What Is - Contemporary Art

One area that has been impacting the comtemporary art business and has been receiving quite a lot of attention is Japanese Anime. In Japan, the anime culture effect has also spun off into making the young followers, in my opinion, a bit whimsical. I also think that it has spread to include those hit movies that are redifining a culture. (i.e. Fast and Furious: Tokyo Drift, thought this was a kool flic.)

Thank You Beth. I think I am 'Lowbrow' or leaning in that direction. Phew I have a direction. xxxx Gra. 'lowbrow decorator'

All these names are extremely stupid in their naming, modern, post modern, whats next post post post modern, like new newer and newest, now contemporary . None of these names has been made with any thought to longevity. They would have been better off if they just gave these phases a number, then one could reference a list to see what period it applied to. Whats modern now is old tomorrow, what contemporary now is not contemporary 10 years down the road.

It not my fault that the art community seems to be made up of short sighted gimmick oriented naming and planing.

My understanding of contemporary, regardless what some art historians may mistakenly use the term for, my idea of the word contemporary is its a word thats used in the present to describe work that is fresh and new, not necessarily totally different but an exciting relatively fresh way of presenting an idea, naturally 10 years later the contemporary of today will not be contemporary anymore but slip into traditional, even abstract these days or modernize m is to me nothing more then traditional, it all slips into traditional eventually.

Thats how I read it as any other art description using contemporary for a set period is insane as it cancels further use of the word.

How can I say this? Well I am an artist, let me take a page from FAA mentality for one time as it suits me, I decide whats what and the historians can write what they want.

I agree Mario, it often confuses me on how to tag anything.
Thank you Beth for posting this though.

I think it makes perfect sense to categorize arts, glad however, that I'm not the one selecting the period term. I expect many new directions will unfold in the contemporary arts area, new technologies, broader color selections/schemes, new materials, and recycled arts, political/social mass communications, 3D, 4D, heck, maybe even 5D presentations. So, if you're concern now about naming, then prepare yourself for a global onslaught. :)

Just to have fun"ism" with the subject, how about a new contemporary category called "Annihilation art", art that is created from acutally used conflict weapons?

In the late 50`s we had just come out of the "utilitarian designed house furniture, and no art. In to "contemporary" a word given to furniture furnishings and pictures and china or the period. This described the "new look" G plan furniture, Courtolds soft furnishings. Ladderax designed a wall ladder attached to a wall on one side and with a pair of these ladders assembled that way, long lengths of piranah pine shelves were slotted in. This was the hight of utility area including the new "white goods" - washing machines and kitchen appliances all labelled contemporary as opposed to the style dominated by ration books and lack of imported materials that was utility furniture. Out went grannies dark victorian pictures in brown varnished frames and they were replaced with contemporary furnishing pictures mainly 30" wide by 20" drop (as this fitted on the chimney breast above the contemporary electric fire in the fireplace.
Frost and Reed of London were one of the largest "Contemporary print picture suppliers" of the time and had such artists a David Shepard & Sir Francis Chichester prints on there portfolio, Most people still recognise the "Blue chinese lady","Elephants from Ambali" the crying rose(rose on some steps with water dripping off the petals and Follands modern scenes of london paris and new york. These were the original "contemporary" pictures produced on mass at reasonable prices to decorate the new lighter modern houses. I think in todays world the word "contempary pictures" has now been missused buy this 21st century. I hope this info is of some help in your search.
Any one interested in further info of the period please do not hesitate to contact me

Gee Mario, I'll bet you are fun at a party.

I agree, it seems that sometimes categorization is more important of the purpose of the art itself. Although we do need to belong to some groups as it is in our human nature, I believe that sometimes categorization makes it hard to be orientated. Especially for new people in arts.
I also believe, that in some cases the category of art was invented only because the artist himself or herself could not compete in known art sections therefore he or she developed new art category and movement. Some of them just because they have anything to do with arts and unable to face the truth, they did develop new discipline. For me there is no doubt, that art does not have borders and even what some of us call bad art is still art if developed by technique or vision or just love, it is just that some people should be happy with creation that makes someone else happy and not to confuse me with new art discipline just to get recognition from people.........or I might be wrong eh?

