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• Contemporary art

  Art from the 1970s to the present
• Modern art

  Art period preceding contemporary art, characterized by different approaches to artmaking and the functions that art served
• The term "contemporary" is not as straightforward as it may seem
• Postmodernism


  Emerged in the 1970s, signaling a departure from the preceding modern art period and laying the groundwork for the rise of contemporary art
• Reacting to change at the beginning of the 20th century


  Artists continued to create works that questioned the existing and emergent values of society
• Contemporary art


  • Heavily driven by ideas and theories, with the blurring of notions of what is and can be considered as "art"
  • Involvement of various media, such as television, photography, and everyday objects, became increasingly prevalent, shifting the focus from the visual articulation to the underlying ideas
• Several art movements laid the groundwork for the transition to contemporary art, bridging the gap between the modern and contemporary periods
• Abstract expressionism


  Emerged in the early 1940s and lasted until the mid-1960s, combining the basic tenets of abstraction with gesture techniques, mark-making, and a rugged spontaneity in its visual articulation
• Op art


  Emerged in the early 1960s, relied on creating illusions to inform the experience of the artwork using color, pattern, and other perspective tricks
• Kinetic art


  Emerged in the early 1950s, harnessed the current and direction of wind, components, and other physical elements to create actual movement in the artwork
• Gutai Art Association


  Founded in Japan in the 1950s, explored the materiality of the implements used in performance, as well as the relationship between the body, movement, and the spirit of their interaction during the creative process
• Minimalism


  Emerging in the early 1960s in New York, an extreme form of abstraction that favored geometric shapes, color fields, and the use of industrial materials
• Pop art


  Emerged in the 1950s and found its footing in the 1960s, drew inspiration from commercial culture, including advertisements, packaging, comic books, movies, and pop music
• Postmodernism


  Emerged in the 1970s, a critique of modernism and its claims over art in the 20th century
• Photorealism


  A resurgence of figurative art that emphasizes a painstaking attention to detail, creating paintings and drawings that are so precise that they appear to be photographs
• Photorealism artists


  • Chuck Close
  • Gerhard Richter
• Conceptual art


  Fought against the idea of art as a commodity, brought to the fore issues surrounding art institutions, such as museums and galleries, where works are peddled and circulated
• Performance art


  More concerned with the idea or message behind the work rather than entertaining the audience, used their bodies and interactions with the audience to convey their concepts, often in ephemeral and immersive ways
• Installation art


  A type of immersive work that transforms or alters the environment or space in which the viewer interacts, often making use of a variety of objects, materials, conditions, and even light and sound components
• Earth art


  Involves the transformation of the natural environment or a specific site by the artist, focusing on landscape manipulation and the use of materials taken directly from the ground or vegetation, rather than environmental concerns
• Street art


  A movement related to graffiti art, with works created in the public sphere using a variety of media, such as murals, stenciled images, stickers, and installations, operating outside the traditional art world and often engaging with the public in unexpected ways
• Traditional notions of art


  • Art's meaning lies solely in the artist's intention during creation
  • Art has a definitive goal or purpose
  • Art is detached from the social and cultural context
• Contemporary perspectives on art


  • The viewer's experience and engagement with the artwork are crucial to its meaning and interpretation
  • Contemporary art challenges the idea of a singular, predetermined goal, embracing the multiplicity of narratives and the relativity of meaning
  • Contemporary art is deeply embedded in the social, political, and cultural issues of the present, often serving as a critical reflection on the world we live in