Art is one of the earliest forms of human expression
Artists employ color, patterns, as well as the reproduction of visual likeness in communicating emotion and interpreting the world around them. (Kay) Since the earliest days of civilization, artists have employed different methods of producing art. Thus, art is a broad field of aesthetics. The earliest human species used rocks to produce art in the caves they lived in. However, artistic methods of producing art have greatly changed. With the invention of the computer, the field of art has been significantly revolutionized. The information age has brought changes in the way people produce and experience art. The current century is characterized by vast networks of individuals. Thus, any art produced spreads globally.
Artist Practices in Historical Context
Art can be produced by using different materials. These materials dictate the functionality and effectiveness of the art produced. (Kay). Since the early societies, artists have employed different practices in producing art. Painting and Sculpting have been famous types of art produced in the past. These types of art have produced celebrated artists such as Leonardo Da Vinci and Michelangelo. Mosaics and glass staining have been also employed extensively in the past to produce art.
Mosaics
Mosaic is a form of art that produces decorative images or patterns out of small components. (Stanco et al, 16). In employing this method, artists first visualize the final product in their minds. Once this is achieved, they then use the small components to shape the image as in mind. These components may be colored stones, pieces of paper as well as pieces of wood. Since these components are always small, this kind of practice is always time-consuming. The earliest mosaics were installed as floors or pavements, occasionally as walls (Stanco et al. 17) The use of mosaics was very effective and thus durable. Famous mosaic forms can be found in Basilica of San Vitale, as well as Basilica of Saint Apollinare Nuovo. These mosaics date back to the 5th century (Alcos)
Glass Stain Art
In the past, artists used glass to produce art. The usability of glass in artistic works, architecture, and the aesthetic industry arises from its decorative characteristics. (Allahverdiyev and Yucesoy 3). Artists decorated windows with glass stain art. In essence, different colored pieces of glass were used together to form an image. This method enabled artists to decorate cathedrals as well as homes.
Painting
Artists use various painting techniques to produce images that communicate feelings and emotions. This practice uses shapes, lines, colors, tones, and textures in various ways to produce sensations of volume, space, movement, and light on a flat surface. (Owen) Painting is a broad field of art. Thus, artists use various methods to produce aesthetic products. Oil, acrylic, fresco and watercolors are some of the main mediums used by artists to produce art. (Jensen). Also, artists may also use charcoal as a painting medium. Apart from the mediums of painting, artists often identify themselves with different schools of thought. These school of thoughts may be such as surrealism, hyperrealism, futurism, as well as photorealism. These school of thoughts affect how a given artist produces art. For example, hyperrealism artists produce images which are similar to objects in actual existence. In surrealism, artists often produce images that border on dreams and reality.
Sculpture
Sculpture is an artistic form in which hard or plastic materials are worked into three-dimensional art objects. The designs may be embodied in freestanding objects, in reliefs on surfaces, or in environments ranging from tableaux to contexts that envelop the spectator. (Rogers). Materials such as clay, wood, stone as well as metal are used to produce pieces of art that resemble those in reality. This is a form of art that has been in existence for a long time. There are many sculptures in existence that have been produced in the past. Materials may be carved, modeled, molded, cast, wrought, welded, sewn, assembled, or otherwise shaped and combined. (Rogers)
Characteristics of Contemporary Art Practices
The 21st century has seen a change in the way art is produced. This is largely due to the technological advancements of the time. (Oleza). Another reason is due to globalization. Globalization has led to the intermingling of individuals and consequently the intermingling of cultures. This has brought a change in the way art is produced and received in society.
Art for Societal Criticism
One of the most conspicuous characteristics of contemporary art practice is its use for societal criticism. In modern times, artists produce their works with the aim of airing their political, economical as well as their social thoughts. Otto Dix was a German painter who produced contemporary art with the aim of criticizing the German government. Otto Dix produced works that depicted the brutalities of war after the world war. (Jones) Among his prolific works are the artworks of the Corpse of a Horse and Collapsed Trenches.
Use of Advanced Tools
In the 21st century, art production has moved from being manual to being computer-generated. Also, the camera has allowed for the capture of sceneries and situations that have become great art. Photography done in our time is a reflection and encourages us to consider what we see… Contemporary photography encapsulates or reflects back to us an opinion about our world today (Koslov) In modern times, photography is used to capture events such as accidents. These images, upon reflection, allow individuals to think about their actions and their consequences.