The categories are useful in my mind. If a gallery is wanting a certain theme of work they put a call out for that theme.,... and that means a category.

For anyone that does wish to be shown in that circumstance, it is handy to have the knowledge under their belt....hence my What Is series, to help give you that power of knowledge.

Not only that but especially now we are online artists. How else do people find a particular theme but to search for genre art?

It makes more sense than not.

Definition of CONTEMPORARY
1: happening, existing, living, or coming into being during the same period of time
2a : simultaneous b : marked by characteristics of the present period : modern, current

Definition of ART
1: skill acquired by experience, study, or observation


Contemporary Art.........A Current Skill........Nothing more..Nothing less

Well yes, I agree category is good, its just sometimes it is very confusing and the categories are not specific I believe, thanks God mine is:-), by the way, thank you for this discussions:-)

:) You are welcome, Danielle. It IS hard I know and most people are not worried too much. I do not care really one way or the other but it is good to learn it all the same :)

Yes Roger, but expand on that to go back to the 60's too as that is when it began as an actual art term.

So yes, 'modern art' to most of us except to galleries who demand a separate category lol

I think its Read Mario comment first then join mine under it and it should make sense .

Hey Roger as you and I were 1950`s contemporary`s what the hell are we called now?

In 50`s John Bolingbroke (16th great grandson of King Henry, Lord Bolingbroke of England) bought a furniture company supplying to the aristocracy and I worked for him as promotions and advertising exec. He was the first person I ever knew that used the word contemporary in the advertising indusrty to describe the items we sold.

One thing about the term "contemporary" is it opens up the door to the new and waves goodbye to the more used and now clich'ed art presentation methods. Like fashion or architecture; although retro is contemporary when revived with modern elements.

The old time honored traditional landscape paintings were great but there is room for contemporary versions of landscape paintings which have equal if not fresher or more striking appearances. The question is are there any contemporary arists willing to work as hard as those of the past?

The new words for revived older styles and branches of genre is neo. Neo-impressionism, neo-this and neo that. The time is now for a version called
"Neo-qualityism" as opposed to contemporary boring and over personalized art works.

@ James - Not too long ago I read a book tiltled "Fornasetti - converstaion with Phillippe Starck" - which I considered pretty contempoaray works by Fornasetti but nowhere is the term "contemporary" found in the book. The term surreal and trompe l'oeil were mentioned, which can be given supporting the later pop/op movements in arts.

Therefore, in my opinion, the term was not for general use in specific forms but a catch word that may have later been applied to recent works.

Good..... Beth. A little knowledge won't hurt anybody............ It seems that sales are at the top of everyones minds at FAA. Won't hurt to know what it is you are selling. May as well mention putting everything into to "catagories" on the FAA search engine, you may want to know what the various catagories are in art.
o

Contemporary Art is term used define art from one period to another however I too find this term used to loosely. Like anything else there is great art and there is garbage being passed of as art. It's not much different than a politician who is supposed to be upholding the oath of his or her office and serving the public good but who is only out for their gain. Unfortunately like anything else in life there is much fluff an pomp with out substance in the Art World, dare I say I don't expect it to change anytime soon. Mind you, I have little or no intention of loosing any sleep over it as I will continue to create up to a standard which I feel is right as most artists would do.

Hi Tony I think you have also summed it up well We all used the word contempary in promotions on everything. I think with hindsite we should have said 1950`s "contemporary at this point in time" Then as Mario stated we could just move the quote forward to the next change in style and quoted the same sentance. have a good one..James

Regina posted this is another thread. print it out and pin it to the wall. It could use some more "boxes" however but it works.

"Possibly of interest - "Artstuff" (artstuff.net.au) has published a matrix of artist development stages, separating the "decorative" and "fine" tracks. I realize it's not ironclad nor should the tracks be taken as unalterable destiny. However they seem to have captured a good bit of demographic insight in a fairly simple table"

Thank you for adding that. I will have to go through that too adding to the What Is series. lol

Hey Philip; is that William Shatner of Star Trek in your avatar?

Nah we just look very similar : )




Sincerely


Denny Crain ops I mean

Phil Lane

"Be daring, be different, be impractical, be anything that will assert integrity of purpose and imaginative vision against the play-it-safers, the creatures of the commonplace, the slaves of the ordinary."

