Contemporary_Q3_W1.pdf

3rd Quarter: Week 1 1  What is Contemporary Art? × Strictly speaking, the term “contemporary art” refers to art made and produced by artists living today. Today’s artists work in and respond to a global environment that is culturally diverse, technologically ad...

3rd Quarter: Week 1 1  What is Contemporary Art? × Strictly speaking, the term “contemporary art” refers to art made and produced by artists living today. Today’s artists work in and respond to a global environment that is culturally diverse, technologically advancing, and multifaceted. Working in a wide range of mediums, contemporary artists often reflect and comment on modern-day society. × In the process, they often raise difficult or thought-provoking questions without providing easy answers. Curiosity, an open mind, and a commitment to dialogue and debate are the best tools with which to approach a work of contemporary art. × When engaging with contemporary art, viewers are challenged to set aside questions such as, “Is a work of art good?” or “Is the work aesthetically pleasing?” Instead, viewers consider whether art is “challenging” or “interesting.” × Contemporary artists may question traditional ideas of how art is defined, what constitutes art, and how art is made, while creating a dialogue with—and in some cases rejecting—the styles and movements that came before them. 7 × Contemporary artists working within the postmodern movement reject the concept of mainstream art and embrace the notion of “artistic pluralism,” the acceptance of a variety of artistic intentions and styles. Whether influenced by or grounded in performance art, pop art, Minimalism, conceptual art, or video, contemporary artists pull from an infinite variety of materials, sources, and styles to create art. For this reason, it is difficult to briefly summarize and accurately reflect the complexity of concepts and materials used by contemporary artists. 8 Contemporary Art vs. Modern Art 9 × Modern art refers to art that began in the 1880s. Contemporary art describes the works of artists still living and creating artworks. × Modern Art is revolutionary by its origin (anti- romanticism), while Contemporary art is revolutionary for the freedom and magnitude of experimentation by the artists × Modern Art is more self-expressive, while Contemporary Art pays attention to society, thus known for its social impact × Modern Art is primarily made on canvases, while Contemporary Art is on every medium that you can think of – video art, tech-enabled artworks, object design, graphical arts × Modern art focuses on the subjective representation of the chosen themes, while Contemporary Art takes a strong stand on social, political and cultural aspects of the world