Contemporary Art Trends Illustrated by Contemporary Artists
Contemporary art trends is an ever-evolving topic about art of the late 20th century and early 21st century. Artists works today are often hybrids of several styles including abstraction with figurative work; obscure references with blatant writings; symbolic narrative with bold splashes of color. Their media can include oil, acrylic, latex paint, charcoal, pastels, resin and newspaper clippings.
The blurring of variations in art often leads to the creation of hybrid artworks. These works can obscure traditional distinctions between:
- Painting
- Sculpture
- Film
- Performance
- Architecture
- Dance
Before 1960, modern art was categorized into movements or styles - such as surrealism or abstract expressionism. Art was more clearly defined by use of colors, brush strokes, techniques, mediums and canvas. Movements such as cubism, surrealism and action painting were easy to identify.
Since 1960, globalization has impacted contemporary art trends. Diffusion of borders and divisions among countries, classes and monetary systems has dramatically affected art, often blurring differences among styles and movements. These changes can lead to works that 100 years ago would not be considered art. At a recent art show, paper money fed into an old-fashioned meat grinder came out the other end shredded.
As explained in postmodern art, a popular hybrid form today is installation art, a work that fills up a room or a much larger space and often includes several different media, such as painting, photography, film and technology.
Contemporary art trends can also encompass non-traditional media as
- Natural and physical sciences
- Industry
- Technology
- Popular culture
- Words, literature and poetry
Art today is also influenced by Modern Art movements, including:
- Abstract Expressionism
- Assemblage Art
- Minimalism
- Neo Expressionism
- Performance Art
- Photographic Art
As financial systems go through roller coaster gyrations, so too does the monetary health of museums, galleries, auction houses and the prices of individual artworks. Some contemporary art trends are increasingly related to the economy, rather than to the validity, authenticity or originality of the artworks. When a piece of art costs a lot, it can become a status symbol.
Contemporary art often confronts global issues, including economics, politics, illness, sexuality, race, human rights and war. While artists have addressed these issues in the past, today money and race are more directly the subject of contemporary artworks. The painting, Surreal by Marcus Antonius Jansen on the postmodern art page is a depiction of extreme poverty. If our economy continues to fluctuate wildly over the next five years, perhaps new contemporary art trends will likely emerge.
"Some of the greatest bursts of creativity have come out of the most difficult times," wrote Michael Napoliello Jr., a Los Angeles based art dealer, in "101 Things I Don't Know About Art" in 2004. He added, "Race and place are imminent artistic crossroads. Ethnic, third world and outsider artists, historically disenfranchised, will rise up. If embraced, we may witness a great flowering of the global art garden. If not, we may face an increasingly frustrated and polarized art world."
Please enjoy reading about the many contemporary artists linked to this page, below.
The painting above by Joshua Elias is available through Brett Rubbico Gallery, Newport Beach, CA.
Back to top
