What is contemporary art?

Are you planning to attend an Affordable Art Fair soon? If so, it may be helpful to learn about the genre of artworks that you’ll browsing. Since the first Affordable Art Fair, in 1999, it has been the vision of Founder and CEO, Will Ramsay to democratise the art world and encourage everyone to enjoy and own art – so let’s start by talking about the contemporary art on display.

At each Affordable Art Fair, you’ll see 1,000s of contemporary artworks on display, hung by a carefully curated selection of local, national and international galleries. But what does ‘contemporary’ art mean?

What does contemporary art mean?

At the Affordable Art Fair, we interpret contemporary art, as being art created by a living, breathing artist. After all, they’re the ones with bills to pay! However, beyond this, the wider understanding of contemporary art relates to works created from the 1970s onwards.

Contemporary art reflects the ever-evolving nature of the contemporary world – one that is constantly exploring new ideas and pushing boundaries. Likewise, the methods and materials used to create contemporary art include a multitude of medias, experimentation with technology, and an interdisciplinary approach.

In term of its inspiration, contemporary art is not inward focused, works reflect a modern-day global perspective, encouraging interaction and prompting discussions on culture and diversity. Some famous contemporary artists include Jeff Koons, Damien Hurst, Yayoi Kusama, Tracey Emin, Takashi Murakami, Anish Kapoor.

Like the above creatives, many contemporary artists are inspired by concepts, over aesthetic appeal. So, if at a first glance, an artwork at an Affordable Art Fair strikes you as different, challenging or complex – why not ask the gallerist what the artist’s inspiration was? Likely there will be an interesting story there…

How does contemporary art differ from modern art?

While contemporary art and modern art are often confused, they refer to different periods and styles.

Modern art refers to art created between the late 19th century through to the mid-20th century. The movement was named ‘modern’ because artists purposefully moved away from traditional techniques and subjects. Many famous artists and movements fall into the sphere of modern art, such as the dreamy Impressionist paintings of Claude Monet, Pablo Picasso’s deconstructive Cubist pieces, Dali’s reality-bending Surrealism, or Jackson Pollock’s painterly Abstract Expressionist canvases.

Ok, so how is traditional art defined?

To complete the set, traditional art is grounded in history, technique and well… tradition. The name honours the extensive training and longevity of practice that traditional artists went through to hone their craft. With techniques passed down through centuries, it’s no wonder that renowned traditionalist artists are referred to as ‘Masters’.

Beyond this, traditional art is a very broad term, and covers the Classical Art of ancient Greece and Rome, Renaissance Art from the 14th to 17th centuries, and indigenous Folk Art. The work of centuries of traditional artists provided the foundation from which Modern artists rebelled and Contemporary artists explored and reflected the world.

But contemporary art sometimes looks traditional or modern, why is that?

While contemporary art can be created in a traditional, or modernist style; due to the date it has been created; the inherent influence of the history of art on the artist; the explorative materials or processes the artist employed; – it will still be defined as contemporary.

After all, Pablo Picasso famously said: “Good artists copy. Great artists steal.” acknowledging that all artists first learn by experimenting with established styles and mediums, before evolving their work into their own unique style. Essentially Picasso was acknowledging that through their creations, all artists pay homage to those that came before. The same is true for all contemporary art.

So, as you walk the aisles of an Affordable Art Fair, why not pause and consider the works that draw you in – what influences do you notice? Who do you think the artist is paying homage to? And how have they taken these influences and evolved them, creating a something unique?

Something… in fact… that you might just want to take home and hang on your wall, to ponder for years to come!

To get started, browse our upcoming Affordable Art Fairs and grab a ticket to find the contemporary piece that piques your interest.