9 Caught in Between: Modern and Contemporary Art The history of artis one of the most difficult tasks to pin down. As what previous chapters have shown, significant ideas, canons and dominance of styles, media, and mode of production wer that segment art history into identifiable periods and movers necessarily precise. Its important to note that the periods and movements of art are themselves testament to the connection of art and inthe everyday life. As it is examined and analyzed in context, it becomes increasingly apparent that art is not detached from; rather, itis embedded in the affairs of the society in which it exists. It offers a glimpse as fo the beliefs of specific eras and how these beliefs were transiated into how people saw themselves and the world and how they chose to come into terms with it—all in flux fable, but not This lesson attempts to provide a glimpse of contemporary art and how it was ‘understood, defined, and represented, not only within the bounds of the art world, but also beyond it See Let's Get Started Back-Track: Pop Art Pop art as a movement drew inspiration, sources, and even materials from ‘commercial culture, making it one of the most identifable and relatable movements inatt history, Based on what you kn ‘you think will be a good insy an artwork. Describe how you will make use of this item and what your concept is bbehind the work. Explain the selection in class. ‘about pop art, select one item from your bag that Let's Get Down to Business Defining the Contemporary The term “contemporary” seems simple and Worward enough to define. There is this assumption that it need not be asked: her, that it must already be complexity of defining the te Views on the interpret these are often ideas hinged on the word “a of “today,” or what the “now” means— rd contemporary. Even more so, is when itis becomes a bit fuzzy 1291 ra There are museums, for example, that include name of artists, art forms, oF artworks in their institution's name, but seem to champion works that arguably fall under an earlier period. For example, the Institute of Contemporary Art in London which was founded in 1947 includes in its mandate “the promotion of art that came to be from that year onwards.” Clearly the timeline is abit skewe the assumption is that Museum of rolling basis and was placed under the Contemporary Art 30 Cui Another source of confusion is the fact the “contemporary” are considered synonymous, these terms are used i the context of art. Thoroin, they by dite that art served. To better make sense of contemporary art, perhaps itis be: back to its predecessor, modern art. ‘Modem art saw the digression of artists away from past conventions and traditions land toward freedom, There is the famous adage of ‘anything goes. ‘becoming increasingly complex, itrequired an art that could accommodate: ‘opportunities in art, from the my they were engaged in. This period saw Ing with the encouraging environment made and px language of thi drew the has been estab) unfolding Effectively, this period can be traced from the 1970s to the present. There is a reason behind this cutoff. The cutoff was hinged 1. The 1970: that whate the emergence of “postmod lowed was s 2. The 1970s saw the decline of the clearer identiied artistic movements. In Between Modem and Contemporary Art Reaping the benefits and drawbacks of the dramatic changes that occurred at the beginning of the twentieth century, the social, politcal, and cultural context led to provoke the artist to create, There is a potent source of reference for his works so 1 31that he may continue to question the existing and emergent values of society. This ‘multiplicity of perspectives brought to light a more diffic of clear and distinct movements because what compelled artists’ works were not prevailing medium, technique, or style; rather, it was the themes and concems they ‘addressed. And the conversation was no longer limited to geographic locales, but became increasingly a global conversation “Ast may be spoil for choice. In a world where nothing is seasonal ‘any more, there is no home base from which to opers can be seen as responding to a number structures of means and techniques, si within society. Typically none is resolved.” (Tam more widely understood as ) Contemporary art was heavily driven by ideas and theories, and the even the blurring of notions of what is and can be considered as “ar.” wth the involvement of television, photography, cinema, digital technology, performance, and even objects of the everyday. Itwas the idea that was more important than its visual articulation, There were several art movements that were caught in between the succession of modern and contemporary art. These movements laid the groundwork for the transition into contemporaneity. Reeling after the war, one of the early movements ‘was abstract expressionism (early 1940s to mid-1960s) which took the basic tenets of snniques, mark-making, and a rugged those residing in the subconscious. Two major painting and color fields. Action painting underscored the process of creation in that it showed the physicality, direction and most offen, the spontaneity of the actions that made the drips and strokes possible. On the other hand, color fields emphasized the emotional power of colors. From the vivid demarcations to the more toned-down transitions, these bands of color were akin to the effect of landscapes. Creating energy was at the center of “op art” or optical art (early 1960s onward). ‘Much like what was discussed in the lesson on elements of at that dimension can be implied even on a two-dimensional surface or plane, op art relied