Contemporary Art Essay

342 Words2 Pages
Contemporary Art Contemporary art can be classified as art that has been produced between 1970 and the present day. It follows Modernism and Post-Modernism. Contemporary art is arguably more socially conscious than any other previous era- artworks connected to one issue or another, for example feminism, global warming, multiculturalism, racism etc. Unlike modernist ideals such as formal purity and “art for art’s sake”, contemporary art often aims to shock. Critics such as Julian Spalding and Donald Kuspit suggest that contemporary art should evoke skepticism and even rejection as a response. An example of a contemporary artist is Vanessa Beecroft. Born in 1969 in Italy, Beecroft suffered from an eating disorder since the age of 12. Her artworks focus on body image and feminism. It consists of groups of women- all fashioned to look the same, with identitical wigs, underwear, costumes or shoes, standing or sitting in a space for hours on end. They are forbidden to interact with the audience, or make sudden movements. More often than not, Beecroft’s shows included partial if not total nudity. Her intention was to leave an element of the show up to the audience-their reaction, interest or awkwardness becoming part of the work. These confronting performance caused the audience to consider the body image of a female, and the possible disorders and emotions that come with the modern day pressure of what it is to be beautiful. Another example of a practicing contemporary artist is the pseudonymous graffiti artist Banksy. Banksy’s works take a humourous approach to anti-capitalist, anti-establishment and anti-war statements. Stenciled on public surfaces around the world, Banksy’s children, rats, policemen, apes, soldiers and elderly are renowned for his intention to cause criticism and debate. A popular issue raised is if the law should be ignored in the name of art,
Open Document