This is article is part of theArt history series. | |
| |
Arts of the ancient world | |
European art history | |
Islamic art history | |
Arts of the Far East | |
Contemporary art |
Contemporary art encompasses all art being done now. It tends to include art from the 1960s or 1970s through the present.
| Table of contents |
|
2 Contemporary Artists (selection) |
Trends in Contemporary Art
As it has done in the past, today's art both combines different traditional forms, but also pushes the boundaries of people's perception. It includes things that people consider immoral or taboo. For example, we now see the use of body fluids and plastics in art. Artists also take advantage of modern technology, using the computer and its scanner, the fax machine and the photocopier. In music, composers and musicians make use of electronic music and computer music.
Moreso than many other forms of art, contemporary art is often focused on the abstract. Because of this, contemporary art is often criticized for being "meaningless" or for "not being art." Contemporary art often has the goal of criticizing or commenting on society, politics, and religion. Contemporary art should not be confused with modern art - the former is art being created today and the art of roughly the past three decades, while the latter generally refers to the art of the early 20th century.
Contemporary Artists (selection)
Visual arts
See also Young British Artists; Turner PrizeMusic
Theatre