Cecil Beaton

interesting topic. I wonder what I fit into. I call it surrealism but I really just wing it with my ideas lol and it's just how I paint.

Thanks so much for this Beth! I was very interested in what ugly realism is? this is the frist time I ever heard of this.
Here is what I found on the net:

"Term coined to describe the work of a number of artists working in Berlin in the 1970s. These artists combined the fine draughtsmanship of Otto Dix and George Grosz with an iconographical treatment of the 'ugly': this could be a pimple, a deformed limb or a terrorist with a machine-gun, all rendered with a chilling photographic clarity that pointed to the brutality, shallowness, alienation and perversion of modern urban humanity. The objects and figures presented to the observer in such detail were designed to provoke in him a mixture of disgust, revulsion and distaste as well as a reluctance to recognize what was being portrayed. Many of the artists associated with Ugly Realism were originally members of the artists' co-operative gallery in Berlin, Grossg?rschen 35, founded in 1964. In 1966 a rift developed between the expressionist faction represented by K. H. H?dicke, Markus L?pertz and Koberling and the so-called critical realists, Ulrich Baehr (b 1938), Charles Diehl, Wolfgang Petrick and Peter Sorge (b 1937), who later made the Galerie Eva Poll home to this new brand of realism."

Mark,

I concur Wholeheartedly in your last posting

Mark Perry

"Be daring, be different, be impractical, be anything that will assert integrity of purpose and imaginative vision against the play-it-safers, the creatures of the commonplace, the slaves of the ordinary."

Cecil Beaton

Great quote Roger, I totally agree. One problem. It's how a person sees most of the time. Some can only see ordinary,They can't stretch themselves. would we consider that a handicap? hmm But most who see that way shun ones who think outside the box and think they are weird.lol again. I would rather be weird, than boring yawn.

I never considered "weird" to be a negative term. So we may all be "well in line" in opposite to being "extraordinary" or "special".
Love the Cecil Beaton quote, too.

I don't think weird is negative at all. But the looks I get when ordinary lovers watch me paint in public is funny. They really don't know how to open their eyes, they are so used to the same old or what they are conditioned with.

check this out - Hey everyone lets vote Dan Turner to be philips Doctor Spoc

If anyone has a request for the next WHAT IS then feel free to email me. There are so many to choose from LOL

According to the EU authorities, there is no VAT (value-added tax) on the importation of "Contemporary Art". The EU customs authorities have a very simple definition: Contemporary art is art that was created during the past 50 years.

Lord Bryan,




I have considered your suggestion and found it to be a flawed suggestion. That would be about as tactfull as choosing Shirley Chisholm as former Governor George Wallace's running mate in a run for President : )

What is Stuckism? Is that a "tongue-in-cheek" phrase? I used to paint in "stuckism" and still do on occasion, lol.
I think art is thusly categorized as a method of identifying a type, a period or a piece......we can't walk into MOMA to visit the We Don't Know What to Call It section.
The entire civilization revolves around labels.
I find it all fascinating; there are "abstract, abstract expressionism, Contemporary, Modern, Post-modern pieces that are truly wonderful works.

Dear Lord Bryan


I have reconsidered your proposal and concur, I think Dan Turner would be perfect as the Ego Less Mr. Schlock. ops I mean Spock : ) Right on target Elizabeth labels are useless terms and cliches constantly thrown around the art world by the nouveau riche.

Philip, you look an awful lot like William Shatner; are you related, or merely an impostor?

By the way, my name is spelled B-Y-R-O-N, not Byran. (You can't keep a good game down, Ms. Edwards.)


Alfred, Lord Byron

What?

Get back to the topic gentleman please

I'm referring to the "Art of Conversation" game, which was inexplicably terminated.

I shall now leave the topic, and your web-site, entirely, Madam, as my contributions here are so clearly unappreciated.

I didnt terminate it.

Who did, and why, if you don't mind my asking? I thought that it was a very amusing game.

By the way, I wasn't the one who went "off topic":

"According to the EU authorities, there is no VAT (value-added tax) on the importation of "Contemporary Art". The EU customs authorities have a very simple definition: Contemporary art is art that was created during the past 50 years."

How quickly we forget, if, indeed, we ever paid any attention in the first place.