Into the Unknown: Contemporary Art in the 21st Century
E
xactly what is contemporary art? And in which direction is it heading? It could be said that art is unfolding all around us, happeing in front of our very eyes at any given time. Art is a translation of the human experience, a mirror for self-contemplation. Never in human history has there been such a time of accessibility to the arts for everyone, and yet never has the subject been more misunderstood. From the beginnings of modern civilization through the Renaissance and up until the dawn of the 20th century, art was (for the most past) stable, predictable and primarily dependent on the technical precision of the individual wielding the brush or chisel. Scenes of religious devotion dominated the great institutions for hundreds of years, and paintings of landscapes or wealthy patrons always had a place of respected aesthetic integrity. For hundreds and even thousands of years, art was steady, safe and reliable, albeit untouchable to the masses. The average person would never view the private collections held by the royalty or wealthy patrons of Europe, but they
could recognize a painting of the immaculate conception or a countryside prairie if they saw one. Fast forward to the beginning of the 20th century, arguably the most rapid and prolific time of change in human history. The advent of the American Industrial Revolution, the birth of modern machinery and the ensuing technological advances brought us exponentially forward as a species. If religious devotion was the dominant subject matter of the Renaissance then it can be said that in the 20th century, the catalyst for aesthetic expression has been artists’ reactions to current events within a rapidly changing world. Think Picasso’s “Guernica” or Lichtenstin’s large-scale comic book fighter planes. Art of the past century has often been a mixed reaction to culturally relevant events. As such, it can be argued that contemporary art is simply a bi-product of one’s environment; the culmination of individual experiences and observations translated into paint, stone, film or photography. Yet, this is only a fraction of the story. Just as easily, the artistic experience can be based on an idea with a limited basis in reality. The modern era has transformed the very definition of art itself, broadening the scope of our aesthetic tastes.
“Art is a translation of the human experience”
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