Art has been around for tens of thousands of years. In fact, in Sulawesi, Indonesia, a cave art that was carbon dated to be at least 51,200 years old was found showing a wild pig with three human-like figures.
This artwork is known to be the earliest artmaking in human history. It proves that our ancestors used this visualization technique to share stories, emotions, and ideas to others long before any written language existed.
Fast forward to today, art has come a long way since those cave wall drawings. Now, we’ve got murals on buildings, sculptures made from everyday objects, caricature artists at weddings, and digital art on iPads.
Art keeps reinventing itself and adapting to the influences of today’s society and culture. This transformation, then, brought forth to us contemporary art.
What Does ‘Contemporary Art’ Mean?
The word contemporary means “existing or happening now.” With this definition, contemporary art is the artwork of now. It is what’s being created today by artists all over the world.
The goal of these masterpieces is to capture the contemporary artist’s current emotions, philosophies, aspirations, and even dilemmas. The producers of these outputs have used whatever materials or methods they see fit. These canvases and media range from photographs and videos to digital art.
No one can fully agree on when contemporary art began. Art experts such as Smithsonian curator Melissa Ho, say it started in the early 1970s. Many German curators would dispute her claim and suggest it began in 1945. However, sociologist Nathalie Heinich concludes the inception to be in the 1910s.
Despite all the debate, most art experts agree that contemporary art began replacing modern art after the 1960s—marking the birth of a more diverse era. While opinions may vary, the 1960s and 1970s are widely perceived as the starting point for contemporary art.
Nevertheless, it was in the 1990s when the term “contemporary art” started becoming prominent in the artistic community—from museums and galleries to the media and the art market. Since then, it has become a major area of interest in the world of art. However, even up to today, there are still confusions surrounding it.
How is Contemporary Art Different from Modern Art?
A lot of people mix up “modern” and “contemporary” art. Though these two might seem synonymous, they represent two different time periods, styles, and ways of thinking about art.
Modern Art
Modern art came first. It is deemed to have started in the 1860s and lasted until about the 1960s. During this era, artists were all about change. It is called modern art for a reason: It wasn’t trying to follow the styles of the previous years. It’s an era about breaking the rules and seeing the world through a different lens.
Artists moved away from the old traditions of realistic painting and started to experiment with vivid colors, unusual shapes, and bold forward ideas. Art movements, such as Impressionism, Cubism, and Futurism, were part of this time. Artists like Vincent van Gogh and Paul Cézanne helped lead the way for the development of modern art.
Contemporary Art
What follows modern art is contemporary art. This artistic movement is all about the current happenings in society. Artists use all kinds of materials and media to bring the audience towards the message behind the output.
Contemporary art focuses on the meaning behind the artwork rather than the technique and the aesthetic. They can become weird, funny, powerful, or even flat confusing. Despite these, the art speaks to today’s world and is unapologetic in challenging the limits of what art was once caged and defined to be.
Some Types of Contemporary Art
As already mentioned, contemporary artists use a wide variety of materials and canvases to give life to their vision or imagination. Having said that, these are some types of contemporary art:
Digital Art
Whether through digital photography, pixel art, or 3D animation graphics, digital art is all about using technology to create outputs. It gives artists endless ways to express themselves using available modern tools and creative tech.
Video Art
First introduced in the early 1960s, videos quickly became a powerful medium for artists. As video art evolved, artists began exploring moving images to create narratives and abstract experiences using both film and digital formats.
Installation Art
Installation art is known for using the display space itself as part of the artwork. Sometimes, the location is so important that moving or recreating the piece elsewhere changes its meaning entirely.
Land Art
Land art, or earth art, involves creating artworks directly in the natural landscape using materials like soil, rocks, and plants. Emerging in the 1960s and 1970s, it challenged traditional art spaces by bringing creativity outdoors and questioning the world of commercial art.
Performance Art
Gaining popularity in the 1960s and 1970s, this form remains a dominant force in today’s art scene. Unlike traditional art forms, performance art does not involve a physical object for the presentation itself is the artwork. The most common examples are dance battles, concerts, and musical theaters.
Famous Contemporary Art Pieces
Contemporary art challenges traditional norms and backward beliefs by synthesizing innovative approaches and thought-provoking concepts. Here are some of the iconic creations that continue to captivate audiences and spark important conversation.
Interchange by Willem de Kooning (1955)
From being sold by the artist at $4,000 in 1955 to becoming one of the world’s most expensive paintings—sold for $300 million in September 2015—Willem de Kooning’s Interchange stands as a testament to the immense impact it has had on contemporary art.
The abstracted figure of a woman in the piece showcases the artist’s innovative approach to form and space. This masterpiece, which marks de Kooning’s transition from figurative to abstract, reflects the dynamic energy of New York City through its bold, gestural strokes. The title Interchange was inspired by the ever-changing urban environment of the city during the time he created it.
Look Mickey by Roy Lichtenstein (1961)
Who would have thought a reconstructed scene from the 1960 children’s book titled Donald Duck: Lost and Found would challenge what people believe art should look like? Look Mickey by Roy Lichtenstein is more than just an entertaining cartoon as it holds a bold message on the relationship between fine art, advertising, and consumerism.
Instead of painting something completely original, he reimagined a pre-existing image using bright colors, comic book dots, and speech bubbles. Some people were appalled by what they considered to be banality and called it an insult to art. A New York Times art critic even called Lichtenstein “one of the worst artists in America.”
Today, Look Mickey is seen as the start of pop art and a reminder that art doesn’t have to be traditional to make an impact.
Orange, Red, Yellow by Mark Rothko (1961)
At first glance, Orange, Red, Yellow by Mark Rothko might just look like blocks of color. While appearing simple, the art is so much more. This painting appeals to the feelings of the viewers, exploring the reaction of one’s psyche towards certain arrangements of colors, especially red.
As renowned art historian Diane Waldman explained, Rothko was fascinated by the color red because of its powerful meaning. It reminded him of fire, blood, life, and death. Like a storyteller uses words, each shade he brushes is meant to stir up deep emotions in anyone. No wonder this 1961 painting broke all records for contemporary art when it sold at $86,882,500 in 2012.
Girl with Balloon by Banksy (2002)
A young girl, with her hair and dress fluttering in the wind, is reaching for or letting go of a red, heart-shaped balloon. The work is often associated with the artist’s message: “There is always hope.” The balloon is the only part with color in the piece, making it stand out against the monochromatic background.
Recognized as one of Banksy’s most iconic works, it resonates with people for its universal themes of vulnerability and hope. The artwork evokes feelings of innocence, dreams, and hope, as the balloon symbolizes childhood freedom and love. It also reminds viewers of the fragility of these ideals. The public has embraced it so widely that, in 2017, a public poll even named it the UK’s favorite artwork.
The Power of Contemporary Art
Iconic works, such as Interchange by Willem de Kooning; Look Mickey by Roy Lichtenstein; Orange, Red, Yellow by Mark Rothko; and Girl with Balloon by Banksy, showcase the power of art. They make you feel something, question something, or even make you wonder what art is really supposed to be. These are the very core principles of contemporary art.