LESSON

Caught in Between: Modern and

9 Contemporary Art
Week 15-16

Learning Objectives:
At the end of this module, you should be able to:
1. Differentiate modern and contemporary art;
2. Show the interrelation of modern and contemporary art;
3. Isolate and discuss significant historical events that informed and inspired the
different movements under contemporary art; and
4. Classify specific artworks into the different movements under contemporary
art.

Overview
The history of art is one of the most difficult tasks to pin down. As what
previous chapters have shown, significant ideas, canons and tradition, preferences
and dominance of styles, media, and mode of production were the definitive
characteristics that segment art history into identifiable periods and movements;
identifiable, but not necessarily precise. It is important to note that the periods and
movements of art are themselves testament to the connection of art and culture in
the everyday life. As it is examined and analysed in context, it becomes increasingly
apparent that art is not detached from; rather, it is embedded in the affairs of the
society in which it exists. It offers a glimpse as to the beliefs of specific eras and
how these beliefs were translated into how people saw themselves and the world
and how they chose to come into terms with it – all in flux.

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.

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Let’s Get Started
Activity 1

Back-Track: Pop Art

Pop art as a movement drew inspiration, sources, and even materials from
commercial culture, making it one of the most identifiable and relatable
movements in art history.
Based on what you know about pop art, select one item from your bag
that you think will be a good inspiration, take off point, and even the material
itself, for an artwork. Describe how you will make use of this item and what your
concept is behind the work. Explain the selection.

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Defining the Contemporary
The term “contemporary” seems simple and straightforward enough to
define. There is this assumption that it need not be asked; rather, that it must
already be understood. But with an attempt to do so, one finds it is a lot harder to
grasp. The complexity of defining the term is attributed to the fact that people have
dissenting views on the interpretation of the “present,” of “today,” or what the
“now” means – these are often ideas that follow the word contemporary. Even more
so, is when it is hinged on the word “art” and suddenly it becomes a bit fuzzy.

Museum of Contemporary Art

There are museums, for example, that include name of artists, art forms, or
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 a bit skewed if the assumption
is that contemporary art started decades later. For the New Museum of
Contemporary Art in New York, its starting point is dated at 1977; while the TATE
framed contemporaneity in a ten-year rolling basis and was placed under the bounds
of their Museum of Contemporary Art.

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 Institute of Contemporary Art

Another source of confusion is the fact that in the colloquial, “modern” and
“contemporary” are considered synonymous. This, however, is not the case when
these terms are used in the context of art. Therein, they refer to two different (but
consecutive) periods qualified by different approaches to artmaking and the
functions that art served. To better make sense of contemporary art, perhaps it is
best to dial back to its predecessor, modern art.
Modern art saw the digression of artist away from past conventions and
traditions and toward freedom. There is the famous adage of “anything goes.” With
the world becoming increasingly complex, it required an art that could accommodate
such range and breadth. Roughly between the 1860s to late 1970s, creatives
celebrated the novel opportunities in art, from the materials to its manipulation and
ways of seeing and thinking about art. The devotion of artist to a strict narrative was
often illustrated in their figurative works; however, these artists gave their nod to
obstruction. The tenets of this period were not only reflected in its art, but it was
also evident in the way people lived and conducted themselves, the social issues
that were relevant, fashion, music and the wide range of images and activities they
were engaged in. this period saw the heavy mass production of goods, along with
the encouraging environment made possible by industrialization, new technology,
urbanization, and rise of commercially driven culture. There was also a palpable
secularization of society, interest in nature, and primacy of the self and individuality.
Artists were committed to developing a language of their own – original but
representative. What this means is that artists drew the world but in his own terms.
It was no wonder that within this period grew a vast number of different
movements.
The period that ensued was touted contemporary art. In order to move
forward, it is necessary to underscore that this can be better understood after a
starting point has been established. Compared to the dense taxonomy of modern

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art, contemporary art had fewer –isms under its wing. Perhaps, this was also due to
the fact that it is still unfolding.
Effectively, this period can be traced from the 1970s to the present. There is
a reason behind this cutoff. The cutoff was hinged on two reasons:
1. The 1970s saw the emergence of “postmodernism.” The affix was a clue that
whatever followed was segregated from it precursor.
2. The 1970s saw the decline of the clearer identified artistic movements.

