Today, the modern man has a huge baggage of culture and art. Each era was distinguished by new trends, its unique trends and differences. Art, following fashion, changed its framework and rules, sometimes dramatically. At modern exhibitions, we can contemplate various installations that are not always understood by the human mind. To keep abreast of the latest news and understand the meaning of the latest art, you need to go a little deeper into history.
The history of new contemporary art
Contemporary art or postmodern is an innovative direction, characterized by the presence of fresh, radical ideas and embodied in the most unusual way. During the long history of mankind, currents have changed each other in all spheres of life. Once the ideas were really new, but the closer to the art of the 21st century, the more difficult it is to find something that has not yet happened. So, in many areas of our lives, the principle "everything new is well forgotten old." Fashion figures, without embarrassment, take new ideas from old grandmother's chests. But art itself is so multifaceted that it manages to survive and be different even now.
Is Modern Art Contemporary?
The term “contemporary art” was coined by Rosalind Krauss, an American analyst and art critic. It originated in the 1960s and 70s. Sometimes it is opposed to modernism, sometimes it is attributed to it.
Over time, postmodernism has nevertheless gained its individuality, denying the techniques of modernity. The art of the 21st century has changed dramatically since that time, sometimes merging with minimalism and expressing the ideas of the feminists of that time, then in the 80s it regained the brightness of colors and the pretentiousness of the image.
Gradually, art turned into an art process, where not only the object was important, but the very process of its creation. Not all current artists approve of these changes. Many resist, seeing signs of art degradation in this art process. Such authors are trying to return to the old principles of modernism.
New technologies in art
Undoubtedly, technology could not bypass art. Previously, the artist had only a brush and paints, his own imagination and a love of creativity. Today, the creators of the video and audio resources, cameras of stunning quality, as well as unlimited digital image technology. Previously, it took the sculptor years to create his masterpiece. Today, with a 3D printer and the ability to design a sketch on a computer, it will take a couple of days. Instead of black and white films, we see vivid, impressive cartoons and graphics that make the picture believe.
Currents of modern art
The latest art in our time has gone beyond canvases and easels. American photographer and tattoo artist Brian Cumings calls the tattoo a new art, creating artistic masterpieces on human bodies. Recently, the creation of masterpieces from cakes is gaining momentum. It is also considered an art. In different decades, the currents have changed, but some of the brightest can be revealed:
- graffiti;
- body art;
- video art;
- video game art.
Financial issue
On the one hand, creativity is leisure, and on the other is professional activity. Today, artists are divided into two camps. Some people make sense at the forefront, others actively sell their work.
The culmination of modern art is a way out not only from the framework of academic art, but from museums. Street art or street art expresses this idea. Balancing on the border between vandalism and high art, street artists have been defending their right to create freely for more than a dozen years. Here we are talking about various drawings on the walls of houses and on asphalt, about musicians and pantomime, about sculptures on the street, about flash mobs.
Society accepts such artists. Various street festivals are often held, where free-spirited artists show their skills. Their main goal is to please the viewer, to explain their thoughts in an accessible language. This is partly a social phenomenon, because each of them wants to speak out, to convey his protest. This style does not have financial benefits; there is nothing to sell here, and there is no reason to. The main thing is self-expression.
But such a current, like drawing with your body parts, brings significant income. Here, the fantasy of the masters begins from drawing on canvas with hands and fingers and ends with piquant parts of the body. You can use your nose or cheeks, but if you want to earn money, start at least with the buttocks. Fortunately, there are enough safe dyes on the market.
How to create contemporary art?
Perhaps someone remembers the movie “What are the men talking about?” When the heroes ended up in the Museum of Modern Art, one of them said an interesting phrase: “Is this toilet not working, or is this a work of art called“ The toilet is not working ”?”
A completely unexpected approach is the key moment of 21st century art. Nowadays, in art galleries you can see sculptures from LEDs and legos, installations with tiny people. Also, new phenomena in art are ordinary objects in an unusual form, for example, sculptures from books or umbrellas. Of great importance is the color, the creation of the master should be bright, impressive imagination.
No need to follow academic rules, to comply with any norms. The more shocking the better. The viewer should not immediately understand the meaning of the installation, the spectacle should not be simple, superficial. It’s not enough to draw a beautiful landscape, you need to invest a thought tearing consciousness and hide it as much as possible.
Modern Art Museum
Museums today are not just an opportunity to show their creation to the author. Art studios are the second home for contemporary artists, the opportunity to live in the art process. The concept of “museum” goes beyond the scope of the premises, since art is born not only on canvas, but also on the street, on the human body.
Formality and social norms are leaving the concept of “exhibition”. There is such a thing as “artist run space” - the artist’s space. This is both an exhibition and a place for his work. At the head is the master himself, and not the curator or the city administration. There is no pressure from above, the artist invites people who are close in spirit, and they communicate and create “on their own wave”.
On the other hand, modern art has become a financial and political tool for the state. Bright beautiful museums attract the attention of tourists and contribute to the development of a municipal center. For example, in the city of Perm, the authorities provided artists with a building for the creation of the Museum of Modern Art. Many museums in Russia are municipalities, as the authorities understand that today art is a way to make money.
How to learn to understand the latest art?
It is both very simple and complex at the same time. If you approach contemporary art from the same point of view as a classic, then you will definitely waste time in vain. No need to try to discern the artist’s methods, draw up some kind of logical idea. You should not know in advance what the creator wanted to convey, other people's reviews will knock you out of your mind.
Try to look at the picture with a fresh, open look. Think about what associations you have, what it reminds you of. What an impression it makes. Your particular view of the picture will be true, for each viewer he will be his own, everyone will find in contemporary art something that is understandable only to him.
Do not rush to criticize, accusing the author of inability to draw. Remember Picasso and Salvador Dali, the work of these geniuses is complex and confusing, but full of deep meaning.