The Introduction to Contemporary Arts

 Contemporary Arts
-a statement that an artist makes about life, thoughts, ideas, beliefs and many other things that define
human life

 History of Contemporary Art

First, one needs to be clear about what the term contemporary art has come to mean. It is generally
defined as referring to "work created after World War II." As it's used by critics, curators, and teachers,
however, it really refers only to work that is considered avant-garde, or cutting-edge. In particular, it means
abstract work and the various postmodernist genres, from "Pop art" to "installation" and "performance art."

 Malliarium
A true work of art can often speak for itself and releases its true artistic meaning just by looking at it. The
Spoliarium, which is often misspelled as ‘Spolarium’ truly exceeds the given definition of art. The Spoliarium,
which was painted by Juan Luna, is considered one of the most internationally renowned pieces of modern
Filipino art. Luna submitted his painting to the Exposición Nacional de Bellas Artes in 1884 which received a
gold medal. Later on the year 1886, it was then sold to the Diputación Provincial de Barcelona for 20,000
pesetas. The Spoliarium, which is one of the Philippines pride, now hangs in the main gallery of the National
Museum of the Philippines and is the first painting to greet museum visitors.

 The Characteristics of Contemporary Art

Many contemporary artists are self-taught and did not have formal education. Originality is not issue in
contemporary art. An artist can get another artist’s work and add to it, redesign or interpret it using other
materials.

 Subject matter and style in Contemporary Art

Subject matter in contemporary art is not confined to representations of human figures and landscapes.
The favourite subjects in contemporary art are children ,women or the environment, such as the late artist
Muffet Villegas, Flora and Fauna.
In some artworks, the subject matter is not easily recognized, If the artwork is an experiment on
technique ,the subject matter is the technique itself.

A. Abstract Expressionism
Abstract expressionism is a post–World War II art movement in American painting, developed in New
York in the 1940s. It was the first specifically American movement to achieve international influence and put
New York City at the center of the western art world, a role formerly filled by Paris.

B. Kinetic Arts
Art from any medium that contains movement perceivable by the viewer or depends on motion for its
effect. Canvas paintings that extend the viewer's perspective of the artwork and incorporate
multidimensional movement are the earliest examples of kinetic art

C. Op Art
Op Art, or optical illusion art, is a form of abstract art that gives the illusion of movement by the precise
use of pattern and colour, or in which conflicting patterns emerge and overlap. Bridget Riley and Victor
Vasarely are its most famous exponents.

D. Performing Arts
 This is a form of art in which artists use their voices and/or their bodies, often in relation to other objects,
to convey artistic expression. It is different from visual arts, which is when artists use paint/canvas or various
materials to create physical or static art objects.

E. Environment Art
Environment art is a range of artistic practices encompassing both historical approaches to nature in art
and more recent ecological and politically motivated types of works.

F. Feminist Art
The feminist art movement refers to the efforts and accomplishments of feminists internationally to
produce art that reflects women's lives and experiences, as well as to change the foundation for the
production and reception of contemporary art.

G. Minimalism
Minimalism describes movements in various forms of art and design, especially visual art and music,
where the work is set out to expose the essence, essentials or identity of a subject through eliminating all
non-essential forms, features or concepts.
H. Video Arts
Video art is an art form which relies on moving pictures in a visual and audio medium. Video art came
into existence during the late 1960s and early 1970s as new consumer video technology became available
outside corporate broadcasting. Video art can take many forms.

I. Graffiti Art
One of the most radical contemporary art movements, "graffiti art" (also called "Street Art", "Spraycan
Art", "Subway Art" or "Aerosol Art") commonly refers to decorative imagery applied by paint or other means
to buildings, public transport or other property.

J. Post-modern Art
A body of art movements that sought to contradict some aspects of modernism or some aspects that
emerged or developed in its aftermath.

K. Body Art
Body art is art made on, with, or consisting of, the human body. The most common forms of body art are
tattoos and body piercings. Other types include scarification, branding, subdermal implants, scalpelling,
shaping (for example tight-lacing of corsets), full body tattoo and body painting.

L. Digital Art
Digital art is an artistic work or practice that uses digital technology as an essential part of the creative or
presentation process. Since the 1970s, various names have been used to describe the process including
computer art and multimedia art, and digital art is itself placed under the larger umbrella term new media art

 Materials used in Contemporary Arts

Contemporary Artists salvage materials that can be recycled and made into creative forms.

 Skills,Techniques and Production in Contemporary Arts

Many contemporary artist do not have formal studies in the fine arts but are self –taught. Concerned with the
development of their talent and skills in art making ,they study on their own ,interact with artists and read a
lot about lives of artists and their artworks.
 Type of Techniques
1. Collage- made by adhering flat elements such as newspaper or magazine cut-outs, printed
text ,illustrations, photographs, cloth string etc to a flat surface to create a thick layer that is almost like a
relief sculpture.

2. Decalcomania- the process of applying gouache to paper or glass then transferring a reversal of that
image onto canvas or other flat materials

3. Decoupage- done by adhering cut-outs of paper and then coating these with one or more coats or
transparent coating of varnish. It is the art or craft of decorating objects with paper cut-outs

4. Frottage- a technique in the visual arts of obtaining textural effects or images by rubbing lead, chalk,
charcoal, etc., over paper laid on a granular or relief like surface. Compare rubbing is a work of art
containing shapes and textures produced by frottage.

5. Montage- the process or technique of selecting, editing, and piecing together separate sections of film to
form a continuous whole.

6. Trapunto- from the Italian for "to quilt," is a method of quilting that is also called "stuffed technique." A
puffy, decorative feature, trapunto utilize s at least two layers, the underside of which is slit and padded,
producing a raised surface on the quilt.

7. Digital Applications- In England, Wales and Northern Ireland, the Diploma in Digital Applications (DiDA) is
an optional information and communication technology course, usually studied by Key Stage 4 or
equivalent school students. DiDA was introduced in 2005 as a creation of the Edexcel examination board.
DiDA is notable in that it consists entirely of coursework, completed on-computer; all work relating to the
DiDA course is created, stored, assessed and moderated digitally.

 Description Applied to Contemporary Arts

Subject Matter is what you see that is depicted in the artwork. It may be a human form where the figures
are engaged in an activity, or a combination of texture and color.

Material is what the artwork is made of.It can also be a combination of objects used in the artwork.

Art element and principle refer to the physical qualities of the image.The artist uses color, lines,space
and other elements to create visual images.