Color and Graphics
Contemporary art continues to focus on the clarity of images produced. Thus, modern-day artists produce artworks of bright colors and closer to reality as possible. This is due to the evolution of the hyperrealism school of thought in which artists continue to see the importance of producing works that imitate reality. These forms of art are used in comic books and even in political propaganda. (artsy)
Art as a Social Tool
Contemporary art is also used as a social tool. This is especially through graffiti works and street art. Contemporary artists use their artworks as an instrument of collective self-empowerment and as part of a larger movement for social justice. (Gilbert).
Artist Material and Conceptual Practice
In the current century, artists use varying materials to produce products with aesthetic values. In contemporary art, the computer is one of the foremost tools that are used. This device is revolutionary in the art field due to the way it synthesizes information given to produced a wide array of products.
Patricia Piccinini
One of the foremost contemporary artists is Patricia Piccinini. Game Boys Advanced is one of her seminal works (Douglas). In this case, Piccinini uses the 3-D computer tool to render the objects. The 3-D tool is a computer-generated image that allows for the realization of an image in three dimensions. Her artworks, made from silicone, fiberglass, and even human hair, her sculptures are breathtakingly lifelike. (Larsson). Thus, once her artworks have been 3-D rendered, the actual image is produced by molding. The primary materials for molding the sculpture are silicone and fiberglass. This shows how the two items have become central in modern art. Since Piccinini’s aim is to be hyper-realistic, human hair is also used to mold creatures that are completely lifelike, only that they do not breathe. Before the production of the artworks, Piccinini first conceptualizes the artistic objects to be produced. Her works revolve around the effects of technology on human life. Thus, her artworks depict life-like creatures that have been greatly affected by technology, such as the Game Boys Advanced whose faces are old as a result of playing video games excessively. Her artworks are appropriate since they depict how technology may end up affecting our lives. Thus, these artworks challenge individuals to greatly rethink radical measures in technology and medicine that may affect human lives adversely.
Barbara Kruger
Graphic designing and photography have become central in contemporary art. Barbara Kruger, one of the contemporary artists, uses photography and graphic designing to produce artworks that critique different aspects of human life. Graphic designing is the art and practice of planning and projecting ideas and experiences with visual and textual content. One of Kruger’s best-known work is I Shop Therefore I am. (Jacob Victorine). In this work, a photograph of a stretched hand is seen, with the text “I shop therefore I am” imprinted. Kruger’s works unleash the power of merging photography and philosophy. In this case, the phrase is a version of Descartes “Cogito ergo sum” or “I think therefore I am”. The artwork aims at discouraging individuals from senseless shopping to feel important.
Kruger’s artworks are printed on silkscreen. Once this is done, they are then framed and can be placed on walls in the fashion of a photograph. The printing of the art on silkscreen enables it to have durability. Silkscreens are more durable than paper, and thus Kruger is fond of them. (Victorine)
Kruger’s work is appropriate in the current age. This is because these works challenge normal populist thoughts. They thus challenge individuals to review their worldviews as well as their thinking patterns. In doing so, Kruger is able to prove the greatness of photography in the modern society. This is because photography is able to capture scenarios and details that would otherwise be impossible if another medium was used.
Works Cited
al, Fillipo Stanco et. "Mosaics." Digital Imaging for Cultural Heritage Preservation, 2018, pp. 16-20.
Alcos, Carlos. 10 of the most impressive mosaics around the world. 9 November 2010. 1 April 2018.
Douglas, Tim. Patricia Piccinini’s transgenic creations: what’s their story? 14 October 2017. 1 April 2018.
Glass, Robert. Introduction to art historical analysis. 1 January 2018. 1 April 2018.
Jensen, Eric. Fine Art: Definition " Meaning. n.d. 1 April 2018.
Jones, Jonathan. Art Apocalypse. 14 May 2014. 1 April 2018.
Kay, Morris. "The evolution of human artistic creativity." Journal of Anatomy, 2010, pp. 158-176.
Koslov, Geoffrey. What is Contemporary Photography? 29 September 2015. 1 April 2018.
Larsson, Char. With affection and humour, Patricia Piccinini probes the boundaries of human and other. 27 March 2018. 1 April 2018.
Owen, Peter. Painting. 22 March 2018. 1 April 2018.
Victorine, Jacob. Why Supreme’s (Mis)Appropriation of Barbara Kruger’s Art Matters More Than Ever. 28 November 2017. 1 April 2018.
