What is Contemporary Art?
“What the hell am I looking at? … Now. You're looking at now, sir. Everything that happens now, is happening now.”
-Spaceballs
J. Peeler Howell, Editor
What is Contemporary Art? This is an interesting question. We’ve all heard the term. We refer to art as being “contemporary.” And yet, a proper definition is somewhat elusive. There are art history text books that don’t even have “contemporary art” as an index item. It’s not a style like Pop Art, Minimalism, or Conceptualism. Even those “styles” are certainly more accurately described as “movements.” For example, among the art that might be attributed to Modern Art, there are vastly different styles. Consider the collection of the Museum of Modern Art in New York City. Mark Rothko and Vincent Van Gogh are both in the collection of the museum, and yet are certainly not the same “style” of art. But it’s convenient to categorize them as both belonging to Modern Art. To a certain extent. But that’s the art world. As soon as art becomes categorized, there seems to be a necessity to move beyond that categorization. Or modify that categorization. Or make exceptions. But for the sake of brevity, let’s describe Contemporary Art as the art that is taking place right now. And maybe in the recent past. That sounds obvious, but it also makes sense.
"As soon as art becomes categorized, there seems to be a necessity to move beyond that categorization. Or modify that categorization. Or make exceptions."
The Dallas Contemporary is a large exhibition space that describes itself as a “a european kunsthalle, or art hall, a welcoming exhibition site for art of the moment,” and also as a “contemporary art institution that grapples with complex issues of our time.” So, much of the contemporary art world seems to have to do with what artists are doing now and what is being shown now. This includes artists across the spectrum of career and media: emerging artists as well as mid-career and well-established artists, painters, photographers, printmakers, sculptors, and even performance art. Contemporary art and what we consider to be contemporary art therefore has to do simply with what is currently being shown, and not just discussed among the somewhat insular and esoteric of the artist circles of the past like The New York School of Willem de Kooning, Jackson Pollack and Mark Rothko.
"Contemporary art and what we consider to be contemporary art therefore has to do simply with what is currently being shown, and not just discussed among the somewhat insular and esoteric of the artist circles of the past..."
So where is this contemporary art exhibited? Where one might think. At galleries, through dealers, at art fairs, and in art auctions. This makes an interesting point about contemporary art. The artists and the gallerists, dealers, art fairs, and auctions define what contemporary art really is. This isn’t true for Impressionism, Postmodernism, Abstract Expressionism, Futurism, or any other art movement where the art itself defines the movement. This is the world of contemporary art. I think that is the most accurate way to consider Contemporary Art. It’s what you can go to your local gallery and look at right now. Just now. We’re at now now.
Discover our collection of contemporary art.
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