Social Context: In Between Modern and Contemporary Art

Reaping the benefits and drawbacks of the dramatic changes that occurred at
the beginning of the twentieth century, the social, political, and cultural context
continued to provoke the artist to create. There is a potent source of reference for
his works so that he may continue to question the existing and emergent values of
society. This multiplicity of perspectives brought to light a more difficult terrain to
map out in terms of clear and distinct movements because what compelled artists’
works were not prevailing medium, technique, or style; rather, it was the themes
and concerns they addressed. And the conversation was no longer limited to
geographic locales, but became increasingly a global conversation.
Contemporary art was heavily driven by ideas and theories, and even the
blurring of notions of what is and can be considered as “art,” with the involvement
of television, photography, cinema, digital technology, performance, and even
objects of the everyday. It was 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 abstraction and combined with it with gestural techniques, mark-
making, and a rugged spontaneity in its visual articulation. Often affiliated with New
York painters, some of them include Clyfford Still, Jackson Pollock, Willem de
Kooning, Barnett Newman, and Mark Rothko, who were committed to creating
abstract works that had the ability to convey and elicit emotion, especially those
residing in the subconscious. Two major styles emerged from this: that of action
painting and color fields. Action painting underscored the process of creation in that
it showed the physicality, direction and most often, 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.

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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 “disordered.”
One of the main developments during this time was the turn from the
traditional notions of what art is: from paintings and sculptures to the more
experimental formats. These included film, photography, video, performance,
installations and site-specific works, and earth works. Even these formats tended to
overlap, leading to interesting and dynamic, and otherwise “unheard of”
combinations of concepts, subjects, materials, techniques, and methods of creation,
experience, and even analysis. Compared to other periods, it can be argued that
contemporary art is the most socially aware and involved form of art. The subject
matter of its works was one of the most pressing, heated, and even controversial
issues of contemporary society.

Other Contemporary Art Movements

Neo-Pop Art

In the 1980s, there was a renewed interest in pop art specifically to Andy
Warhol’s works and his contemporaries. What made it different from 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
values of the bourgeois, the colonial and even the national. It was both anarchic as
it was referencing anarchy – the war ensued because of the values the movement
abhors and despises. Aside from this, it does not only referenced popular culture,
but more importantly, criticized and evaluated it, often using popular cultural icons
such as Marilyn Monroe, Jackie O, Madonna, and Michael Jackson, among many
others. Some of the artists involved in the revival of pop art was Katharina Fritsch,
Daniel Edwards, Jeff Koons, Keith Haring, Mark Kostabi, and Damien Hirst, to name
a few. Compared to their predecessors, they were more affront about their
evaluations about the world through the works.

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 Jeff Koons, “Puppy”

In Koon’s “Puppy,” he uses computer modelling to create a behemoth of a

sculptural work – a giant topiary – that refers back to saccharine ideas of
sentimentality, security and banality: flowers, a puppy (West Highland terrier),
Hallmark greeting cards, and Chia pets. This work articulates his exploration of the
limits that exist between the mass or popular and the elite culture.

Photorealism
The resurgence of figurative art, where realistic depictions is a choice, is a
proof how varied and fragmented postmodernism is. In photorealism, a painstaking
attention to detail is aimed, without asserting an artist’s personal style. These
drawings and paintings are so immaculate in their precision that it starts to look like
it is a photo without a direct reference to the artist who created it. Two of the
unknown photorealist artists are Chuck Close and Gerhard Richter.

