics of Contemporary Art

• Contemporary art is not confined to museums.
• Artworks can be found in galleries, art schools, side streets, public spaces, train/bus stations, shopping centers, and parks.
• Nicolas Aca's "Boto: Goto" is a performance art piece in a Cagayan De Oro church.
• Contemporary art uses different methods of selling artworks.
• Online sales have increased due to increased Internet and social media use
• The internet allows people to view and purchase art regardless of location.
• Many contemporary artists are self-taught.
• Artists develop their skills independently through study, interaction, and reading about other artists.
• Artists explore materials from hardware stores, experiment with chemical reactions, and study welding and engineering skills.
• Contemporary art uses varied materials and mediums.
• Technology has expanded material choices and solved weight issues, offering flexibility to combine materials and found objects.
• Contemporary artists sometimes employ fabricators, carpenters, electricians, or welders to construct artworks.
• Conceptual artists often use this approach, applying principles of physics and construction technology.
• Originality is not crucial in contemporary art.
• Artists can redesign existing works using different materials.
• Juan Luna's "Spoliarium" was reinterpreted as "Malliarium" in the context of mall culture by Steve Santos, Ross Capili, Jose Tence Ruiz, Archie Degamo, George Cabig, Heber Bartolome, Nelson Viterbo, and Art Suarez.
• The artistic process is essential, not the sale.
• Value is placed on transmitting the artwork's message rather than monetary compensation.

Subject Matter and Style in Contemporary Art

• A subject is any person, animal, thing, or issue described or represented in a work, prompting the question "What is it?".
• Subject matter is not limited to human figures and landscapes.
• Common subjects include children, women, the environment, or combinations thereof.
• Some artworks have unrecognizable subject matter and if an artwork experiments with technique, that is the subject.
• In conceptual art, viewers think and explore the meaning.

Styles

• Abstract expressionism involves applying paint to express emotions and feelings spontaneously.
• Kinetic art is sculpture that moves with wind, machine or electricity
• Op art uses repeated lines/images to create optical illusions.
• Performance art uses media and the human body for theatrical expression.
• Environmental art uses space for artistic creation such as a landscape design that encloses its audience.
• Feminist art addresses identity, sexuality, gender roles, equality, and the treatment of women.
• Minimalism shows a stripped-down, pre-fabricated look, is free of detail, often flat, and expresses a specific content/statement.
• Video art consists of images recorded and viewed via screens.
• Graffiti art is drawing, inscription or sketch done hastily in public view.
• Postmodern art applies modern styles to extreme practices, expressing ideas through mixed media.
• Body art uses the body as the medium, like public painting, tattoos, and piercings.
• Digital art is done with a computer to create an image or design.

Techniques in Contemporary Arts

• Collage adheres various content to a backing surface.
• Decalcomania transfers pictures/designs from prepared paper.
• Decoupage decorates surfaces with cutouts and coating of varnish.
• Frottage creates designs by rubbing over an object.
• Montage produces rapid image succession to illustrate associations.
• Trapunto creates raised quilted designs by outlining and padding cloth layers.
• Digital applications use software on devices to create/display art.