contemporary art and artists work

Contemporary art refers to modern art, despite the fact that there is no standard definition for it. The term "contemporary art" refers to a variety of art mediums, including sculpture, photography, and paintings. Modernist current art is referred to as contemporary art by art historians. In general, contemporary art describes works created by artists who are currently active today. Like all other forms of art, contemporary art has a long history and has undergone numerous movements. To better understand the impact of such social movements it is important to discuss some of the major contemporary artists who have made significant contributions to modern art. The modern art movement started in the 1960s with the evolution of pop art pioneered by major pop artists like Andy Warhol, Roy Lichtenstein among other artists . It is the modern movement that inspires artists like Edward Ruscha who is a conceptual artist interested in the pop art movement. Edward Ruscha like other contemporary artists responds to the global social and environmental issues that affect the modern day society

Biography of the artist

Edward Ruscha was born in Omaha, Nebraska, the United States on December 16, 1937, to a staunch Catholic family. His father is Edward Ruscha Sr. was an auditor with an insurance company and his mother Dorothy was a housewife. Later when his father got transferred to Oklahoma City he moved with the family . Ruscha and his siblings stayed in Oklahoma for the next fifteen years. It is his mother who could influence Ruscha into art and other high culture. Edward Ruscha showed his interest in art from an early stage and his mother was supportive of his art interest. The young Ruscha was particularly interested in cartooning and his interest in this form of art could persist in his young adult years . He schooled in Oklahoma and later moved to Los Angeles in 1956 to study. He was enrolled at the Chouinard Art Institute now the California Institute of the Arts. He studied there between the years 1956 and 1960 under Robert Irwin and Emerson Woelffer. Immediately after college Ruscha traveled to Europe and spent the summer in the country. Upon returning to Los Angeles he took up a job as a layout artist at the Carson Roberts Advertisement Agency . He also worked as a layout artist and designer for the Artforum magazine in the year’s 1965 to1969. Rusch became famous for his artwork and photographs in the 1960s and he later joined the Ferus Gallery as an Exhibitor where he met many other contemporary artists who could influence his later work.

Scope of the artists work

Ruscha is considered one of the impactful Los Angeles artists who has made an immense contribution to popular culture. He is famous for his portrayal of the city of Los Angeles and its landscapes and magnificent sceneries. This was in flat painting, photography and photographic books have influenced a young crop of artists belonging to the neo-pop movements . Among his influential books is the book Twentysix Gasoline Stations published in 1962 and Various Small Fires and Milk that he published in 1964. He is also popular for the creation of canvases and other text related works that are impactful in the contemporary artwork.

Also, the artist has been commissioned to do public murals and other public display works. Ruscha is the artist behind the monumental mural done at the Museum of Contemporary Art in San Diego completed in 1966. He also did the Denver Public Library’s Seventy Panel, 360 –degree artwork competed in 1995 . Ruscha was commissioned to do other works like Murals for the Miami Dade Public Library, a painting for the Harold Williams Auditorium at the Getty Center . He has completed a number of publicly commissioned works that are inspirational. His work shares a lot with other 1960’s artists who have been influential in promoting the popular art movement.

Impact

Understanding the meaning of “impact” in art is fundamental to understanding the influence of an artist. Impact in art refers to the influence an artist has on the community or society. The impact of art can be emotional, psychological or revolutionary depending on the nature of the artwork. As noted art, can alter change and influence lives and peoples reaction to art differ significantly . The impact of art on the audience is multifaceted and it has to do with factors like contribution to aesthetics, economics, social interactions, community awareness and influencing social change. Contemporary art interacts directly with the community and perhaps has made significant impacts on the community . Ruscha’s art has been impactful to the community in Los Angeles and beyond. His impact is evident in the area of popular art and he is considered one of the first artists to initiate the movement of “pop art” which is gaining traction in this century.

Ruscha’s artwork is focused more on environmental and landscape awareness. In his collages and other paintings, he has to combine L.A’s cityscape and he uses art to communicate about city life and urban experiences. Encompassing his work in photography and art books it is evident that he is inclined towards expressing the banality of the modern urban life, His conceptual approach has inspired the current modernists who are influenced by the aesthetic appeal of his work . He is one of the contemporary artists integrating the concept of abstract expressionism in passing his message to the society. Ruscha’s work is long-term in its influence and impact, for example, some of the paintings he did in 1960’s are still relevant today . He has been vocal in championing for a new form of art presentation that is futuristic in nature. His work will continue to impact on the new popular artists because of the unique style and approach to art.

In terms of sustainability Ruscha’s books are very influential in promoting the conceptual art movement. The practices of the conceptual art movement’s impacts are sustainable because their form of art is influenced by the changes in the society . Ruscha’s paintings and his style create a new aura and this elicits curiosity in the audience. Ruscha is ever present and in the modern painting, he is portraying new themes in a new way hence capturing the audiences’ attention instantly.

Critical analysis

Ruscha is one of the strategic contemporary artists making an impact in the society. His aesthetic appeal can be attributed to his subtle and unique ways of presenting artwork. Ruche’s work draws its themes from everyday activities but has embraced a commercial culture that is different . What brings him to light in contemporary art is his integration of words and phrases that create low key humor while communicating to the audience. Ruscha’s approach is different because only Braque and Picasso used playful linguistic manipulation approach in communicating their message to the audience. It is a critical approach that has made him an influential figure in the development of modern “Pop art” that is taking over conceptual art.

Conclusion

It is evident that Edward Ruscha uses art to communicate about the global, landscape issues affecting the society. It is interesting how the contemporary city movement has changed over the years to become more critical of the issues it is addressing. For example, the impact of contemporary art is based on how artists are able to pass their message through the paintings and photographs. Ruscha conveniently uses art to showcase the unique Los Angeles landscape and also the way of life in the city. It is agreeable that his style and approach has influenced a number of growing popular artists. As a result of his approach, he has been commissioned to do various public murals and drawings that have remained inspirational and timeless. His work has impacted on the emotional and sociological aspects of the life of art lovers all over the world.







































Works Cited

Claudia, Bruano. "The villa lante at Bagnaisa: an allegory of art and nature." College art association (1997).

Douglas, Davis. "The work of art in the age of digital reproduction." Leonardo (1995).

Guetzkow, Joshua. "How the Arts Impact Communities." Taking the measure conference (2002).

Pelowski, Mathew, Patrick Markey and Jon Louring. "Visualizing the impact of Art: An Update and Comparison of Current Psychological models of art experience." Frontiers in human neuroscience (2016).

Pierre Bourdieu and Alan Darbel. The love of art museums and their public. London: Polity press, 1997.