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Conceptualism
Other movements were informed and shaped by pop art, such as
conceptualism. As opposed to celebrating commodities as references to real life,
conceptualism fought against the idea that art is a commodity. This movement also
brought to the fore issues brought about by art institutions such as museums and
galleries where works are peddled and circulated. Some of the major conceptual
artists are Jenny Holzer, Damien Hirst, and Ai Wei Wei.
“In conceptual art, the idea or concept is the most important aspect of the
work. When an artist uses a conceptual form of art, it means that all of the planning
and decisions are made beforehand and the execution is a perfunctory affair.”
(LeWitt, 1967)

Performance Art
Performance art is related to conceptual art, whose rosters of well-known
artists include the likes of Marina Abramović, Yoko Ono, and Joseph Beuys. As a
movement, it began in the 1960s and instead of being concerned with entertaining
its audience, the heart of the artwork is its idea or message. Here, the audience may
even be an accomplice to the realization of the work. Performance art may be
planned or spontaneous and done live or recorded. Since it is also considered as
ephemeral works of art. An interesting proposition is that performance is not about
the medium or the format; rather; it is how a specific context is made in which
through engagement or interaction, questions, concerns, and conditions will be
fleshed out.

Installation Art
Compared to traditional art formats, installation art is a kind of an immersive
work where the environment or the space in which the viewer steps into or interacts
with (going around installative art) is transformed or altered. Usually large-scale,
installation art makes use of a host of objects, materials, conditions, and even light
and aural components. These works may also be considered site-specific and may
be temporary or ephemeral in nature. Well-known installation artists are Allan
Kaprow, Yayoi Kusama, and Dale Chihuly.
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-first into the
ground, each car is seemingly equidistant from each other and forming a straight
line. From its original site along Interstate 40, it was moved in 1997 to its new spot

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two miles westward
along the interstate.
The cars underwent
several changes, from
the first time they were
installed as they were
located in a public
space. It didn’t take
long before graffiti
found its way onto the
surfaces of the cars, it
was painted different
colors such as gray. It
also had a pink phase in the 1990s, wherein all cars were painted pink.

Earth Art
Sometimes considered as a kind or a spin-off of installation art, earth art
(land art) is when the natural environment or a specific site or space is transformed
by artists. It is a kind of human intervention into a specific landscape or terrain.
Earth art is different from environmental art in a sense that it does not focus on the
subject (environmental issues or concerns) but rather on landscape manipulation
and the materials used, taken directly from the ground or vegetation (rocks or
twigs). Artists known for Earth Art are Robert Smithson, Christo, Richard Long, Andy
Goldsworthy, and Jeanne-Claude.

Street Art
This art movement is related to graffiti art as it is a by-product of the rise of
graffiti in the 1980s. Artworks created are not traditional in format but are informed
by the illustrative, painterly and print techniques and even a variety of media (even

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video projections). Some of the examples of this include murals, stencilled images,
stickers and installations or installative/sculptural objects usually out of common
objects and techniques. Since these works are most commonly found in the public
sphere, various people who have access to them have formed the impression and
perception of the artworks themselves.
These works operate under interesting circumstances since they are
unsanctioned and do not enjoy the invigilated environments of museums and
galleries. However, these works also end up in them, as street artists also hold more
traditional exhibitionary formats in the white cube. If it is in the open space, there
are no governing rules in its production and sometimes, in the interaction. Known
street artists include Michel Basquiat, Keith Haring, Shepard Fairey, and Banksy.
Banksy’s popularity is evidenced by the creation of a film documentary that spoke
about him and his works. Gordon Matta-Clark, Jenny Holzer, and Barba Kruger are
some of the known street artists.

Banksy, “Sweeping it Under the Carpet”

Mjjh nk

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Let’s Make it Happen
Activity 2

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 will emerge?
Create your own art movement and describe its main tenets. Give it a name.
What does this movement attempt to do? What are the concerns or
questions will it attempt to answer? Imagine what kind of materials/media and
techniques will be used to create and realize the concepts behind artists’ works.
Write your answers in the space provided.