on creating an illusion toinform the experience ofthe artwork using color, pattern, and other perspective tricks that artists had on their sleeves. From making it seem like a section was protruding ‘out or receded in the background, to creating movement, works under this movement showed a certain kind of dynamism. It inspired several artists in diferent countries to create their own iteration of op art: Hungarian artist Victor Vasarely, British artists Bridget Riley and Peter Sedgley, American Richard Anuszkiowicz, and Israeli Yaacov 132 ‘Agar. Other artists expanded their works to include other materials such as nails, plexiglass, and metal rods, including Jesus Soto, Guenther Uecker, Enrico Castellani, and Carlos Cruz-Diez The quest for actual movement in the works created were responded to by kinetic art (early 1950s onward). Hamessing the current and direction of the wind, ‘components of the artwork which was predominantly sculptural, most were mobiles {and even motor-driven machines, was an example of how art and technology can be brought together. Atists known for creating kinetic art were Naum Gabo, Alexander Calder, Jean Tinguely, Bridget Riley, and Nicolas Schoffer. One of the mi kinetic artist to gain attention is Theo Jansen with his massive sculptures or he likes to refer to them. Using plastic tubes and PVC pipes, he has created several lite forms that took over the seaside. {In Japan during the sense of dynamism were platforms that were grounded on movement and ‘and conceptual art. The goal was not only to explore the materiality ofthe implements used in the performance, but also to hold a deeper desire to make sense relationship that ting. The founder of the 152. Other known gutai ra, Murakami Saburo, and Gutai Art Association or Gutai Group wi artists were Tanaka Atsuko, Saburé Murakami, Kanay Shozo Shimamoto. Enited “Challenge to the Mud” {azo Shiraga utilized his body, writhing in a pile of mud. The shapes formed, and the state of the mud were left {8 is after his performance, and was kept as part of the exhibition as a kind of action- painting. This is one the most important examples of gutai, nnimalism which cropped up in the early 1960s in New York, and saw artists the boundaries of various media. It was seen as an extreme type of red geo objects and materials that had an “industri Another movement “The new art favored the cool over the ‘dramatic: their sculptures were: frequently fabricated from industrial materials and emphasized anonymity over the expressive excess of Abstract Expressionism. Painters and sculptors avoided ‘overt symbolism and emotional content, but instead called attention to the materiality of the works.” (Wolf n.d.) ‘Another assumption was that its subtext was deference Presented as itself, without ions or embellishments. It also had a very utopic ‘ura about it, Some of the key figures in this movement were Agnes Martin, Robert Morris, Sol LeWitt, Dan Flavin, Carl Andre, and Donald Juda. 1. a8 a thing was 133ites designed and made for 3 and material from ads, packaging, comic ‘books, movies and mi and pop music. The aim was to also elevate popular culture as something at par with fine art. A defining feature was the discussions on the hierarchy (and divide between) of “high culture” and “low culture" “fine art” and “iow art” The following was an excerpt from a letter written by Richard Hamiton, a pop atst, addressed to his friends Peter and Alison Smithson watched, heard, and read! Hence, th the masses, particulary d “Pop artis: popular (designed for a mass audience), transient (short-term solution), expendable (easily forgotten), low cost, mass produced, young (aimed at youth), witty, sexy, gimmicky, glamorous, big business.” (Hamilton, 1957) Perhaps, one of the most banal and “low” objects and ical statements against pop art was its use of very 1 elevated aura that other to the life it purportedly talked about. Some of pop art is Andy Warhol, James Rosenquist, Claes Oldenburg, Richard Hamilton, Tom Wesselman, Ed Ruscha and Roy Lichtenstein, with a number of them coming from careers in the commercial art as illustrators, graphic designers, and even painters. Its because of this that their works had a seamless quality about it, But perhaps the most pertinent movement that solidified the move to contemporary art was postmodernism. By the very name, it was a nudge to formalize included conceptual art, neo-expressionism, feminist art, and the Young British Atists of the 1990s, among others, Grounded on skepticism aboutideals and grand narratives, itwas rootedin analytic philosophy during the mid- to late twentieth century, which highlighted the importance of individual experience and was often steeped in complexity and contradiction. AS an upshot, formerly established rules, barriers, and distinctions were abolished. In a 134 ‘creativity was in its most free—with an “anything goes” disposition, nly taste but also former sensibilities and styles, Their awareness of them to copy or be governed by them, but to borrow, ertique, and heads. During this time, some of the guiding principles were the: ‘and even interdisciplinary tis important to note that there were attempts to overturn the notion that all progress was postive, the hierarchy that art has @ definitive goal. In relation to the last one, one emergent INderscored in the experience and engagement with art and that was viewer. Here, the idea of the sole authorship of the artist is put isthe intention of the artist during the time of creation—the end-all '@ appreciation of work because it is where the sole meaning lie—is ‘Some of the sub-movements under this broad