Rubrics for Art

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Category Accomplished Developing Beginning Artist
Artist Artist
30-21 20-10 9-0
Material Application Demonstrates Demonstrates Lack demonstration
and Technique qualities and some qualities and of qualities and
characteristics of characteristics of characteristics of
various media, various media, various media,
techniques and techniques and techniques and
processes. processes. processes.
30-21 20-10 9-0
Understanding of Insight and depth Some depth of Lacks content
Content of content content understanding and
understanding are understanding is is clearly a work in
evident. evident. progress.
5-4 3-2 1-0
Completion Most of the steps Some of the steps Artwork appears to
are completed to are completed but be a work in
the best of student needs finishing progress.
ability. touches.

10-9 8-4 3-0

Tool/Material Demonstrates Demonstrates Demonstrates little
Responsibility respectful use of some respect for or no respect for the
tools and art tools and art tools and
materials. materials. materials.
15-11 10-6 5-0
Craftsmanship Artwork reflects Artwork reflects Artwork appears to
deliberate control adequate control be a work in
having good and having some progress with little
craftsmanship. craftsmanship. or no control of
craftsmanship.
10-8 7-4 3-0
Creative Process Expresses original Expresses original Lacks original idea
idea and insightful ideas but has few and has few details.
perspectives with details.
an appropriate
amount of details.

Rubrics for Essay

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 Traits 4 3 2 1
Focus & There is one clear, There is one clear, There is one topic. Main The topic and main ideas
Details wellfocused topic. Main wellfocused topic. Main ideas are somewhat are not clear.
ideas are clear and are ideas are clear but are clear.
well supported by not well supported by
detailed and accurate detailed information.
information.
Organization The introduction is The introduction states The introduction states There is no clear
inviting, states the main the main topic and the main topic. A introduction, structure, or
topic, and provides an provides an overview of conclusion is included. conclusion.
overview of the paper. the paper. A conclusion is
Information is relevant included.
and presented in a
logical order. The
conclusion is strong.
Voice The author’s purpose of The author’s purpose of The author’s purpose of The author’s purpose of
writing is very clear, and writing is somewhat writing is somewhat writing is unclear.
there is strong evidence clear, and there is some clear, and there is
of attention to audience. evidence of attention to evidence of attention to
The author’s extensive audience. The author’s audience. The author’s
knowledge and/or knowledge and/or knowledge and/or
experience with the experience with the experience with the
topic is/are evident. topic is/are evident. topic is/are limited.

Word Choice The author uses vivid The author uses vivid The author uses words The writer uses a limited
words and phrases. The words and phrases. The that communicate vocabulary. Jargon or
choice and placement of choice and placement of clearly, but the writing clichés may be present
words seems accurate, words is inaccurate at lacks variety. and detract from the
natural, and not forced. times and/or seems meaning.
overdone.
Sentence All sentences are well Most sentences are well Most sentences are well Sentences sound
Structure, constructed and have constructed and have constructed, but they awkward, are
Grammar, varied structure and varied structure and have a similar structure distractingly repetitive,
Mechanics, & length. The author length. The author and/or length. The or are difficult to
Spelling makes no errors in makes a few errors in author makes several understand. The author
grammar, mechanics, grammar, mechanics, errors in grammar, makes numerous errors
and/or spelling. and/or spelling, but they mechanics, and/or in grammar, mechanics,
do not interfere with spelling that interfere and/or spelling that
understanding. with understanding. interfere with
understanding.
Reviewer’s
Comments

Let’s Work on This

Assessment

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To check your understanding of the lesson, answer the following essay
questions:
1. What do you think are the most important contributions of contemporary
art as a period and the numerous movements under it in the lives of men
today?

2. Out of all the movements mentioned and discussed, what do you think are
no longer relevant nowadays? Why?

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