umbrella were minimalism, Conceptual art. video art, performance ar, installation art, and even feminist art Although they were widely accepted and recognized to be formal movements during the 1970s, they were in fact already in existence as early as the 1920s, Contemporary Art We can observe that there were overlaps with the acceptance and practice of these movements, They were not only overlapping with each other, but they were embedded in a social order that was in fact somewhat "disor ‘works, and earth works. Even these for ‘and dynamic, and otherwise “unheard of techniques, and methods of creat cther periods, it can be argued involved form of art. The subject matt heated, and even controver Other Contemporary Art Movements ‘Neo-Pop Art In the 1960s, there was a renewed interest in pop art specifically to Andy Warhol's works and his contemporaries. What made Im pop art was, that it appropriated some of the first ideas of Dada in which ready-made materials ‘were used for the artwork. Dada was a movement that was very much against the 1351 i, often using popular c1 le , Madonna, and Michael Jackson, among many others, Some of the artists involved in the revival of pop art was K; Edwards, Jeff Koons, Keith Haring, Mark Kostabi, and Damien Compared to their predecessors, they were more front abou the world through the works. Figure 18. set oe In Koon's "Puppy." he sculptural work—a_ giant \d banality: lowers, a puppy (West High cards, and Chia pets. This work articulates his expl ‘exist between the mass or popular and the elite culture, Photorealism RE SERoG (0 real life, conceptualism y. This movement also brought to the fore. ‘as museums and galleries where works F conceptual artists are Jenny Holzer. st, and Al Wei We conceptual work. When an a the idea or concept 1967) Performance Art Performance artis how a specific context is made in fleshed out Installation Art Yayoi Kusama, and Dale Chihuly.Pi LT TTT TTT TER i ‘An example of a public installation art is the "Cadillac Ranch,” comprised of 10 Cadillacs of different models ranging from 1949 to 1964. Buried nose- tant from each other and forming @ From its original site along Interstate 40, it was moved in 1997 to its new spot two mi westward along the interstate, The cars underwent several changes, from the frst time. fed as a kind or 2 spin-off of installation art, earth art (or 1e natural environment or a specific site or space is transformed lervention into a specific landscape or terrain, Earth art in a sense that it does not focus on the subject. landscape manipulation and the rom the ground or vegetation (rocks or twigs). Artists visto, Richard Long, Andy Goldsworthy, and Jeanne-Claude. 138 Street Art This art movement is related to gr in the 1980s. Artworks ‘out of common objects and mmonly found in the public sphere, various People who have access to them have formed the impression and perception of the These works operate underi and do not enjoy the invigilated en tances since they are unsanctioned ‘open space, there are no governing rules in interaction. Known street art Basquiat, Keith Har and Banksy. Banksy's popular by the creation of a Figure 20 Banksy. “Seep Under he Carpet" Hoxton) Let's Wrap It Up ‘Some of the artists and movements discussed are examples. h array of century is steeped though some of the movements discussed may have being practiced, new artists with their own cr 9 art are changing the landscape once again. surprising if in the future, art diverse movements that attempt to come into terms with himself, society, and the World in which he lives, 139Let's Work on This ‘To check your understanding of the lesson, answer the following essay ‘questions: 1. What do you think are the most important contrib art as a period and the numerous movements und today? contemporary the lives of men 2. Out ofall the movements mentioned and discussed," what do you think are no longer relevant nowadays? Let's Make it Happen With the different art movements across history, what do you think does the future hold for art and art production? Looking into the next 20 years, what do you think are the new trends that wil emerge? ‘Create your own art movement and describe its main tenets. Give ita name. What does this movement attempt to do? What are the concems or questions | ill t attempt to answer? Imagine what kind of materials/media and techniques wil be used to create and realize the concepts behind artists’ works. Write your answers in the space provided on the next page. 140 References Gotiein, M. (2005). Gilbert's Living With Art. th Ed. New York: McGraw-Hill Guggenheim. (n.d). “Dada.” Accessed December 10, 2017. Retrieved from hit \worw.quagenheim.orglartworkimovementiDada Hamilton, R. (1982). Collected Words: 1953-1982. London: Thames and Hudson. . S. (2017). “Postmodem Art Definition Overview and Analysis.” In The Art Stony: Modern Art Insight. Accessed November 3, 2017. Retrieved from http:// ‘nw theartstory orgidefinition-postmodernism him. Pantelic,K. (2016). “What Is Contemporary Art and How Can We Define It Today?" In Widewails. Accessed November 3, 2017. Retrieved from https:/iwww.widewalls, ‘chiwhat-is-contemporary-att Richman-Abdou, K. (2017). “Art History: What Is Contemporary Art?" In My Modern ‘Met, Accessed May 11, 2017. Retrieved from http:/imymodernmet. comiwhat is ‘contemporary-art-definition/, Smith, S. (2014). “Forty Years of the Cadillac Ranch.” In Texas Monthly. Accessed November 13, 2017. Retrieved from https:/hwww.texasmonthly. comitravelforty: years-of-he-cadilac-ranchy Tamplin, R. (Ed). (1991). The Arts: A History of Expression in the 20th Century. England: Harrap Ltd 141